WELLINGTON NORTH BY-ELECTION

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 134, 23 February 1918, Page 8

WELLINGTON NORTH BY-ELECTION

candidates; addresses MR. H. E. HOLLAND AT MASONIC HALL. The Labour-Socialist candidate, Mr. H. E. Holland,' addressed a meeting of electors in the Masonic Hall, Boulcott Street, last night. Mr. T. Brindl® was in the chair, and tho hal! was overcrowded. Mr. Holland stated that he intended to call a meeting of the women of the ■electorate and to place before them his views with regard to venereal disease, the economic and political position of women, and the proposal to send the married mm into the trenches. He proceeded to deal with the education question, and accused the Government of having reduced education espendii ture during the war period. _ Any neglect of education must handicap posterity. Ho advocated co-edueation, small classes, equal pay of uialeand 'female teachers, and other educational reforms and waires. He claimed State assistance for the Workers' Educational Association, in order that tho workers might widen their knowledge, and said it, should he possible for every clever child to pass through the universitv without expense to the parents. Mr. Holland complained that ho had been misrepresented by Mr. Luke in an election circular. Mr. Luke had quoted an article from the Lahour journal, the "Clarion," referring to Mr. Holland as a traitor, and had said tho author of the article was Mr. Robert Blatehforrl. That was not true. The article had appeared in the "Clarion." but was not written by Mr. Blatchford. He attacked Mr. W. P. Black (author of the Black pamphlet)., in connection with tho matter. Mr. Holland referred also to an article from Lis pen referring to conscription, published in Australia, and quoted by Mr. Massey. "The article v.as very heavily censored before it was printed in Australia." he said. "There is not 0119 line in that articli that 1 will not defend «n any platform in Wellington beside Mr. Massev, and tako a vote c-f tlie audience on the question of whether any portion of that article is r.ot correct, regarding New Zealand. Mr. if' the individual who wmte' *hat article was the t.cne of man to represent the intelligent, and Patriotic electors of Wellington North. Other peonlc have refused to believe, things, and havo had tho facts forced Upon them in the end, and it may bo that wheh tho numbers pn up the patriotic and intelligent electors of Wellington North w : ll have, recognised that the Labnur candidate i- the man they should support." In ••cferring to oonseffintion, Mr. Holland said fha married men's only hope ol escaping their share of service at th° front, was to vote for Labour at th<> Wellington North election. , In cosvVision, he accused The Dominion in jr-i>-s-al terms of having misrepresented him, rnd quoted a definite instance of misriv porting from another rewspanen 110 made a final appeal to the audience not to r-ote fot 'a Government- that would send marri'd men to the trenches to carry on the war. ' M'\ E. Howard (Christchurch) spoke briefly. There were no questions, and a vote of thanks and confidence was carried with one dissentient.