THE ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 43, 14 November 1919, Page 8

THE ELECTIONS

PARTY LEADERS ADDRESS THEIR CONSTITUENTS

:-; SITUATION REVIEWED BY MR. MASSEY CAMPAIGN NEWS, NOTES, AND COMMENT HEAVY PENALTIES FOR ILLEGAL PRACTICES

"Prom the party point of view the dramatio withdrawal by Sir Joseph Ward ' from the National Government has not proved to be good tactics on Iris part. Mr Massey made no complaint about it, although it must haVe been disconcerting to Mm, but it was product™ ot a curtain amount of public sympathy for him which strengthened into public support us ho calmly surmounted Wio difficulties, of Ms position and submitted in tho course of the session a programme ot distinctly useful legislation."- 'Otago Daily Tunes."

"Seemingly, Sir Joseph Ward has | made up Ms mind that some- sort of alliance with somb sort of Labour is both necessary and assured- (says tho Christchurch 'Sun'). Wβ may repeat that tho country will view tho possibility with a teoling akin to alarm. Every responsible elector is aware of the risks that would ensue from the advent ot j a Labour Government or a Government | over which Labour held tho whip hand. , Sir Joseph Ward has endeavoured to disarm criticism by describing his proposed alliea as eano Labourites, in this way distinguishing them from tho Reds who are much too 'advanced' even for a j section of their own Mowing, lo all j political intents and purposes the Labour moderates are extremists: it as irn-j TOssible to divide them just now. ihe oMef flaw in tho Liberal plan is that the extremists oto in control of the party machine, which moves at their direction.'- -

