HON. F. M. B. FISHER AT FEILDING

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2320, 30 November 1914, Page 7

HON. F. M. B. FISHER AT FEILDING

SPLEffDID MEETING ! CONFIDENCE .IN THE G&VERN '■"■:■■■■.;;.;/.,■ ;.■•-;.;.■, : : mentv ;-;V . . ; (Froni a Correspondent.) ;- : : :' Felldfng, November 27. . '■, iTievlargest audience. that has eve assembled in Feilding greeted the Min . ; ister of Marine when he came upon th. ;- ..platform last night; - : There was a fai ' ■ - Eprmkimg' of/members of t'io: Social ■■'.'■-. .OemocraticParty ■at;.tl. e . b:ic!i of tti ..'hall, but the Minister ; hail not p'.'rrod ■ ;■:.; >d far .with his'address jbefore lie'lai ; succeeded in: ■■effectually- silencing tbi ■'..■■, ww noisy interjectors.. '•■'•■: •'•■■'• , ;;, ; .:.. Mr., Fisher, .referred, to the' Adminis .- -..trative. difficulties with irliicn the (iov .:,."'.;■ eminent had been confronted since tlrei entered into office "iii-181?,-" and jx.-'itei , out -.that, great \though the . cliliicul.tiei - Were, from an administrative point . o'i '.View, the Govern.nent had «e: enLeles: • managed to place a', very, useful set o /■ ■•:measures upon ;the Statute Uo::l<. . .-.. ■ The .Minister, next dealt.with the fi . ■.. ■ ; nancial:: position; of -,- the .country, botl Massey Goyernment came .into bffice.indat the.present time,.ahc .his clear and lucid exposition of: affata was easily imderstbod'by the large,am ■••'■■ appreciative audience. Fisher.' mad< .... M 6 clear that there. , ,was n6'mteuti<ra or ■the part of tTie Massey Administrutibr .■; . of worrying the public with legislatior ::. of .a harassing natiire'so long as the present crisis lasted. He said the fiinc- ■ ■.. ■ tioiis of the Administration during th't coming two or. three: years would b( : mainly of an administrative character as tJio public were , having enough worries without; Parliament adding to then -. b .V mischievous, frivolous;or.'/linneces- ,. Bary'legislation.;.; -.The ■ audience, listed ei with the very closest; attention while ■/. tie. Minister .came;tb-deal with ; the ex- . : traordinary. attitude of; some of the onpenents of the; Gdveriinient in connec- . *'on with the Huntly,disaster, and;il /,; ;-.j»s general his : clear «* .- .Planation of the: events "leading up , t< --.:. , of the; ■■•" •■'• !•«, r , emo^ d man 3'-doubts .which -hac -.. .■:.: liitherto exieteid,ln ~the .minds -of '■ th« ■.•■;;;. Public,,. Mr. -~ ■■. Mlv mJanuary last that ■.■thi'fir.faofc ;••:- cf dang* came from the Huntly mines; ~,,,ger in the Huntly . mines. , .3f: any /kind ■-■■■.>' under, thevnofce- oi :- -, J^ Is ter;or^ublic,Fork ß ;;until the •■:..■ end of July, or, this j-ear, and; that; with- - - i.--. the .report-from; his subordinate"'ofliccw ...Coal Mines• Bill;should contain .provi- ;■ ■'■ ''.??*•■*!> e t^Vdimcnltie^;'to : ihKii ■,-. .his. attention had.,been- drawn ■V ; v The ■•.;. .-aumster of .Marine pointed out'': that v no .matter how perfect legislatifib inighi . ".■■■Piv* e: «lement.'of.-liuinaii-."fr.ailtv , .iefiterI- all,these;matters;- 'Nbtwith- ; •.-. etanding the experiehcewhicli >..treat had .yhad in-"connection . ■;;.;■■ w?tn' per_ coal,, mining 'industry, explo- .• sions took place and men '.were idlledLbf , ..hundreds without any "charge of -murder .-■ \:?}: er T being levelled'at, Mr. Aequith oi .. .. Lloyd; George/ Jn^Aiis- ;•■■■ . : tralia: coal ;.min'e disasters • hafl< occurred .; ~ "."even during" tAe time-when fee .Labour Government jiyaVinVpower,: 'tut "nq-'de- . • ..vcent.v critic of..the ; s:y Goyernnieht j-evei .';••-. deemed it adyisable^'aeclare'that'^the with : ; the blood:.pf._,,ths;d^ad i ;.rniuers r "v.;;;Mr; ■•;. ■ '. Fisher further,' , pomiie(i-'6ut''that'in'iß9,6 :. . ■ :eixty-five mei' wefe/ijlled'.itt'tlie Bru'i'^ ... ner mine.'V'A Boyal Commwsiori. "was" ■.immediately appointed'to make .inquiry; , ; . special cbaj nAmo'^inerJectof" , should '-.be , '■■:_.■ nppoitttedj. , that he enould have power ",to introduce special:rules into each" .•_• mine,, that ihe should,have power, ito : ■•; "■ compel ..the watering or'; .efficient/'damn- ;:. ing of the generally that he ;,_■ ', .should'haye power'to. take. all 'prec'au- . .;tioris necessary.forthe.preyention of ac- •;. ...cidents, from/ inflammable !■ gas and coal .■dust. Had,the predecessore of.tlieMas- , • eey Government not.'ignored thereport '.■.-.' of the Royal Commission-of 1896 on. the ' ' Brumiei. disaster; the. .Colvin: Coal-Mines i Bill of 1912 need j never'havelbeen draft- : ed, and the\ Huntly.•dieaster; would not :'\ . : have occurred.; Then ; it'Ka'd to.be rsinem- . ■ hered. that after 'disaster; a Eoyal Commission wasi'set up and'one . of the' Oommissionori;: was ■ Mi/i, John :, Dow"gray, who ■Vas.a;"proinineht;ineniher ■■' of the' Social , Democratic Party;: /The commission-in its' .report plainly set; out two important points; ■•■One was,tbat if •.; ' the mine had. been' inspected before the 'miners-went "into:it,the : :'disas.ter "would '.- not 'have happened.'i The second point .', was that had a dpor.at the end of. one of the. theVdiskster .':. . could.not "have : happened'.. iHow/.ithen, .inthe face of , such a'.report" corild .any decent-minded man declare that j'oither '-.;. the ':of. Public" WorksiVor >tHe ;' ■ ..Ministry as .a !, whole were Tesponsiblo '-,'-■■. for the calamitrr....': : )lf the - Opposition '•■■ thought that" they,;would be able" to' • climb,into, office oVeV-the dead bodies of ■". : '-, the-Huiitly .'miners,: .then his (Mr. . , Fisher's):;estimateof'the British sense of fair play, of the public must undergo : a change; .'. ■'■''■ '. ■.-;.'..■; ;. ':■-,■:..:-.]■'.■'■

