CANDIDATES' SPEECHES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2321, 1 December 1914, Page 6

CANDIDATES' SPEECHES

WELLINGTON NORTH

WELLINGTON SOUTH INDEPENDENT REFORM CANDIDATE. Mr. R. B. Williams, who announces himself as an Independent candidate for Wellington South, opened his campaign last night, when lie addressed about 130 people at the Masonic Hall, Berliampore. ; Mr. W. H. Edwards was voted to the chair. Mr. Williams met with a favourable reception. Ho said that he was standing at tho request of a large number of friends of varied political opinion, as well as a number of electors who desired a referendum on the Bible-in-State-schools question. Proceeding, the candidate said that ho was taking an independent stand in tlie contest, and was thereby free from party ties. He would, however, support the Massey Government on a no-confidence motion. Ho wns not in favour of a change of Government in the present troublous times. . As to tho three parties, Reform, Liberal and Labour, t-hoy had all given out their official platforms. In the platform of the two main parties thero did not seem a great divergence in their policies. _ In the past there had been a. wido difference on the land policy. The old Liberal Party, long in office, • did take an over-extravagant view of things, and the criticism levelled at them was warranted. When tlie Liberal Party was ousted, in 1911 it was apparent that it was.time for a ouange Labour was then clamouring for more, and the Liberal Party did not dare to give them more. Tho Massey Government was being judged on tho past three years of office', and they were asking whether they were worthy of furthor confidence. Reform Did Cood Work. Mr. Williams continued, and showed how the Reform Administration had dealt with their promises. The Reform 'Government, lie said, had undoubtedly done good work while they were in office. (Applause.) ■ they dono well in these later troublesome times. (Loud applause.) Their dealing with internal differences had also, been for the.good of the people as a whole. There was no doubt that any work of the future would embody the best policies of the best Adnr'nistrations. Ho proposed to criticise the present Government on their land policy, but'would have liked tjo have heard Sir Joseph Ward express some views on it. He was apparently satisfied with universal' freehold. The Labour Party seemed te have the best platform on that point, for they were against aliention of the lands. He personally believed in the limited .freehold, but he wanted to see a restriction on the area a man could hold, and such, a graduated tax is would make the land return What it ought to • to the State. It was human nature that the freeholder would. evade taxation wherever possible. Closer settlement and land purchase must go on by the. State, for every facility should be given to the people on tho land. ,

Coming to the cost of living problem, the candidate said that it was possibly the most important question, ot all to' the working people. He had to blame the present Government for not keeping its pledge on this question. Ho referred to a speech by the 1 Leader of tho Opposition criticising the Government. That criticism' was all very well, lie said, but the Loader of the Opposition might have done 1 in his term that which he criticised the. Massey Government for not having done. (Applause.) A voice: Ho will do it next 1 time. (Laughter.)

Mr. Williams said that nothing had been done to decrease the cost of living. It was especially necessary now. How would they fare if the State did not intervene,, for exploitation would be carried on—human nature Would take advantage of the public. Scarcely anything had been done to remedy tho increased prices, of commodities during thepast few years. .... Second Ballot and Defence. Coming to tho. second ballot,,tlie candidate said that when the law on the point was abolished the Government promised something else. •. That pledge had not been 'kept. The Victorian system of preferential voting jvould have met the case, and something of the sort would havo to be brought in. ' He referred to defence, and said he did not think they should criticise the Government on that,point at tljo present time. When the war was over it would be possible to carry out land defence at even less cost than : estimated by the Leader of the Opposition. As to, nuval defence, the views of the leaders of tho two great parties ,were even wider than on land defence. The Leader of the Opposition gavo' a Dreadnought, and that was in the first line of defence now. They were proud of that, but many were of opinion that it should have been here. (Applause.) 'As it was, they had to depend on the assistance of tho Australian Navy. (Applause.). v A voice: That is the work of the Labour Party 1

j\lr. Williams: "Well, all power to tlicm when they do works like that." Continuing, he said that events. of the past few weeks had shown them there was much in the views of Mr. Massey. He saw eye'to eye with him on. that question. .'

