CANDIDATES' SPEECHES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2317, 26 November 1914, Page 7

CANDIDATES' SPEECHES

CANDIDATES RETIRE ,

MR. T. H. DAVEY WITHDRAWS

\ MR. D. M'LAREN LABOUR NOMINEE FOR WELLINC- -'-. iT.ON EAST. . - Mr. D. M'Laren, the-Labour Representation Committee's hominee : .for Wellington 'East, addressed about 200 electors in the New Century Hall last even- / irig. '■• Mr. X. M'Kenzie presided. The candidate was given/a; very - orderly •■■■■■■■'■■ hearing. Mr. , M'Laren wame.d the pooV pie that they could nptespect biin to take up a parieh' pump-attitude, but mentioned tnat he'wis a.member of a : deputation whichvwaited :on a Minister ■ regarding the, Wellington railway eta- / tion. In his peroration, he spoke of uplifting the masses of the people aJid eaid that we should so order our affairs that we oould reach out our hands to little countries like. Belgium and say, "Yes we will help>'ypu." ' ; .. • .Touching Hβ. political _nis. Tory, Mr. M'Laren said;that.in 1908.ne : faced; the eleotors with confidence, and •■■' secured tire seat; and he claimed that hedid'his duty'.while-in the House. AV '■■■'■- the last election he,was by 6U :•- '.votes after a campaign agamst him ol '-■ moneyi-motors, ami mud, The mud was ■?v' & ; thick that The DommoN published vv attack-on him'seriate m tie battle - t'hatOie could not rep yto .it.That»ae ■•: .mean; A; fetor . ■■< his defeat in -MV waethe fit of dehr- ■ ium tremens which got.hold of ™ p»-. ■ pie, and was expressed m the outory, "Down with'tyard!''' : •:'• "It Stood Again."

He beliereain striking ;at theballotbox,: and'he. , stood'in support, of proportional representation- beingvapphed , to the Lower House. The Government were 'prepared to apply It-to the other fellow. If Labour had /had its full quota according: to proportional representation, instead of having four members in Parliament they would have ton members. ' Tne Government, he assert-' ed, had-tricked the people , by! abolishing, the second 'ballot syetoin without substituting anything'.: for it. ' His opponent had in the House taken up a curious "position on the 'subject, of proportional representati-ih. 'He had said %mTfle would support: the system, had then argued against it, then he had said he would vote' for it. and finally nad not. voted at vaU. That wae tie kind of merry-go-round performance tho publio would not. get,..from. Mr, M'LarenV even'; if his conduct meant that he never.-stood.in public Mβ again. Our national of education, said the candidate,' was, a" thing regarding which we .should say...to the d<S-. spoilers': "Hands off 1"• : ,' K- ■''■-■•. ; An eleotor: Hear, hear I Mr. M'LaTen:: Every ; timel, . \ . Some candidates were! playing ,with tho people on this issue by saying tnat they did not, Reliev e: in the Bible-in-Schools League's . proposals; ■, but favoured the granting of .the referendum. He was in faviurTpf the initiative,and thereferendum{on::all',secul i ar..questions, but, rigt':'on"'religipus-;questi.o'ns. Fancy .■,the : ' s ;Toriesgpretendinß tney ■. really favoured the As long as.he was able wo'uliT , 6tand ! :'.with others to 'fight'fof'the■ retentiott'pf-.the grand system-of .:educat'i6ii: : which had been Wit' iip' in- New;; .Zcalandi, . Hβ then expressed' the opinion that it-jwas regret-' table that the Government ,, 'had , ■ not pushed forward withXocal Government .reform , ..' ' '■':''.r"'-; , .. I .'■l-γ-" ■-.-' '- ■■'■'.'■'

thotand Question.. ' Dealiiig witl \ "most vital issue, one .ti^e^eld^ipl,;ppli : tiosj" tVe land.'questionj -lie: said;.he had always been a leaseholder with re-. gardlto. Crown .lands, -and he. was not prepared to ■change', his for', the purpose of catchingTVotes.-K-New Zealand had a long, way to 'go before; providing land for.vall the "people who desired it. The .Government had.' t talked a great deal about having increased the graduated -.land tax. , jWell,. the Year Book showed, that the' increase amounted to £6860.. v They wouldj have to he more drastio in land'taxation if they were going-.- to,Vetqp°f land, aggregation. In the last nineteen.years New Zealand had presented the land monopolists with £100,000,000 more than, the entire debt of the Dominion at the present .'time.. ■'."■■ ■• -.■'■"'■'■ •. ■; ;.,i .: ;/,.......... To meet the'wants the people it was necessary that a greater, amount of cultivation of foodstuffs should bb carried on, and he though'f there should h-i a certain measure of compulsion to secure'the ;.\ growth 'of' sufficient frheat. '. •• •,-:>.-. ■... '■'■~.-'\' ■:■:. The Labour Department could be of p.reat ralue to New Zealand if properly administered; but at present this State Department was .somewhat starved; 'a change was urgently required. Hβ criticised thb Government's' handling of last year's strike, and Dassed on to say that he_ advocated the fostering of local -.industries." ' .-■' . ;, ■':'• ..-.■"' .••

