SUBURBS SEAT.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2322, 2 December 1914, Page 7

SUBURBS SEAT.

MR. R. A'..WRIGHT AT ISLAND BAY. A good audience assembled at the Town Hall, Island Bay, last evening, when Mr. R. A. Wright addressed tho electors. .Mr. S. Chisholm was voted to the chair. Mr.' Wright denied the statement'made by Mr. Fitzgerald that tho Ward Government had done more in the ,way of land settlement during their last two years of office than the present Government. The figures quoted proved his opponent's' statement to ho fallacious.! He also objected to the attempt made to discredit tbe Government because of its criticism of Sir Joseph Ward's gift of the Dreadnought. It wa6 notthe gift that was condemned, but the fact that the Dreadnought was given without Parliament being consulted. In answer to the objection that nothing had' been done for Labour, Mr. Wright quoted a number of enactments which were beneficial to the workers. The Labour I'arty were continually charging the Government with packing the Upper House. Mr. Wright detailed, what steps the Government had taken to'.pass its reform,'.legislation, and contended, that the only way the Government's legislation could be passed was by increasing. :the" number of members of the , Upper House. This had been done very judiciously.' A vote of thanks and confidence in the speaker was proposed, and seconded. The chairman declared the motion carried on the "cicer.'

MR. FITZGERALD AT PLIMMERTON ;..',. AND PORIRUA. - ' Mr. J. E/Fitzgerald;' the Oppositibn candidate, had two highly -successful meetings &t Plimmerton and Porirua last evening. At the former the chair, was occupied by Mr. W. Wood. At Porirua tW gathering was an open-air one; but there was a large muster of electors,'. and' considerable interest waß taken'in the proceedings. The candidate Beverely criticised the Ministry in regard to what,;he tl terrfted jihejs unfulfilled promises and.tneir broken pledges, and the way they had shirked responsibility on every possible occasion, un-. less it YISL6 to benefit the wealthy people. At Plimmerton a hearty vote of thanks j and confidence was accorded the candi-j date, and cheers for Sir Joseph Ward and. the candidate followed.

MR. MOOREi AT PORIRUA; Mr. F. T. Moore addressed a crowded meeting of electors at Porirua last night. Mr. W. Davis presided. The candidate said that the land polioy of the. Reform Party . would, create ;an aristocratic'proprietary; who would be rich for all time, and the rest of the community landless. Such injustice should be. resisted at once, ana men sent to Parliament who would stop the monopoly of the fertile soils ,of New. Zealand. • A land monopoly was the greatest economic evil that.could be inflicted on the people of any nation. The dreadful distress in the Old World caused bv landlordism made it imperative that no .such, dire , conditions should, bo tolerated 'in .. this hew--. Dominion.. Labour's graduated land tax would completely kill monopoly and force the subdivision of, all areaß in excess of a living limit..'- The. absurd inflation of values which was now going on should be ended at once. Mr. Moore also advocated a State bank, and set out',its advantages at length. A number, of questions were answered;. and. a. vote of thanks and confidence carried By acclamation'. .. ' ■'. •'.-"<'