WELLINGTON CENTRAL

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 7, 3 October 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON CENTRAL

MR. L. J. F. GABMS&f A RETURNED SOLDIER CANDIDATE

Mr. L. J, F. Garmson, one of the :andidates for the .Wellington Central seat, addressed a public meeting in tho ■icdttisii Hall last liigllt. Mr. N. J. LUmniiigttm presided, niul there was , .a rcfy small attendance. The chairman Jrie'fly introduced tiio candidate, ami said lie believed that a returned solJier wonld'be.able to secure a measure it supjfort in the present contest. Mr. Sarmson was standing a» n returned soldier pure , niicj simple, and although lie was a working mail it Was as a representative- of f,lie soldier that he Mine- before the electors, Mr. Gannson said that the returned soldiers had not been getting a fair leal: They were finding that they were not treated as t!iey expected to ba treated. The Government-had not made .any.definite pronouncement as to its .intent-ion's' regarding the' disabled soldiers; 'A scheme , for putting returned nieii oii tlic Inlttl had been propounded, ■ but the -land '.MS being bought lit absurdly high prices. The meil would liot be'ablo to lift tho millstone of capital value that was being put round their Jiecks. and the purchases \Vere benefiting tlie original owners, and not the- soldiers. He had been on tile/land himself before going to the war, and (luring six years, owing to high land values, he had made JiO progress. Yet he had been in a better .ritisitioii 'than many of the returned soldier's tthd w'Pfo fioff opinp: given sections. _ It Wouid fee better for the sold'ors if tlie Govcnilriont improved eome of the Crown and Native land at present held under leasehold tenure, and put the soldiers on it at reasonable prices. The high price of farm land in New Zealand. Was one of the factors in .forcing, up the cost of living in New Zealand. The Minister of Lands had told members of the Returned Solciicrs. Club that the Government had spent a large sum of money on land for soldiers, but the expenditure did not go far at present prices. Mr. Garmson proceeded to rarer to military matters. He had said on a previous occasion that if a man's pocket was ,deep miouru ho could avoid conscription, jriul the Minister of Defence had written to him asking for an explanation of Lhe statement. He was ready to repeat tlie statement. What he had n/cant vas that if a man had big commercial interests he could keep himself out cf tho Army. An Auckland man had been granted exemption on the ground that he was essential to his own iinan3i'al business, but as a matter of fact uvery man was essential to his own business. A small married'dairy farmer \va;s more csesntial than the head of a linanciiil institution from his own point of view. The provision that was being macie for Hie training of disabled men was not adequate. Some instructors vvero being appointed, but the system simply provided jobs for the friends uf those in authority. The Government ought not to continue the nrrangenmnt under which a.soldier's dependants in New Zealand were penalised by tho stoppage of allowances for offences committed abroad. These offences were often very small indeed, and in- sny case the wives and children ought not to bo punished. Referring to Labour matters, Mr. Garmson said that during the absence of the soldiers tlie women had done very good work. But now that ;.lie men were returning, what would happen? The women and girls had learned, how to earn comfortable salaries and were not, willing to step out.. Tha employers would not dispense with the women as long as men were paid more than women. Tlie remedy for this trouble was equal pay for'equal work. He sympathised with tlie tramwaymen in their demand for a living wage. Many of tlie tramway workers Were returned teoldisrs, and nobody had any right to call them "industrial rebels." The- whole attitude of tlie Government towards returned soldiers was wrong, and matters would not be improved until the men took the matter in 1-heir own hands. The cost-of-living question ought to be inUhe hands of the authority that fixed wages. This was necessary in order that a fixed relation between wages and prices might be preserved. The medical profession should ajso be subject to regulation. Charges should bo fixed, and children should have free medical advice and treatment during the school period. Hβ supported free, secular, and compulsory education, with easy access to the secondary schools. A substantial tax should be placed on all land held for speculative purposes, and the land taxshould be made severe on all estates containing more than 200 acres of first-class land. Heavy "Customs taxation should be placed on all articles that could be manufactured within New Zealand. H* believed in universal leasehold, so that tho State might get its fair share of increment values and be in a position to regulate prices. British-born subjects ought to be encouraged to immigrate to New Zealand after the war, with safeguards for New Zealand people. Mrs. Cook, mother , of the candidate, also spoke briefly. She said that by some misadventure the 'door of the hall had been locked until just before the opening of tho meeting, 'with the result that many people had been turned away. Mr. Garmson was standing as a. soldiers' candidate, ,and though he was not an able speaker he was a worker, who would do'his duty fairly if'returned'.to Parliament and would not be hoodwinked by either of the >arty .leaders. The Government was ..»t> doing a fair thing in saying that a- yote given against Mr. Hildreth was a vote for the Kaiser. Mr. Garmsoi! was a man who had fought for the Empire and had como back crippled [or iife. A vote for him was not a rote for the Kaiser. Mrs. Cook urged that tiero was need for a representative of the soldiers in Parliament. The Parties in power had not got the confiI slice, of the people, and they held i.Bco only because" they had joined (irees. They were not loyal to the oMiifcry, since they were putting their nrn interests before the interests of he country. Mrs. Cook added that In , ,re were positions in New Zealand ill ;d by foreigners, while there were et.ir ned soldiers, and wives of sollieis capable of doing tho work. The ico.?: ' of New Zealand ought to in;ist -ipou a ucttei , state of affairs and e« chat justice was done to tha reirrru id soldiers. ' The- Returned SollieTs' Club, as at present organised, cas' ".really an instrument of the Minis-1 ers. Three members of the Governnent-. had been present when tho offers 'were being elected # the other light i. In conclusion, Mrs. Cook said hat her son had entered the contest n be half of 100,000 soldiers and their lepen Hants. He might not bo elcctd, but the time was not distant, when hero would be a soldiers' Parliament ii No\r Zealand. Tho candidate was accorded a vote f thanlss for his address.