In spite.of wiat had been said to the contrary Mr. Massey and other Reformers had voted against the six days' working week to the/hotel workers. 'It was untrue to say .that the Government granted this concession to , hotel employees. • It was true that they voted that these workers could have a sixdays' week if tho Arbitration Court so willed jt; but that was a different thing to voting for' tlie concession straightout and honestly on their own account. Hβ reckoned it a mean, contemptible political trick the way the women employees in woollen mills were treated over the Bill which was introduced to five them a. less number of working r ours per week. He agreed witb. Mr/ W._ A. Yeitch, the member, for Wanganni, that Mr. Massey .was an.'- utter failure as Ministor of Labour. ■

bay of Labour Domination Coming.

'Touching briefly on financial , questions, Mr. M'Laren. proclaimed Sir Joseph Ward the greatest,financier New Zealand had produced. After what the opponents of the Leader of tho Opposition had said of him, they should now, he said (in consideration of their own performances)* apologise to Sir Joseph Ward. Another curious kind, of criticism which was. going about would meet with the electors' condemnation—the critics who supported tho Government were taking the last two financial yearsas Mr. Massey's, and the two previous years as Sir Joseph Ward's, when-the fact was that in. tho period ihus attribnted to him Sir Joseph Ward was not oh the Treasury benches at all. The day was not so very far distant when'a constitutional" Labour Party would be the strongest party in the House of Representatives. ' ; .. V, He did not believe in handing over the Civil Service to the domination of thre'e Commissioners; and informed the audience that the Ma-ssev Government pursued a policy of Kaiserismto try and get hold of every institution in the. country, and added that people who would not pledge themselves- to the Massey Party would not bo able to stay • in New Zealand. ;

Mr. M'Laren was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. No one opposed the motion, and the majority in the hall held up hands in support of it.

DR. NEWMAN AT KILBIRNIE. Dr. A. K. Newman addressed a meeting at Kilbirnio last evening. Mr. J. J. Clark occupied the chair, and t'ho meeting is described as one of tho laigest political gatherings ever held at Kilbirnio. Dr. Newman fully explained the land policy of the,' Reform Party, whose battle cry is settlement, more settlement, and still-more .settlement. As regards valuation, of land and tho Assessment Court, this, tribunal would be altered, and objectors would .be more satisfied. He further dilated on tlio change mado in the Legislative Council, nomination being replaced by" election. ■Tho speaker was frequently applauded during the course of the address. Mr..

Mailer proposed a vote of ;*hanks to the candidate and confidence in the Reform Party, which, being seconded by Captain Light, was carried with enthusiasm.

SUBURBS SEAT. MR. E.-.T. MOORE AT EAIWARRA. Mr. F. T. Moore addressed a large at'tendance of electors at Jiaiwarra last night. Mr. Robert Flaws presided. The candidate said that, tie return of tUe Massey Government would be an economic calamity which the electors should avoid .at all costs. The fine example, of Australia'. under Labour Government, he said,,was an object-lesson to.imitate. There was not one single enactment or one single Act of administration which could'be cited against Labour control in that country. On questions of. defence Labour had done the right things in regard to a.citizens' army.and navy for Australia. As it was the intention of,the New Zealand ■ Labour 'Party to copy Australia no heed should be given to Tories who say that Labour could not be trusted. In these days of party government; no. votes should he wasted on independent, candidates no matter how good their personal' qualifications. Electors should vote for party principles. Individually he was no better than any other candidate, but his loyalty to the. principles of his party supplied the reason why ho should be sup* ported. V Only the previous night, he said the Labour representation tee had refused to entertain a proposal that he 6hould stand aside for any other man and carried a unanimous vote of confidence in his candidature. On the motion of Mr. Cavanagh a vote : of thanks and;confidence, was carried .unanimously.

