A LABOUR RALLY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2328, 9 December 1914, Page 3

A LABOUR RALLY

MR. HOLLAND AT THE TOWN HALL. _A Labour rally was held in the Town Hall last night. There was an attendance of about 2500. Mr. P. Eraser, secretary of the Social-Democratic Party, presided, and tho principal speaker was Mr. H. E. Holland. Labour candidate' for Wellington North. ■ Mr. Holland met with a very cordial reception when ho rose to speak. Ho emphasised that when his party entered the contest they determined to fight it on- the solid groundwork of workingclass politics and democratic principles, and not personalities." Now, on the ovo of polling day, they could say thoy had not departed from that standpoint He proposed to deal with ■ the speech made by the Hon. A. L. Herdmau the previous night. That speech, he said; was remarkable not for what it touched on, but for what it side-stepped. Tho Labour Party had laid serious charges against the Ma6sey Party, and that party had not attempted to answer them. Mr. Hordman and his fellow Ministers had said that his (Mr. Holland's) party had levelled a charge of murder against the Massey Government in connection with tho Huntly disaster. He did not level that charge against them; Tho charge ho did level against them was that on their shoulders rested tho most awful responsibility that ever rested on the shoulders of any Administration in any country under tho southern skies. The only reply they sot from the Massey Government was tho cry cf ''Red Feds." Everywhere they heard the cry "Red Feds." He referred to the statement by Mr. Hordman that law and order wore to be maintained. "Mr. Herdman. said they were out -to do away with the ruffian and the bully. Didn't you see he had his tongue in his cheek when he said that? If you didn't you were blind." (Applauso.) Mr Holland criticised the Government for their conduct during the strike of last year, and.condemned their-bor-rowing policy. The -Social Democrats came on the scene with the remedy of a State Bank, with the sole right of note issue. Tho speaker next referred to the Amokura incident, and said that Mr. Fisher, after saying that tho floggings had taken place under tho Act of their predecessors, said that they were justified. With regard to his war tax proposals he said that they wero to meet increased expenses caused by the war. ' The day ought to bo gone of running round with collecting boxes, while men with huge fortunes wore allowed to go free. (Applause.) He contrasted the action of the Labour Government of Australia with that of the Massey Government in dealing with flour ( wheat aiid sugar prices at the beginning of the war, and declared that wheat, and flour were being held in Now Zealand for a rise.

Mr. Holland referred to '.Mr. Turnbull's, candidature. The most amusing thing in connection with the campaign, he said, was Mr. Turnbull's protesta-tions-that ho (Mr. Holland) was splitting the Liboral' vote. It seemed thoro was something of sublime impudence in a statement of that kind. He mentioned the fact that the morning: papers of that day reported' that Mr. Turnbull had said that Mr. Holland could not claim to represent Labour. He thought that the meeting • was an ' answer to that. (Applause.) He was reluctant to believe that Mr.' Turnbull had made that statement. Ho hoped ho had been misrepresented, or rather misreported. Mr. Holland mentioned numerous unions which wero officially supporting him. Cheers were given, for Mr.. Holland when.he resumed his seat..

Mr. Maddison, of the Carpenters! Union, then moved tho following motion: "That.this meeting of Wellington olectors'urge upon the citizens the -necessity of supporting direct Labour representatives in all constituencies where the opportunity occurs; and in Wellington North we .urge- upon all voters to whole-heartedly support Mr. H. E. Holland, and refrain from splitting tho progressive vote by supporting any other candidate for that constituency." _ Mrs. Donaldson seconded the motion and epolto'in support of it. ■ A further speaker .rose and addressed the meeting, and as the audienoe : was beginning to leave repeated cries came to put the motion. -The motion was carried by a unanimous show of hands,