Speaking , at Henderson Mr. C. J. Parr. • Government candidate for Eden, eaid : that the great need was for a strong, stable Government. The financial position required the most anxious and careful handling. He hoped that men of capacity and tried public experience would Oβ elected. Tho danger was that a party might get into power which would have to lean upon extreme Labour for office, and it was the duty of the constituencies to return a party strong enough to form a Government with a working majority. During the last four months Mr. Massey had surprised even his friends by his admirable programmo of progressive legislation. The liberal organ in Dunedin does not pretend to be very pleased with Sir Joseph Ward's speech at Chriatchurch on Monday evening. It says, by way of exouse for the Opposition Leader, that he had "a" big handicap" thrust upon him by "his enthusiastic admirer, Dr. Thacker who as Mayor presided over the crowded meeting, and introduced Sir Josoph Ward as 'our greatest statesman alive. This remark made tho audience laugh, or, as the "Star" puts it, 'legitimately' quickened a sense of humour. As a policy speech," adds the Liberal organ, "Sir Joseph Ward's address last nieht fell short of general anticipation. Ino leader.of:the Liberal Part)- was clearly not ; it his'best, and did not make the most of his opportunity to emphasise the necessity for a programme of sound constructive legislation, promptly put'into practical effect, Tather than an- impressive array of legislative experiments spread over a long 'period. And he made too much of his withdrawal from, the National Government. His departure may hare been rather abrupt: but who worries about the manner of ~i,t,,ji,ow, .since everybody is satisfied that It was long , past time then for tho end of a, ■ coalition that in everything except 'helping to win the war, which was The greatest need, wa.3 an extravagant experiment." -All , this is scarcely kind to tho ■Liberal Leader. Attempts to stir sectarian bias wero deprecated stronsly by Mr. A. J. F/ntricnu, Independent Progressive candidate for Auckland West, in his opening sppech. 'Mr. Entrican said that he had been asked by the Protestant Political Associa- • tion to presido at their inaugural meetIng in Auckland. He, however, informed Mr. Howard Elliott that he could not tako that position. Ho had seen._ ho said, eo~ inuchTUTihnppinefs in his native country, Ireland, brought about by rdifious intolerance, that he was resolved to have no' part in helping to perpetnnto a similar etate'pf tilings in this country. TCverv ■ man , 'had , the' right to his own religious beliefs in■• New Zealand, and denomina-tional-troubles were practically non- ' existent. (Hear, hear.) •'"The Federation of Labour, which is the expression in industrial matters of the class of tho community that expresses its political aspirations, through the agency of tho New Zealand Labour Party, announced when the war broke out that its attitude towards the cc-n----flict was one of 'dignified neutrality.'" says the','Otago Daily Times." "Tho party did'nothing to encourage voluntary recruiting, it opposed compulsory service. Later on, it gave in its official adherence to a proposal for a peace by negotiation at a time when ft largu portion of ITranco and tho greater poroon of Belgium wero under the heel of Germany, when the Allies were not in a position to negotiate for an honourable peace, and when, consequently, the effect , of negotiation would have l>een to give by such a peace the victory in the war to Germany, and to place that Power in such a commanding position in \vcstern Europo 'as would have made her a constant and terrible menace to the security of tho United Kingdom. And, finally, consistently with its avowed degiro for a peace that would have been 'humiliating to the. Allies, the Labour Party officially committed itself, to a denunciation of the terms of peace as dictated by the Allies this year, upon the ground thft they were harsh and unreasonable, it is the party with this war record which now appeals io the electors to return to Parliament a sufficient number of its candidates to enable them to hold tho balance of power in the House of Representatives. Us record should l>o enough to condemn it to political extinction." Tho freehold tenure had always been tho great strength of the ]tei'orm Party, and this tenure suited the small man, said Mr. 0. Hawken. Kcfotm candidate for Egmont. The last election had l:i'en fought on leasehold versus irahold. and thcro were men in the Liberi.l i'iU'ly now who would introduce Hit leasehold to-morrow if they got tho -jliance. The owning of land by the mini who worked it was the rock on which all reforms wero built, and had tlio t-li'ucL of pulling an end to the revolutionary spirit. In tho country the freehold policy of Hie Scforin Government should ruceivo Ihe Bupport of the people generally, and in choosing a candidate who wns a single taxer the Liberal Party had not done tho electorate justice. Any man who advocated tho single lax was diametrically opposed lo the freehold tenure. "The conditions which produco threo parties aro a, menace to political progress and order, and it is .unthinkable that the people of New Zealand will submit to them for any length of time (says the J.nvcj-car.s'ill "Times"). With Ihrco parties it is possible for tin 6in,illest of,the throe to control tho others, nml that position may arisa after the forthconiiiijr pulls. If neither Mr. Mas'-iey nor Sir Joseph Ward hns an absolute majority of followers in the Hnu.se, then neither can carry on Iho Gn/crn/iiicnt except villi the support of one of the other parlies. Sir Joseph Ward and Mfic fM lorie y would •ci tlic-r/if a ve. to •■(Win In 'to o'f-'ono -of:'them would iliavc to conic to terms with Liihour to secure a majority, n?id La);our could then put Iho Government out at its pleasure by simply withdrawing its support. Such a jjosition cco'i becomes intolerable, to , politicians a$ well as to tho people."

The relations between the Libernl Party and tho Labour Party aro .the. subject of 6OIUO comment by tho Cnristcliurcli "Press," which says: "Hie facts of the connection between tho two parties aro perfectly well known, ■ but wo may recall tho position, in 1911. Mr. Massey, Sir Joseph Ward, and two representatives of tho Labour Party wero entrusted with tho task of allotting to individual candidates the votes given tor their respective parties by members ot tho Expeditionary Force. Tho Labour trustees gave their endorsement to the Liberal candidate in eacli of GG constituencies; Sir Joseph Ward gave- hie endorsement, in seven districts in which ho had not a 'candidate of his own, to tho nominees of the Red Fed organisation.- selected from tho list of approved candidates printed by tho Reds , -organ the 'Worker.'"

