MR. POLSON'S MEETING

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

MR. POLSON'S MEETING

DEFENCE ADMINISTRATION,

The Concert Chamber was partly filled last nicht for Mr. A. W. Poison's meeting. Mr. C. V. A. Goulter presided. '.Mr. Poison said be was a win-the-war candidate, but ha believed in winning the war by efficiency and not by leaving the same inefficient people in charge of affairs. He declared that one section of the Defence administration which was flagrantly inefficient was the. medical department, which passed hundreds of men .wlio were unfit- He blamed the Defence Minister for the Motuihi escapc, and said that the'cost of the inquiry into the nfFair had at the ratp of £150 per diem. He strongly advocated the founding in different centres of the Dominion of soldiers' memorial clubs. He said that many of the soldiers suffering from shell-shock were sent, not to the rest homes which had been founded, but into the common lunatic- asylums. This he thought very wrong. Most of the medical officers examining recruits were not legallv constituted, because. the Militarv Service Act provided that everv board should consist of three medical men. The boards in existence rushed through recruits at the rite of one in five minutes, and the result was that unfit- men were S9nt out of the country. He spoke strongly in reference to those responsible for what he termed tho insanitary state of things in Trentham Camp some time ago. He harl not had z square deal in this campaign. He had been refused permission to speak in Parliament House grounds and also in Trentham Camp A catering firm had refused to do crtain work for'b'm because his views did not suit, the firm, and for a similar reason he had been refused the use of a room for his committee on La.mbton Quay. The soldiers' land settlement policy was unsatisfactory. Under it none but men with capital could take up land. He would like to see the system improved, and onb of the improvements he would suggest would he the training of returned soldiers in the arts of farmin?. On the cost-of-living rmestion he said that hethoneht the Government should acquire its own coal-carrving steamers. Dr.' Thicker arrived at the meeting shortly after 9 p.m., and he delivered n bripf address in support of his candidate.

Another speech was delivered by a returned man-d'-warsman._ wlw , made complaint against the ration allowance for returned soldiers —Is. 4rl. a da?. H° complained that sailors not so well treated as returned soldiers.

A vote nf thanlcs and confidence was accorded to the candidate.

The Prime Minister and Sir .TnwiO-. Wnrd will speak in tho Town Hail on Tuesday evening in support of the candidature, of.the National Government nominee. Mr. J. P. Luke, the National Government candidate, will address a meeting in the Methodist Schoolroom, Molesworth Street, on Monday evening. Mr. Holland will speak at the Crown Theatre to-morrow evening, and on Monday evening a Labour rally is to be held at the Town Hall in support or the Labour nominee. The speakers will include Mr. Holland, Mr. P. C. Webb, M.P., Messrs. E. J. Howard, ,T. Read, R. Ross, J. Thorn, and P. Frasor. A meeting will also be held in the Post Office Square at midday on Monday. i Mr. A. de B. Brandon will sp?4k at Wadestown Cluhroom 011 Monday, and at the Methodist School, Molesworth .Street, on Tuesday.