MR. FITZGERALD AT "WADESTOWN, Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald (Opposition) ad;dressed a meeting at Wadestpwn 1 last evening. Mr. G. Janes occupied the chair. The candidate, who was warmly received; said the people had arrived at a period when they should reflect as to whether the 'present 'Government had fulfilled':the many promises 'made in 1911,-and whether ;it had brought happiness, prosperity, and industrial peace to the • people bt New Zealand. .Mr. Fitzgerald criticised the appointment of • the. Civil Service Commissioners, and stated that the Service had'no confidence in., the system. He condemned the Government for :iot providing a substitute for; the Second Ballot. Although the Conservative. Party had advocated;, settlement of the land, as a matter fact, he said, during, the past two years they, .had actually placed less" people upon the land than the Liberal Party ; •had during any two years, of office. It was significant that every land .ballot' saw hundreds of disappointed applicants, whilst there yet remained, idle and unproductive, thousands,-.of Vicres of. .Native lands. Mr. Fitzgerald strongly advocated various'.social reforms. Hβ urged the passing of legislation for tho reduction-of the cost of livingj for cheapening the price of'money to the: users of: money, , to enable the poorest, persons to receive some degree of comfort in their;old age, and to enable wife deserters to'be brought back when the,y absconded. (Applause.) He strongly appealed .to all. the. Liberals hi. the district to. rally round-the flag. The.can. didate. was ; accorded, the usual compliment,, and a strong committee set.hip to-further-hie, interests ia the.district,".. ,

■THE WAIRAU SEAT.

'•:,MR,, DtJNOAN AT,TUA MARINA. During the/course c pf his"address' a 'be-' fore a'-large audience at Tua Marina, Mr.. J. ' Duncan, Reform candidate' for •Wairau, showed conclusively the. prosperity that existed .in; New ijealand. just previously to the advent of the'Ballance Administration, and said that although Mr. Seddon's Administration , in, its earlieryear's was a good one, it became decadent later.on, and more decadent under Sir Joseph Ward. Mr. Massey, on assuming otfice, restored the buoyanoy which had been lacking 'On the question of borrowing , (says an. exchange) Mr. Duncan showed (using.the Ward Party's own.figures) that Mr. Massey's annual borrowing was threequarters of a million less than Sir Joseph Ward's. ..■"-The working classes had .benefited most by Mr.. Massey's borrowing. Referring to taxation, Mr. Duncan showed -that the increase .of taxation was greater under Sir Joseph Ward than, under Mr. Massey. Mr. Massey's was directed at those best able, to .pay. Mr. Duncan commented on the strong and statesmanlike uttitude; of the Government during ■ the' Watefsiders' strike, and criticised the .attitude'of Sir Joseph Ward in not' assisting tho cause of law and order andto settle {he strike. .• On the subject of the freehold with limitation of area, Mr. Duncan spoko interestingly, and of the neglect of the prsTious Government to open up more land in Slarlborough, and of golden opportunities being' lost by previous Governments to secure land ' inthis district at. cheaper rates. The present Goverjinient had lost 'no time in opening up tlie as witness Hillersden. 'Sir Joseph Ward had been a' failure .with land laws. Regarding the new Education Act, Mr. Duncan spoke strongly on the necessity of retaining the Marlborough Board, at the same time ■ supporting any proposals which would increase the opportunities for Marlborough teachers and secure promotions.' Country children should have boarding allowance while attending High Schools, and aided schopls should havo better 'capitation. Mr. 6 Duncan explained his efforts resulting in the establishment of the High School.;■ Regarding increased expenditure, it was 6aid that the Government was blamed for every-, tiling—oven some blamed thorn for having 'caused the war (A voiced "So they did!" Laughter.) But the unfinancial state of the railway, Civil Service, and teachers' superannuation funds, resulting -in increased expenditure of £67,000, was only one instance of the amount of the heavy expenditure put upon them by the Ward Government to. carry out. In the matter of ponsioils, the present Government deserved great praise; Mr. Duncan supported the referendum on the Biblo in> schools. In conclusion, he wished to say emphatically and quite clearly that on the question of licensing legislation his views were unchanged from what. thoy wero 'at'the beginning of the ele'ctkm campaign. • i .

' Beforo resuming his seat, Mr. Duncan claimed that the present Government had justly earned a rcnowal of confidencoi It had carried out its work well in spite of such heavy trials as the smallpox epidemic, the strike, and tho war. . . • ' • . • A vote of thanks to Mr. Duncan was carried amidst very hearty applause Mr. Duncan held a Very successful meeting at Roiiwicktown on Saturday evening. Mr. . Robson occupied tho chair. The address" given was on tho same lines as that given at Tua Marina. At the close •of the address a- hearty tvote-of thanks was unanimously 'carried.

DUNBDIN CENTRAL.

(By Teleßraph—Press Association.* Dur.otlin, November 25. Mr. C. E. Statham, Ditneclin addressed -a largo meeting of electors at Morningtoii to-night. The candidate ."spoke-of the legislation. introduced by 'the Massoy- Government, and gave a very clear account Of the effect of such legislation. Jlr. Statham criticised Sir, J. G. Ward's recent speech in• Duncdin, and controverted several of his statements as regards financi,il_ questions. He had a sympathetic hearing', though at the. conclusion of tho address he was upon to .anEwec a. creut number

of questions, many of thorn referring , to tne Huntlyi disaster. Ho was given a heaity vote of thanks. •■; THE SELWYN SEAT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Rakaia, November 25. _ Mr. W. J. Dickie, Opposition candidate for Selwyn, addressed a largely attended meeting at Eakaia to-night and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, though a great number of the audience did not vote, the chairman not calling for_ tho Noes.