.Notwithstanding the. agitation which had been made asking the Liberal Government to erect a .light in Cook-Strait in order to .prevent'a'disaster, nothing had been done/ In. February, 1909, the •■' , Penguin disaster occurred. Severity-five ■■'- people were, drowned. Three years later the . Ward Government ■ went out. of -.•"office.■' They had not even so much as .-moved a pebble for the purpose 6f preventing another Penguin.disaster, and . -it if oil to the lot of the -Massey Adminis- .,.'■ tration to take immediate.steps on theircoming into office'to order the .erection • . of a light in-Cook Strait to prevent the possible loss of; another 75 In es, and yet-the member's of-the Opposition were ■turning up their! oyes" to- heaven and poiuting to the pre'sont' Government as being a set of men.who.had no regard : for the value life;'. ' : ' Mr. Fisher, then >vent on .to .deal with the attitude of the •••Ward GdVornment towards the tram ; ;-employees in .'the cities. In 1907 the , .Ward'Government brought in a Bill to render the cars safe for the employees? Year after year went by and little , or nothing -was, done. In 1912 the -Ward- Government' went out of office-with the problem of, the palace cars still unsolved. During the time the Ward Government was in office no fewer than five tramway- employees had been killed and: 108 had been injured, yet it-remained for the Massoy Government in their first session to pass a Tramways Bill which ensured safety for the employees. At tho canclusion of the meeting, dur- . ing -which Mr.' Fisher ,was listened- to with an ever-increasing interest, a mem- . bor of tho Social ' Democratic Party moved a rote of "thanks 'to Mr. Fisher for his address, but of no confidence in the Government. The motion was put to tlie meeting by the Jfayor, was defeated,, by an overwhelming majority, :and the original motion' mov«l-by Mr. '. Fry, ,of Makeno, was then put. The resolution was: "That ; this meeting desirns to thank Mr.-Fisher for his very ablo address, and desires to express its complete confidence in the Massoy Administration." Upon being put to tho mooting- it was declared carried by an overwhelming majority. A -vote of thanks to tho Mayor concluded tho proceedings.