Favoured the Referendum. On the .Referendum proposal he had received a communication from . the Roman Catholic Federation, asking if the candidate would,: even' if favouring the referendum proposal,', vote against any proposal making it possible for a referendum'to be taKen on any matter affecting religion or conscience? His answer to that was that, favouring as he did the he would not exclude from it a proposal for the referendum on a matter which might touch upon religion or conscience, when that proposal had become an outstanding general political question, such, for instance, as the question of the Bible in State schools. (Applause.) ' On the matter of the bare majority, he said it was. a democratic principle. It was a question which ' the l people should have the right to vote on. He favoured the bare majority on the question of National Prohibition.

Concluding, lie said ho aimed to help his fellow-meu in all legislation.. In this country it was possible for thorn to enjoy, the greatest freedom' of any people in the world. ' 1

The candidate spoke for forty minutes, and then invited' questions. ■ He thought one .day's wages out of the week should be a fair week's rent for the working man. Would Go to the Poll. "Has the candidate any intention of going to the poll?" he was asked. Mr. Williams said that he had no doubt On the question—he would go to tho poll. ! To a further question ho Said he did not see any reason why the- licensing poll should not be held on the samo' day as the General Elections. If it iv,is shown to him that it would be an aclvantago to have a different day he would support it. The candidate was, asked whether he was the official candidate of the Bible-in-Schools League.—The chairman ruled the question out, as being unfair.. The questioner asked would the candidate stato the answers he had given to the llible-in-Statc-Schools League's question. , i . Mr. Williams said that he had told the league that lie would support- their proposals. He favoured tho. right of ontr.v of the clergy to the schools. "How would you arrange to separate the different denominations?" was next asked. .. , A'he candidate said that the aueafcion

was a difficult one for him to answer. No doubt a system would be arranged, and he described what was done in Nelson schools. "I would like to ask Mr. Williams whether he is really out to split tho Reform vote?" asked another elector: He pointed but that in the past Mr. Williams had stood in the Reform interests. Mr. Williams said that he was standing "on his own." He would support the Reform Government to continue in offico, but would reserve the right to criticise them independently. A vote of thanks and confidence in tho candidate was moved and seconded, and an amendment was put forward that a hearty vote of thanks only should be accorded to the candidate.

The voting was taken on a show of hands, and both the amendment and motion were about equally supported. The question was left-undecided. Cheers were given for the candidate, and for Mr. Hindmarsh, and they were about equal in volume.

MR. TURNBULL AT KELBTJRN. Mr. W. H. Turnbull delivered an address to an audience of upwards of 100 people in the Kelburn Kiosk last flight. Mr. V. B. AVillis presided. Mr. Turnbull announced at the outset that lie was opposed to the sitting member, Mr. Herdman, only in politics, for Mr. Herdman and he were personal friends. He was standing in.'the Liboral cause, audi he believed that the Liberal Party were coming back to power after this election. The Government, he said, should have dealt with the cost of living before the end of the last Parliament. He did not accept the excuse that the Government had not time to deal with the question. He was sure that if the Liberal' Party was returned to power at next election it would at once set to work to reduce tho cost of living. First of all, ho thought they should take the duty off all foodstuffs, and also they should take steps to reduce the cost, to the consumer of certain food products produced locally, such as milk, meat, and bread. He was strongly opposed to the present Government's naval policy. He' was r likewise opposed to the Commissioner control of the Public Service. (Hear, hear.) He would do away with the whole Public Service Act. He was pledged to free, secular, and compulsory education, and he was therefore opposed to the Bible in schools. 1

Mr. Turnbul! stopped after talking half an. hour, and then, he answered questions, .also with commendable brevity. Last of all, a vote of thankß and confidence was declared carried under the circumstances mentioned elsewhere in this issue.

SUBURBS SEAT. MR. V 'A. WRIGHT AT 'JOHNSON- ' ' VILLI). / i Mr. R. A. Wright, Reform candidate for the Suburbs seat',, addressed the electors at Jolmsonville last evening. Mr. W. L. Thompson, occupied the chair. ■ The meeting was well attended, a large number of opponents being present who succeeded in carrying a hostilo amendment. . .