SO AS NOT TO SPLIT REFORM . !■ : .VOTE/ ; '' ', (By X»ie2iapn—Weea Association) Auckland, November 20. After an amicable conference between th,e parties concerned, Mr. W. H. ray, tlie Government candidate for Grey Lynn, has decided to retire from the contest in favour of 'Mr. Murdoch M'Lean, the official Government caiir didate. Mr. Hurray is urging his friends to gife all possible support to Mr. M'Lean. A "similar. decision was also ; arrived at to-day" by Mr. E. T. Field, Government candidate for Kaipara, who has retired from the contest in favour of 'Mr. J. Gordon Coates.

FROM CHRISTCHURCH.EAST' \\ . . ' CONTIiST. ; : . .■• '

(By Toleewiph.—Press Association.) Chrlstchurch, November 25. . : Mr. T. H. Davey, who has represented the Chriatchurch East scat lor several Parliaments, hae decided to retirefrom the present contest, and. will not seek re-election.,, • ■ '■' ■ Mr. Davey has made the following announcement on the subject :—"At my meeting at St.' Saviour's, Sydenham,- n question was put to me as to what I would, do if, on my return. to Parliament, "a motion of no-confidence was moved in' the 'Reform Government. I replied that I would vote on the merits of the-motion;!l..was.veryanxious to have the privilege, in Parliament of discussing every measure,- no matter by whom if was introduce'dj.'on. its merits, and of voting conscientiously on it, but when I made,tliat reply I knew the merits <«id demerits of the question and know exactly how;I- would vote, and I confess that I ought to have taken the public into my confidence. '■ I have never promised to support the Reform Party on a no-confidence motion.! If' after having been in' Parliament for twelveyears I had , done bo ..without, notifying my Constituents, T would ihave.committed ,'a grave political offence.' I claim tbat the statement of Mr. MacFarlane, Reform candidate'. for Christchurch East, that I declined ;to support Mr; Massey absolves ~'me from .tne suggestion that I was unfaithful .to..the Lib r eral Party. ,,, Since 1 spoke >at St. Saviour's I have consulted my' friends, !many of whom hpnestly wish me to continue the campaign, but I have reluctantly arrived at the conclusion that rather than have the slightest misunderstanding with the electors I should retire. I feel sure that in doing' so I shall .be * consulting' the -best interests, of the'constituency in taking this step. .1: sincerely < wish 'my friends for. the great trust they have placed in mo,- for. twelve years. It is a trust I have tried to; honour in every respect, and' I hope that niy successor will prove '.to\be : a.reliable and. worthy representative." "/ . '•';/.. -'" '•'' '■' ' ' ■ ■-■

:;;' '. - ; ;*. '[ Hon? W. F. Massey,' at Lower Hiitt, 'at 8 p.m;. / ;■■.. ■ . ■ „ ' ■■■■. i J'Mr.vljVT.- Moore;' at-Ngaio, at 8 p:'m; •'S-Mr.'-A,- Aislabiei-'aV- Porirua,'at■-.'B. ■ Mr. H. B. 'Holland, at Sydney Street. Hall,\at 8 p.m. : ./■■ \- : . - •'.;'•■ MEETINGS TO-MORROW. . ' Mr;'MoriartyX'at Town Hall, at 8 p.m. '•".' ■ '•'■'■■ '' ■'"■. ■.'■", Dr. Newman,''it Roseneath, at 8 p.m. "■'•Mr. W. H.'Field, at Levin, at 8 p.m." :, Mr. W. H.' Turnbull, at Wadestown, at 8 p.iril'' ' ■'•■ ' ' -,-. ■ ■[■ •-■' i■■ Hon; A.'LiJlerdman, at'Northlandy. at 8 p.m. ■.'■''■ ■■ •• • <'■:■'■ .. Mr.R. A.-Wright, at Belinont, at 8 p.m. • ■ ' ■ .'•■:.• .' ■ i Mr. A. M. Samuel, at Eastbourne, at 8 p.m. ■ ••■• •■■.'■'*./ '.' v ' •■•:■' :: "',' „ Mr.;A. Aislabie, at• Kaiwarra, at 8 ■■ ■■• l! ' ■ ■ ■ .'*.v'- - Mr. F. T.jtfoore, at Khandallah, at'B p.m. r ■ .''•■' ■ '' "