MR. H. ATMORE

Sfr. H. Atmorjo addressed tho last meeting of his campaign in a room in the Willie Strecit School last night. There were- about a. hundred people present. Mr. 11. A. W. M'Kcnzio presided.

Tho candidate was accorded |\ proper hearing, only one person in tho audience, making nn intorjectiqu, or needing warning from the chairman. Mr. Atmoro lms already told his story in full at -the meetings lie has held in tho campaign/ He spoke of tho cost of living, and the* failures of tho Government to deal vrith' the problem in this war time. Ho devoted most of his attention, liowover, to the land question. Mr, Atinpre'srfioJntion for nil tho

problems affecting land was increased taxation uu laud values. Ho referred to tho very rapid increase in the uiir, improved values of land, declaring that, if the Government had put on the land: proper taxation, not only ,, would them bo no aggregation, but tho war burdons of the Dominion would have been carried very lightly. ■ . When question time came Mr. J. had some queries to make, lj lu 6 . ho had so many words to say that the ..'"hairnian had to ask him to confine himse.'t' to the question he had in mind. After t' omo more questions' the timai ciime for moving of a resolution. Mr.. Dowdall submitted a long , resolution, which amounted- to one of noli-confi-donee in the candidate, but it failed to find a »"d a Vote of thanks, and confidence \ v » s carried with practically no dissent. 'LABOUIt'sTk'U MEETINGS

