GENERAL ELECTION

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 36, 6 November 1919, Page 8

GENERAL ELECTION

.— i- —

THE WAIRARAPA SEAT

MR. MCLEOD'S CAMPAIGN

The candidature of Mr. A. D. M'Lcod for tlio Wairarapa neat is. making excellent progress, lie opened tlio campaign at Martinborougli last week, and followed it .up u-Jtii jiicetiiiKo at Featherslon and Greytown, in eacli o£ which places ho received an excellent hearing. The idea of a tnrmer representative and one who has won confidence and respect for his sound practical judgment and enterprise in local government affairs seems to appeal to a large section ol Wairarapa electors, in the course ol his addresses Mr. M'Leod lias made it clear that four months ago ho had no intention of bc-coining a candidate. )fo honestly thought that the National Government would meet Parliament this session and deal with post-war difficulties, and that a means ■would bo found lor their going to tlio .country under some scheme-of coalition. His fetter intimating that he did not intend lo stand was written after he had been to Wellington and consulted leading politicians on both sides. Ho felt it his duty not to do anything which would prevent what he then and now thought necessary. Sir Joseph Ward's attitude since his return had made this impossible. Referring to Bolshevism and' the prevailing unrest, ho maintained that the best way of destroying tlio evil was to remove the cause, and land, housing, profiteering, and wages would have to bo dealt with. Closer settlement was absolutely essential. The freehold tenure should be maintained, with proper safc- | guards against aggregation. In his opinion compulsory residence was the best safeguard. The Government was doing satisfactory work in respect to settling soldiers u]K>n the land. Tlio policy of purchasing small highly-improved holdings- was dangerous, and had the effect !of pushing up values. Compulsory aci quisilion in some shape or form would, i ho thought, lie necessary in many cases, i With regard to the housing problem, I the • Fcatherston County Council had agreed to erect houses for its workers I'oefore the Government proposals wero | brought down._ If a loss wero sustained j in housing the'people, it should bo borne 'by the whole of the community and not by a portion only. He contended j that the farmers of the Dominion wore | not profiteering. The great monopolies j outside New Zealand were causing tlio '. present trouble.' They could combat outi 6?il<? profiteering ]>v owning their own j means of transport and doing more local | manufacturing. Generally speaking, ho j did not' helieve in State control of any I industry, but there was a necessity for I State assistance in working the shins I for the mutunl benefit. Sealing with the j wages Question, he stated that they wero j moving in a vicious circle. As an eniI ployer ho hnd never been in favour of I low wages. He believed in good ' wages for ' a good worker. He strongly condemned the go-slow polie.v/ He believed that nrofit-shnrini? would assist in the solution of the Labour problem. Mr. M'Leod urged greater,-activity in the matter of providins hydro-electric nower, advocated a sane nolicv of. immigration, improved conditions and pay for nublio servants, hotter educational facilities, a vigorous nolicv of afforestation, the careful handling of the Defence policy, and immediate local government reform.

WELLINGTON NORTH. Air. J- P. Luke announced last night that he will again be a candidate for tlio Wellington North seat. REFORM CANDIDATE FOR. PAHIATCA. ■ By Telegraph-Press Association. Dannevirke, November 5. Mr. A. M'Nicol, Reform candidato for the Pahial.ua scat, opened his campaign in the Dannevirke Town Hall last evening. Ho devoted' his speech mainly to showing iiow the country might be fully developed, and said reading and railway construction, hydro-electric power, and housing schemes wore largely contingent on a properly organised immigration policy, which would provide tho muchneeded labour. He declared himself a straight-out supporter of Mr. Massey, because Mr. Massey was the only leader who had made a practical attempt to form a national party. The candidato was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

LABOUR CANDIDATE FOR PATEA

By Telegraph—Press Association. Hawera, November 5. Mr. R, W. J. M'Neill was to-day annopneed to bo a candidate for the Putea. seat as a sane Labourite.

THE NELSON SFAT. By Telegraph-Press ABioctation. - . Nelson, November 5. Mr. J. 6. Price, the official Labour candidate for the Nelson seat, opened his campaign to-night before a large audience. He outlined the policy of tho Labour Party, and was accorded a uiranimons vote of confidence.

Lien tenant-Colonel 6. Mitchell, D.5.0., who is contesting Wellington South as an Independent, will open hi* campaign tonight nt'eight o'clock at the Newtown Library. A meeting of supporters of Mr. H. Oakley Browne, Liberal candidate for. Wellington North, wil'.l be held in the Central Chamber of Commerce, Winder's Buildings, to-night, for the purpose of forming committees.

Tho Labour candidate for tho Wellington East seat, Mr. A. L. Monteith, will hold a meeting of supporters in the Trades Hall to-night, to form committees for the conducting of the campaign.

Mr. A. W. Croskery, official Labour candidate for the Suburbs, will address a meeting in tho Mnranui Church' Hall to-night.

December 19, 191G, the General Manager of Hallways participating. After that a committee of three acted with the Minister of Munitions from February 5, 1917, until August 28, 1917, when "coal trade committees were set up. After October 1, 1917, tho Minister of Munitions rationed tho railways and other consumers. This course was agreed to at the tinio by tho Railway Department. It, in fait, requested tho Minister of Munitions to bring his powers into force, because it considered it was not getting a sufficient share of coal from the West Coast mines. Tho Railway. Department continued to make its own purchases. Nono of these efforts produced sufficient coaiL In the year ending March, 1918, the railways reduced tho time-tables - by about 2,000,(00 miles a year. After the Minister of Munitions undertook tho rationing of coal on October 4. 1917, the Railway Department commenced to make weekly returns of stocks of coal and, constant statements of requirements to him. ~ Tho General Manager of Railways refused to pay higher freights demanded by ocean steamers to make special trips to bring supplies to Now Zealand, thus losing opportunities of supplementing railway supplies. In respect that tho General Manager refused to .pay higher freights which wero reasonable, wo do not think that he showed proper foresight. _