Tho meeting has (lone much good in Feilding, and has disabused tlur minds of many of the opponents of the Government in regard to many of tho erroneous ideas which they held concerning tho Massey Administration. The Minister of Marine is to bp compli- . mented on having had the largest and most successful meeting ever held in tho i^gitikei.

NOMINATIONS

Nomination of candidates for the General Election, closes with the electoral officers of the electorates at noon to-day. The chief electoral office will be notified to-day of the candidates nominated for the' Wellington seats. Mr.'Albert Moeller Samuel has been nominated for the Hntt 6eat. His nominators; are /as follow:—Messrs. E. P. Bunny, M. W. Welch, John Wliiteman;.. William Beale, Job M. •Benge.Hichard AV. ; Short, George Pickering,, Mesdames Emily A. Curtis, Mar-' garet A. Bum, and Miss Dorothy E. Corner: ■..-,'.' . (By. Tel*?raph.^-Si , e«'«l Correspondent.) Palmerston N., November 28. Three,of the candidates contesting the Palmerston North seat were norairiatod on' Saturday as follow:— ■David 13xilctc, otticial Reform candidate. Nominators: F* Bryant, J. A. Fraser, C. N. Clausen, C. Watts, W. B. V. Pearce, A.E. Bennett, J. Nairn, D Pringle. . ' ■•,-'.. J. A. Nash, Reform. Nominators; F. Jackson, E. L. Broad, and others. : James Thorn, Labour: W. ,P. Wright, D. B. Forde Carlisle, P.. T ltobinson, J. D.W. M'Connon, Zillah S Gill, W. J. M'Voigh, J. Hcdgeris. (By Telecrapli.—Prose " ' ; Dannavirke,; November 28. ■ Messrs. Georgo Hunter and Albert Edward 'Jnll 'have been nominated'for thoWaipawa seat. ■ ' . ■-'• Napier, November 28. i Nominations for the Napier seat .are : Messrs. V. Browiv (Opposition) and G. W. Venables (Government). ■ ''. Dunedin, November 28. The following nominations have been received:—For Duuedin North: Mr. G. M. (Government).' Dunedin Central: Mr. Munro. r Dunedin ' West:. Mr. W. Downie Stewart' (Government). ; : . ' ■ Ashbufton, November 28. Mr. W. # T; Maslin (Opnoeition) and Mr. W. Noswortliy (Government), have been.,nominated for Ashburton. ■. ; , Fellding, November 28. Messrs. D. H. Guthrio (Government) and J. Morrieon (Opposition) have been nominated for the Oroua , seat.

' : Woodville, November 28, Messrs. J.' H. Escott (Government)' and; J. D. Mathewa (Opposition) have keen nominated for the Paliiatua' eeat;

THE HUTT SEAT,

MR. A. M, BAMUELfS CAMPAIGN. Mr. A. JVL Samuel addressed a. most enthusiastic meeting in the school-room 'at WhitomaE'e Valley ' on ' Saturday evening. Mr. Browleo was voted to the chair, and about'4o settlers were;pre-. sent. Tho candidate, ■ who was'accorded: an excellent hearing, dealt with several; measures that had been passed by/the Massey., Government for the' benefit .of farmers, and emphasised; the need , of; 'a , :'gbods 6hed : at. Silverstream,V as rat' settlers,were put-, to great' in-/ ■convenience through there being."-' lib' .cover' for goods; to be.railedi;::Mr.< ;Samuel also dealt ..with other mattersaffecting, on, the. land, and ; iat" the conclusion of his address answered, 'a-number.of questions. On the,motion ;pf: Mr. Russell, seconded by"' a:-hearty vote, of thanks : to the. candi,'date, and. confidence in the Massey! Ad-: -ministration was carried unanimously.''.