Labour's final meetings last evening were well attended,' Mid were enthusiastic. In Alexandra Hall addressee were delivered by' Messrs. J., M'Combs, M.1 , ., P. FrasOf, and 11. Semplc. > v Speaking of the cost of l.rt'iug Mr. M'Coinbs said that Mr. Masse,? and Sir Joseph Ward had gone Honie on junketing trips and had raised! the price of New Zealand wool to' England. How could they reduce the cost of living on the retail side when V'hey forced it up on the wholesale side?'.Hβ declared that New Zealand had -wrta'S £45,000,000 of war profits from tho Mother Country, and he quoted tbo late' Professor H.'D. Bedford as having: stated that "financially the overseas , . Dominions wore bleeding England, and! from the financial point of view New Zealand was tho least patriotic of a 11 . ," "And the people responsible for this," 1 added Mr. M'Combs, "arc those who* have the cheek to tell you that Mr.l'Yaser is unpatriotic." Mr. Fraser said that ho believed Labour* would win the by-election, but no matter how great their victory it would only bo one- more skirmish in tlio oiuvfird march to the final triumph which was as certain as the rising of > tho morrow's sun. At the ballot box he asked the people to express tlieir opinion of the. present Administration, to strike a great and crushing blow ngainsfc tyranny and ■ autocracy for'aH democracy. ' , ', Mr. Spmple said that tho doily Press , , had hro" unscrupulous and bitter against Mr. Fraser. Mr. SennSle urged tho workers to register for Labour a victory that would be a forerunner of mnnv victories. The meeting carried unnnimously a vote of confidence in_ Mr..Fraser, fc , " whom cheers were given. THE FROPOSEITIiQUOR Bill CANDIDATES' REPLIES TO QUESTIONS. The following questions were submitted by the New Zealand Alliance to each of the candidates for Wellington Central. Tho candidates' replies to the questions are appended:— 1. Are you in favour of, and, if elected, will you do your utmost to secure legislative opportunity for the .immediate settlement of tho liquor I question?— Mr. Hildreth: "YW , Mr. Mack: "Yes." Mr. Garmson: "Yes." 2. Will you support the New Zealand Alliance petition for a poll this year upon the basis of tho Efficiency fenard proposal to be settled by a. simple majority. ' Prohibition, if carried, to come into immediate- operation?— Mr. Hildreth: "Yes, with Stato. control also on ballot paper." Mr. Mack: "Yes." Mr. Garmson: "Yes." ■ 3. If any further issue is to bo added to the' ballot paper, will you support the inclusion of immediate, Prohibition without compensation?— Mr. Hildreth; "Yes." Mr. Mack: "Yes." Mr. Garjiison: "No." 4. In tho event of the Houso considering the two proposals, namely— The Efficiency Board and the three tissues of tha liquor petition, will you support the Efficiency Board proposal?"— Mr. Hildreth: "Yes." Mr. Mack: "Yes." Mr. Garmson: "Yes. , 5. Are you in favour of wefprcntiat voting?— Mr. Hildreth: "Yes." Mr. Mack: "Yes." Mr. Garmson: "Yes. , 6. If so, will you, in the event Of the ' inclusion of the further issues, supnnrt a proposal for a preferential vote?-Mr. Hildreth: "Yes." Mr. Mack: "Yes." Mr. Garmson: "\es. Mr. Fraser replied that he was pledged to .the Labour Party's proposal for an ' immediate poll upon continuance. State control, Efficiency Board, and . immediate Prohibition without compensation, to be settled by a bare majority and by a preferential vote. Mr. Atmore replied that he SLOod lor an immediate general election, with a licensing poll; three.issues-continu-ance, Prohibition, ' State control-on an absolute majority,' not on a preferential vote, and believed State control to be necessary. . Mr. Tanner preferred not to reply.

TO-DAY'S POLL

The result of to-day's is expected to be known at about b.30 p.m. The polling places to-day will be ' 1 Palace Auction Mart (late Skating Rink), Vivian Street (5 booths). 2. Alexandra Hall, Abel Smith Street (2) 3. Public School, Upper Willis Street (2) 4. St. Peter's Schoolroom, Ghusmee

5 Wesley Church Schoolroom, Taiw naki" Stre.st (1). 6. Rechabite Chambers, Manner* 7. Mission Hail, Aro Street (1). 8. Dominion Motor Vehicles Buildin R s,\ 63 Courtenay Place (2). 9. Mission Hall* Tory Street (1). 10 Mount Cook Boys' School, Tara- , naki Street (1).