THE ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2324, 4 December 1914, Page 6

THE ELECTIONS

CAMPAIGN POINTS NEWS NOTES & ADDRESSES • AND PRESS COMMENT Mw Hon. F. M. B. Fisher referred at; sorno length to the subject of naturalisation of foreigners at his meeting last night. ..A question had been handed, to him, he said, asking him if he would, if elected, brinf before Cabinet, and support in the House, « measure prohibiting persona, of foreign nationality from holding any position in the Civil or Military Service of the State. Mr; Fisher said that the naturalisation laws-applied to' the whole of the Empire, and- "that scrap of'paper" could not be repudiated. If a-foreigner had complied with the lams'.and 1 shown himself a fit and proper person to' Decome a subject of the King, it : -would not be proper to deprive him: of employment. If he was asked' whether they to repudiate, the naturalisation which the Imperial Government had ex-, tended-.t0., foreigners,: then he -said that 1 before the Empire disregarded what was now known as a scrap of paper, it woiild have to be a world-wide movement and npt one undertaken by • New Zealand alone. ■.. • . , The_ono great issue of the election, said Div Newman at Hataitai last evening, is the fight Reform versus the Best. Air. Joseph Chamberlain said: "We get into, power, .by. .promising reforms, and we go out-because some people are-al-™W annoyed at reforms, however good." ■the. Opposition was composed of Liberals and Social Democrats and Adulla- , mites. ,H the' Opposition got in, the policy would probably:be that of the Social itemoorats, whoLwere' fiercer, than the Liberals... If Sir, Joseph Ward got on the would not be as ruler, but as the puppet ■of the Social Democrats. '.-.'•■. .-. , ... •- . . ; In ai'address at Balolutha on We'dnes. Cay night, Mr.. A. S. Malcolm, Reform candidate-for Clntha, referring to the good-work done by ithe Government in appointing; the Food Commission, said that if it had not been- for- the action of the Government ! in that matter the 41b. loaf would.be selling .to-day, at Is. 'Mr. Malcolm was . accorded a vote of thanks and confidence by a large majority. '. Brief mention- of the "Ostrich Farm" incident was made bythe Hon. F.M. B. Fisher last night. He said he thought that by this .time .it was pretty, .well known-that the survey of the Tailway through tho Helvetia Farm, was 'made in'lßß4. ... ~'■'■. :-. A voice: You read that-in The Dominion. Mr. Fisher: I; am glad you' read The Dominion. Tou . will get more. common sense ifchere than you will get in the .other, paper. ' ." . : He oontinued, and repeated that the survey was made in 1884, .and Mr. Massey did not get into Parliament'until 1894. The original survey went right through what was known as the ostrich farm,' but the Tailway authorised by; the Massey Government did not go right through, as laid down in the original plan, but only went through a porner of it. (Applause.) Some of the Hutt electors at Mr. Wilford's Taita meeting last evening appearedto be resentful of the fact that a.large body of Mr. Wilford's supporters- from other. parte- of the electorate had como to the meeting. When a motion of confidence in the candidate was moved at the close of his speech,' the cry went up that, the mover was a'committee man of Mr. -Wilford's. . ."1 thought so." "A committee man" also greeted the seconder of tho'motion.' .The motion having 'been moved and seconded, the chairman asked whether', anybody wished to move an .amendment. ."No thank you," said one of tho .audience. "You've brought too many of i your committee along.'' "A. .hundred ■;from Fetone and Hutt," called another.'- ' '..'.'..-''..■'■' Dr. A. it. Newman, speaking at Hataitai last night; said that tho great Liberal Party .had great leaders—Grey, Ballance, Seddon,; and, J.. M'Kenzie. When they passed away,:the great leaders were succeeded'.by leaderets. '■ At' the .first election after Mr. Seddon died the Liberal Party, led by Sir'J.' Ward, went back, taking part' of the huge majority. 'At the next (the last election) the Liberal Party was beaten attho polls—and was now in the cold shades of Opposition. At the coming general' election Eeform. prospects were'very bright. The publio knew a good thing when they saw it, and' therefore Reform would again rule New . Zealand wisely and well for the next three .years.

Mr. E. B; Williams, addressed abput 150 electors at. Brooklyn last night. He followed the mainlines of his previous speeches.' ;: He dealt specially- with the Civil Service Act and its working.' He said it, was. not intended to substituto autocracy by Commissioners for tho old system of political appointment, and that the Civil Servants' must get fair treatment. He said tlie Hon. Mr. Bell had assured the association that a' needed amendment of the Act would be made. He emphasised the urgency for vigorous aid by the .Government in bringing about a reduction in the cost of living.;'; He said .he : would support the present Government on a no-confidence motion as we must not have a change now in these troublous times. No -swapping horses in:, the middle- of the stream." After' speaking for an hour and getting a splenr did hearing the candidate answered questions. A vote of thanks and confidence was then unanimously given him. _A' committee was: set up after the meeting to work for him. ■ • "We-won't have Toe Ward at any price!" The interjection was made at Mr. Wilford's meeting at Taita last night liv.an old Crimean .veteran, Mr. Eeuben King,' who, by the. way,' still walks as nrect' as in the days when, he fought th« Bnssiaia.•''"'". ;, -i' • ■ . ' '.'■■■ '"But, unfortunately, Mr.' King,- you are Only 'one,"'said Mr: Wilford. 'fYou are not entitled to say 'we." '.Only editors of newspapers say'we.'".; ■_''.•■■■ „ , . MT..King:'."l will say We-We! That "means iMassey and me," ' (Laughter.) ' "You will pass no mora laws," shouted a main at"the. Hon: .-F-.--M. ,8.. Fisher's meeting last night. .■■■••' ~._., "Oh yes, we will, replied Mr. FisheT, "arid'we'will make some-laws that probably won't suit some of the people in. this audience." '.(Applause.) He pointed out that' the Mas'sey Government passed the Industrial Disputes Investigation Act, a very: good act,, which prevented intimidation of workers. Men had been intimidated into striking; wlren they did riot want to. A voico: Name them.Mr. Fisher: Yes.you would like me to name them,: so-tifat you could get at them. (Applause.) ; ' ' The Act,'said Mr. Fisher, was goine to finable unionists to "take a worst ballot. Had'it been in operation before the big strike took piece, he believed,that strike would. not have oome off. (Applause.) Men who took part in it were sorry now. (Applause arid cries of "No.") The Government did not agree with the syndicalist doctrines preached in this country, and did not agree that a small, unimportant and unconstitutional executive like tho Federation of .Labour should have it in its power to paralyse the Test of the country. (Applause.) Captain Light presided aver a meeting addressed by Dr. Newman at Hataitai last night. After an hour's address, which was frequently npplauded, a, vote of thanks and confidence in the candidato and in the Reform Party's government was moved by Mr. Shepherd and seconded and carried without dissent. The meeting closed with three cheers for Dr. Newman. .Mr. G. W. Russell is appaTently undaunted by tho ingjorious results of his previous attorapts in Otngo to.pose as an authority on the finances of the Dominion. He has. even presented himself before a Port Chalmers audience as a politician with a reputation for accuracy that he is anxious to preserve.—"Otago 1 IKUt Timna.'!