TO-DAY'S POLL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 138, 28 February 1918, Page 6

TO-DAY'S POLL

WELLINGTON NORTH BYELECTION

CANDIDATES' FINAL SPEECHES

THE POLLING PLACES

The poll for the Wellington North by-election will take place to-day. The Polling will begin at 9 a.m. and tho booths will close at 7 p.m. It is anticipated that the final result will be made known by 8.30 p.m. 'lhe candidates are as under:— John P. Luke, National Government official candidato A. de B. Brandon, supporter of National Government H. E. Holland, Labour-Socialist. A. J. N. Poison, Independent Liberal. The polling booths will be:—(1) Sydney Street, St. Paul's Schoolroom (principal). (2) St. Paul's Schoolroom, Tinakori Road. (3) The Kiosk, Kelburn. (4) Bethime and Co.'s auction rooms, Brandon Street. (5) The Town Hall. (6) AVesleyan Schoolroom, Molosivorth Street. (7) Primitive Methodist School, Northland. (8) Mr. H. Goldifig's residence, Kent Villa, Main Road, Wadestown. LAal rNluiii a MtUllrid MR. BRANDON AT KELBURN. Mr. Brandon's final address was delivered in the Kolburn Kiosk. There was a good attendance, and Dr. P. F. M'Evedy presided. The chairman said that Mr. Brandon was the strongest win-the-war candidate in the field, and added that he had had an uphill fight against the misrepresentation of very powerful forces. Before Mr. Brandon spoke, Messrs. E. F. Hadfield and A. E. Whyte addressed the meeting. Mr. Hadfield eaid that Mr. Brandon's return was assured. Tho progress of Mr. Holland was more apparent than real, and he could not defeat Mr. Brandon. He hoped that Mr. Luke's political sun had set, never to.rise again. Mr. Whyte said that he was pre-' sent as a supporter of the National Government, but ho recognised that the Government had its. shortcomings. Ho claimed that Mr. Brandon was quite the most suitable man to represent the Wellington North in Parliament, and the best man to serve the Dominion in tho Legislature at the present time. Mr. Brandon dealt at some length with the controversies between Messrs. Hutcheson, von Haast, and himself, and said that Mr. Hutcheson had committed a cardinal sin for a duellist: he had fired before the signal.' Mr. Massey had brought Mr. Luke along and thrown him down for the electors to accept. With him (Mr. Brandon) Mr. Massey need have no fear, and the people would have a representative who was not elected under tho patronage of a political head. In conclusion, Mr. Brandon said that he left himself iii the hands/bf the electors with confidence. '

fidence. ' Mr. Brandon was asked if he had stated that no teacher should receive a salary of more than £300 a year. He answered: "I have never made snob a statement. Ido recollect a time when the receipts of the Wellington College did not permit of paying a teacher on the staff more than £300 a year, and it was much to my regret that £300 was the necessary maximum fixed." MR. HOLLAND'S MEETINC3. A series of meetings in different parts of the electorate were _ addressed by Mr. Holland and his friends last n'iglit. Mr. Holland and Mr. P. C. Webb travelled round to several of tho meetings, making short addresses, and other speakers held the, ay.dience long enough to fill up the evening. For the most part the speakers had l ; ttle to say about subjects that have not alieady been fufly dealt with before in the campaign—a campaign in which Mr. Holland has made more speeches than any other of the candidates.

MR. POLSON AT THE TOWN HALL,

A crowded Town Hall greeted Mr. A." N. Poison, the Independent Liberal candidate, on the occasion of his final address last night. _ Mr. Poison spoke on. lines similar tn his previous addresses, and received a good bearing. A. call for cheers foi Mr. Poison was responded to by a big majority of those present. A small noisy minority made itself manifest early in the meeting, but the noise soon subsided. At the close of the meeting a resolution of want of confidence in the National Government was passed. • .

"IMPERTINENT"

MR BRANDON AND A GERMAN PROFESSOR. Mr. Brandon was asked at his Kelburn meeting last evening: "Is it a fact that the German professor, von Zedlitz, who was forced hy public demand to retire from Victoria University College, has for the past twelve months or more occupied your residence or house at Pahautauui?" Mr. Brandon said that the question was impertinent. The house at Pahautanui had been used by von Zedlitz and family for a few months because the von Zedlitz children were sick and needed the change. "In the circumstances," he asked, "what sort of a man would I be if I had refused to allow them Jhe use of the place? A. man in the audience shouted that the question asked of Mr. Brandon was not only ■impertinent, but "an ignorant one."

A HALF-HOLIDAY

SHOPS AND OFFICES CLOSE,

A by-eleotion in a large city has its peculiarities. For instr.ueo, as the southern and south-western boundaries of Wellington North are Dixoa Street as far oast as Cuba Street, then jioithward (clown Cuba Street and Jervois Quay) to the sea, it will be realised that the half-holiday provision in the Legislature Act affects the greater aroa of tlin city's shops and offices,, including all the leading banks, insurance and legal offices, and Government offices. In Cuba Street the public will bo able to witness the shops on one side of the Dixon Street intersection dosed from noon, whilst on the other side "business as usual" will be maintained. The clause in the legislature Act, 1908, relating to the provision says:— Where the polling day at any election is other than that appointed as the weekly hulf-iioliday under tho Shops anci Offices Act, 1908, tlie provisions of that Act relating to the weekly half-holiday shall he deemed to refer to the pollinp; dsiv in lieu of the day so appointed, and it shall not he necessary for any employer to observe the cluy so appointed in the Heel; in which polling day falls. v - ■■* The hotels in the electorate must close their doors at noon, and occupiers of factories within the district must jiivo their employees (who are tho roll) tinio off, not exceeding one working hour, in which to vote. The half-holiday provision does not apply to factories.