WELLINGTON SOUTH BY-ELECTION

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 71, 18 December 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON SOUTH BY-ELECTION

' MR. CASTLE AT BROOKLYN

Hγ. John Castle, the "radical reconstructionist" candidate, last evening addressed electors aud others, in the Baptist Church Schoolroom at Brooklyn. The "others" were juveniles, of whom thero was a fair sprinkling. A section of the candidate's bearers showed a distinct tendency to hilarity from the outset. .Mr. Castle repeated in effect some of tho things he had said on the previous evening. He touched upon his attitude towards conscription, a measure which he said-he had formerly opposed, but had during , the war supported in order that the boys already at the front might not be left unaided. Next the matter of-the Zoo came up,'inevitably, it appeared. "J' didn't bring the Zoo in; Councillor Frost brought the Zoo into this contest," said Mr. Castle, in reply to an interjection of "talk politics." The Zoo, the candidate urged, was a menace to th'e public health, and in supporting his contention he referred to a paralysed pheasant, to wolves that suffered from rjekets, and to a monkey which had succumbed to brain disease—allied, to meningitis.

Interruptions were exceedingly frequent, and the candidate very early observed that he did not propose to deliver a long address, as he did not consider that it would greatly further ms candidature. He would instead resume his seat and await- questions. In reply to a question, Mr. Castle said that he was a strong advocate of State control and distribution of milk.

Was he in favour of conscientious objectors being deprived of their civil rights when they had already served long terms of imprisonment?— Mr. Castleeaid that he drew a distinction between a. man in the position of a Quaker (who was a religious objector) and a man who had tried under the title of a conscientious objector to avoid doing his duty, "If elected, I would endeavour/' he sakl, "to have the real religious objectors sifted out from among the conscientious objectors, and, if possible, give them relief." "I would' advocate that the lieutenant in charge of the Wanganui Detention Barracks should be brought before some lxrard of inquiry, and, if it was found that he had offended in the way it is represented he has, ho should euffer," was the answer to another query. A vote of thanks and no confidence was proposed and carried unanimously. The chair was occupied by Jir. Hopkirk,' who at the opening of the 'meeting had snid that he wished to be coneidered a "neutral."