MR. MOORE AT PAREMATA.' Mr. F. T.' Moore addressed the electors of Paremata last ' night.. Mr. Buckland presided,, and in opening the meeting said that ihe candidate's polling in'the second ballot three years ago entitled him to support on this occasion. .Mr. Moore said that Mr. Massey's promise 'to reduce taxation had only been carried out to tho extent of taking the duty off packing cases and lowering the tax on incomes betwcon .£3OO and £700.,. The promise to' reduce the cost of living had jiot ( been redeemed; on the other hand, everything had greatly increased. • He said that Mr. Massey's' fear of "Red Fedism" was a bogy to frighten electors against voting for progressive men, because it was. tho fear of a big tax on large estates and large incomes that Reform dreaded, and not the handful of Red Feds, in the country. He also declared that - a change of Government was necessary in order to find money'to keep industries connected with building and allied trades in, a flourishing condition. :Mr. Moore bitterly blamed the. Government for not-providing a. substitute for the second ballot. . '• ~ A vote of thanks and confidenco in the candidate was carried.

MR. J. E. FITZGERALD AT ' NORMANDALE. Mr. J. E.' Fitzgerald addressed a well-attended meeting at Normandale la6t evouing. Mr. H. Faman presided. The candidate criticised the Government for what ho termed its failure to' give Labour.a '/square deal." He said the Conservative nominees in tie* Upper House strangled' Mr.- AVilford's Bill,' which aimed at securing for women employees : -in .woollen mills the right to a torty-five-hour week. Every pother progressive measure would, he said, be defeated by the party which had for' years acted, as an impediment to progress. Mr. Fitzgerald hoped that all conscientious workers would remember that by the voice of unionists he was entitled to the Labour support) and lie hoped that all workers would assist the Liberal Party to overthrow the Massey. Administration, and destroy.-the Legislative Council's power of veto. tie also criticised the Government for encouraging aggregation of lands, and spoke in favour of> proportional representation, quoting figures to show how the parties would have stood after last election if this, system had been in force. Mr. Fitzgerald eulogised the policy of tho Liberal Party, which he said was progressive, courageous, and democratic, and stood for the realisation of the objects and aspirations of the. people in the. direction of legislation progress. The candidate received a vote of thanks -and : confidence, an amendment of thanks only receiving only three supporters.

Mr. A. M. Samuel, Reform candidate for the Hutt seat, addressed a. large meeting at tlio Schoolhouse, Epirni, last evening, There were at least 250 persons in the hall, .and_ many were unable* to obtain even standing room. The candidate spoke on subjects of general, poli tical interest and also touched on several matters of local interest. At the conclusion of the meeting; which was most enthusiastic, a vote was passed on the motion of Mr. Ball, seconded •by Mr. Hall, thanking the candidate for his able address and expressing continued confidence in the Massey Government. The meeting closed with cheers for Mr. Samuel and the Government. ....

TO-NIGHT'S MEETINGS. The Hon. A. L. Herdman, Wades--8 o'clock. Mr. W. H. Field, Paraparaumu Hall, : town, 8 o'clock. Mr. R. A. Wright! Island Bay Town HalL Dr. A. K. Newman, Victoria Hall, 3 o'olock. Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, Plimmerton Schoolhouse, 8 o'clock. Mr. R. B. Williams,' St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, 8 o'clock. Mr. F. T.. Moore, Tawa Flat, 7.30 o'clock; Porirua, 8.30 o'clock. Sir. H. E. Holland, at Northland, at 8 o'clock.

MEETINGS TO-MORROW. Mr. 11. A Wright, at Wadestown, at 8 p.m. Air. J. E. Fitzgerald, at Berhampore, at 8 p.m. Tile Hon. A. L. Horrlman, at St. Paul's Churchrooni, Tinakori Road, at Span. • ■ Mr. H. E. Holland, at Masonic Hall, lioulcott'Street, 8 p.m. . Mi-. AV. 11, Turiibull, at Northland, 8 p.m. . Mr. A. M. Samuel, at : Trentham, at M 8 p.m.