•;'-.-: THE WANGANUI CONTEST, ,'.: (BjTelesrrapb-" PressAesociatloa.) - : \ '■'';■;■ Wanganul, November 28,'.-',; ■:, Mr. '.J. T.; Hogan, Liberal ■. candidate for Wanganui, opened, Wβ.campaign,.bcK .fore a crowded audience in tlie f Opera.; '.House lasfniglrb.v: The candidate vin-dicated-the, policy of the Liberal Party -, and criticised the JReform.. Adniinistra*. tidri.' He ;was:-given',uaf)Cap.i,t(ili..'hea.riu'.al. and was accorded; a vote or thanks and 'of ■ appreciation of his services duringsix.years in Parliament. Confidence was-in-'Mm■■. as -the"; Liberal.caudi-; .da£e, . ''She meeting .concluded : '■withchierafor Mr. Hogan and Sir Joseph. : WardS4;;}rv ; ; :.. ■;-. ; "■ : :^(: : ,^

;;.;.;:MR. W. H.FIELD AT (By Teleßrftßlir—Press Association;) W \ •■' ,'• ..;v'- : ' ; Levin, November-, 28/'Last night, .in the Century.Hall, Mr. W..H.: Field, Government candidate for Otaki, addressed a crowded meeting and •wasgiven a good hearing, with sdme in-' , terruption.;> Hβ: spoke, in faypurVof :.the'. : Massey. programme, 'and said ; emment, had dbno weH'ahd redeemed',inumber of its-pledges in spite of diffi-; culties. :He defended its- action in con-" ;nection ; with' the strike, declared; himV self-in favour of nationalisation.of ...nos--pitalsi and not in favour of local, option put a supporter of the 55 p%r cent., majority oh the National -Prohibition •issue,. A-votei of thanks , was carried—the can-'. didate declined one of the meeting closed with cheers, arid coun-ter-cheers,for .Mr. Robertson. -■■'. . ',\... v..!/ : "

.;' ~•■;, 'TO-NIGHT'S. JIEBTINGS.-y,-:-^■:■: •'/■ Sir. R: A. Wright, Johnsohvillel C'; ; ■■' Mr. ;A. Mi' Samuel,, .'house, at 8 p.m. ■': :~. - '•'" ."'■'.... MrV-W. H. Turnbull, Kelburn Kibat,; at 8 p!m. '-/" .■- . • ■,■ ' : Mr. F. T.Moore, at Paremata Hall, 8 p.m. : "'■■ ■;■■. '•■.': : ". '■'■',:;.' Mr.T:M. Wilford, Korokoro, 8 p.m.. ' -Mr. J.. E. Fitzgerald, Normandale, 8p.m. •;•■. .'.'■,.• . .'" .... ' 'v, ■•• ■ Mr., J. P. Luke's, committee,' St. Thomas's Schoolroom, 8 p.m. ■ ■ . : ■ Mr. R. B. Williams, at Masonic Hall, Berhampore. . • ■~ '■'"..■ TO-MORROW NIGHT'S MEETINGS,-' The Hon. A. ; L. Herdman, Wadestown, 8 p.m. ' v -.. Mr. W. H.Field, Paraparaumu Hall, 8. p.m. .■'... •- Mr. T. M. Wilford, at Trenhtam, 8 P-m. ' ... - ■ ■ ~ . Mr. R. A. Wright, Island Bay Town HalL, ■'...-.■ Dr. A. K." Newman, Victoria Hall; 8 p.m. .''-."■ . •. Mr. -J. E. Fitzgerald, Plimmertbn SchoolhouseJ 8 p.m.- ■ . ~ _.. Tr M . r - P" B. .Williams,' St. Thomas's Hnll, Newtown, 8 p.m. ♦ ■ ■ _Mr. F. T. ■'Moore, Tawa Flat, 7.30 p.m.; Ponrua, 8.30 p.m. [". - .