CANDIDATES' SPEECHES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2323, 3 December 1914, Page 7

CANDIDATES' SPEECHES

THE HON. A. L. HERDMAN AT! , TINAKORI ROAD ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE 'A very enthusiastlo audience grootod the Hon. A. L. Hordmanin St. Paul's Schoolroom, Tinakori Road, last evening. The building was filled, and the Minister'was given an excellent hearing. ■Sir. J. J. Curtis presided. In the course'Of a speech which covered a. number of political subjects, Mr. Herdman observed ; that an effort was sometimes mado to convey the impreaoion that the Government legislated for " one class only, and did nothing for the workers. That, he said, was not so. The Government made no class legisla- , tion, but regarded the .community as a whole. Howeverj the present Administration had looked to, the welfare of the .people who were known as the workers. To give one instance, in the two years they had provided for 305 workers' homes, whereas in six years the Ward Government .had built only 210 of'this kind of home. (Applause.) After-referring to other: Labour legislation passed by the Government, Mr. Herdman said that he thought electors would be convinced that the Government had in two and a half yeara dono well in the matter of making provision for those who might be said to. be struggling. (Applause.)- In ,a week's time the people would be called upon to-.de-cide the issues at the-polls. It would be for them to say whether the Government had done well in their term of office, and merited a-return to power. No Government could hope to occupy the Treasury benches in New "Zealand unless it was prepared to be bold, and progressive,' and .enterprising in its policy, and yet cautious. (Loud applause.)' Particularly,, it was for the electors of Wellington -North ■to say whether he himself should again be returned as their representative. .. The candidate's final observation was . greeted in a way which plainly indicated that the audience was almost entirely favourable to hint. After Mr. Herdman had answered several questions to the evident satiefac- . tion of the gathering, Mr. 6. S. Patterson moved: "This meeting of Wellington' North' electors thanks Mr.- Herdsman for his address, and expresses its confidence in him and in the Massey . Government." .. ..• -»,. , This was seconded ■; by Mr. Albert [Wylie, and carried to the accompaniment of'another outburst of applause. MR. -W. H. TURNBULL AT NORTH- . -.LAND, .-' - ... ■> Mr. W. H. Turnbull,'the Opposition 'candidate for. Wellington North, adIdressed the eleotors at the Methodist 'Schoolroom, Northland, last night. Mr: ■G. Gap'ee was in the chair, and the anidi- ■■•• ence numbered just on fifty people.. ; . The candidate was received witn mild '■•-.-'applause, and was accorded a favour- ; able hearing throughout. •.Hβ.stated that he was standing in the Liberal interest, because: he wanted to see. Sir (Joseph Ward come back 'to power, .There was now, he said, a wave throughr '" 'out the country in favour of tie Oppo--1 sition Leader,, who, "Mt. : : Turnbuli ventured to predict,,would come.back with & majority of ten.' : It .-was" impossible to gauge the situation from the papers : .—at all events .not unless. one .took j 'them all. He bn'-to say that"'the Liberal Party in New Zealand had, , .never during the last : 27 .years . been :' ibeaten at the polish and a!ever ; ,wpuld. be. '.- (Hear, hear.).. He was confident of that '.—whatever happened to his own candi'dature. ■> Mr. Turnbuli then accused the Government of breaking its promise in. regard, to the cpst of i livr ng question," "and afterwards, as in previous addressed outlined his own position in re.lationtd various political'questions. .. At the close of his address, he -was mnanimouely. accorded a. vote of thanks, and confidence. ■;. .''. ,:

MB. H. B. HOLLAND'S CAMPAIGN. ''• Mr. H. B. Holland, Labour oandidate for 'Wellington North', addressed a large audience in the ; Masonic Hall* Boulcott Street. Mr. Holland Baid that the fight in "Wellington North '. was between Lafcour and Reform, .between Mr. Herdman ' arid himself.-'-^he: time had. pome Iha said when women should have all the spheres of public and. Parliamentary life open to them..' Their entry into the House-,of Representatives was sure to ha followed by a rise in the utility and ':-'-■ efficiency of. that Chamber. Hβ stood ifor '.'a, six-days' jreok for, , employees-in , jclubs and private hotels, for the regulation of hours in offices withvcompulsory payment for overtime, and was proparpd to/introduce legislation making ille- . gal -the forbidding of marriage of em-ployees-by banks cr/any; other business .enterprises. -He favoured the granting 'of 'full civil rights to >Civil Servants,', and of./BpArds: of Control for Public ■ Departments with adequate representaS , tion- for , , employees. ;He' was. , also in ;■ favour of the • regulation of hour's for 'domestic servants ; with a minimum wage, arid the Government control, of Registry Offices. The present XJovern- , went, he said, had'extended the power of registry offices, allowing them to increase their charge*.' Hβ stood for the present free, compulsory, and secular system of education, but fconsidered that the free syetem should .be extended .to embrace the university! He believed in .the endowment of '.motherhood and poured ridicule upon the. bonus scheme of Sir Joseph Ward.as riot touching the fringe of the matter. Mr.'Holland also dealt with the'Huntly disaster and what :.- Ihe termed the ■•"exploitation of-the Expeditionary Fo'rce/ .-:- r ;He t "' ('advocated a special war tax'on aUiricomes;iri preference to" voluntary 'collection and loans. -A vote of thanks and confidence wae passed-, unanimously, cheers being heartily given for tho candidate.