Tho rowdinesa of the meeting at Duiieilin last week, when the Moderate Labour candidate for tho Duncdin South scat. Mr. Black, addressed the electors did not prevent the candidate giving a verv candid expression of his views on tho present leaders of organised Labour. "He wns." he said, "one of. tho executive of tho original Labour Party of New Zealand, ono of the originators of the United Labour Party, and also of tho executive.' Throughout his life in this country-ho ha.l devoted his energies to tho Labour movement on tho platform, in tho Press, and in organising work. Ho hart never held any paid position or received anv reward for his work other than the satisfaction of having earned the esteem of tho workers' -whose cause ho had so long advocated. ... Hie reason for leaving the party was that I.W.W. doctrine had been introduced into it. (Interruption.) If anyone could deny it, let him come on the platform and fiico him. Ho went on to refer to the I.AV.W.. which some said meant 'I won't work.' In 1911 ho oefinitely left tho Labour movement because ho saw the I.W.W. start pushing its fangs into tho movement. (Interruption.) .■.. Hβ would co on to .complete his chain ot evidence that these gentlemen who wera caiuouflasrinj; themselves behind a political platform did not believe in political action. Mr. Holland, in a pamphlet ho hnd written called 'Armageddon, said, 'We shall fight tho capitalist class to the death.' (Hear, hoar.) Was that constitutional and Parliamentary r Was that through the ballot-box ?"- We: Black wont on to quote Mr. Bloodworth, ono of the official Labour eanaidates for Auckland, as saying: "Wo won't be satis, fied except by State ownership under trade uniou control; and if we don't get it by peaceful means we will get it somehow." (Hear, hear.) Mr. Parry eaid: "I huvo Rot no God, no flag, no kine, bo country!" Would any man got ud in that hall and gay he admired thoso sentiments?-(Noise.) . - • Mr. Black said that Bolshevist literature hud been <iistribittcd in New Zealand, and he had a saniolo of it with him. (Voices: "The Black pamphlet!") He complained thnl one man at whose "meetings Labour lead, ers presided hnd been ten years in Now Zealand, and spent 6even of these in gaol. (A voice: ''Good luck to him!") This Bolshevist literature to which he was referring asked- the people of New Zealand to form a Soviet Government. Who was it tliai6j.iidi-ilf-I-wnsJu.Rus-sia •IrwottlET.be.a.J3okhcv.ist,..ii_in_.Ger.-i many a.-Spartacist,~iHn--lTeiand~a"Sinri' Teinor , - ■?-- -Was -it-the-epea-ker-or—was ; it. "Bob , ' Semple? : Was he a fit and proper man to be in the House? (Voices':""resryes;""ano.' applause.).

Speaking at Taupiri on Monday nijrht, Mr. E. F. Bollard. Government candidate foT the Raglan seat, said ho believed the cranks and extremists of all kinds 6honld be kept out of Parliament, for it was'very necessary that only level-headed men should be returned to deal with the tremendous problems that faced the country. In the course of his address at Eltlwm, Mr. 0- Hawken, the Reform candidate for the Epmont seat, wns asked how ho reconciled the statement that Mr. Massey was a friend of. the working man with his action at the time of the wharf labourers' strike in Wellington? Was not Mr. Hawken on tho Hawera. committee which arranged for the dispatch of special constables? Mr. H<nvken: "Tes, and I am proud of it. Tho Wharf Labourers' Union tried , to tnke ohnige of the country, ami the Government had to be supported." , Speaking to his supporters at a, meeting held in Petone, Mr. W. Cotfon, Moderate Labour candidate for tho Hntt seat, eaid there were a lot of people who thought he had a cheek to stand. He did not. Any young man of ambition and ability had a right to endeavour" to get into Parliament. To show how keen his interest in the district wns he mentioned that ho had held a seat on the Lower Hutt Borough Council during two terms, and wns n member of tho Wellington Chamber of Commerce., Tho reason he was standing was because the Government was in need of new blood. He criticised other candidates, certain of whom, he described as extremists, who attained their positions by dynamite' language. He would deal with the housing problem and education at his .public meeting to 'bo held on Thursday next. . A Press Association message states that Mr. Voitch, in his speech ut Wanganui on Wednesday night, said he would support an extra shilling a day gratuity providing tho Fiiianco Minister guaranteed that the country could afford it. Mr. B. P. Rishwortli, Reform candidate for the Hutt, will start his campaign in' earnest to-night at the. Eastbourne Hall, where he will address a meeting at 8 o'clock. To-morrow night he will meet electors at Wainui Hall at the same time, and next week he hopes to have an opportunity of placing his views before tho people of Petone and Lower Hutt.