SUBURBS SEAT

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 46, 18 November 1919, Page 8

SUBURBS SEAT

MR. R. A. WRIGHT AT KARORI A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE Mr. R. A. Wright, sitting member and Reform candidate, for the Wellington suburbs seat, opened his campaign in the Methodist schoolroom, Karori, last night. Mr. 1). Q. 11. Burn presided. There was a fairly good attendance, and tho candidate was given a favourable lecejition. Mr. Wright dealt fust with the general parly position, lie said that ho stood as a supporter of Iho Reform Government. The 'party headed by Mr. Massey was the strongest parly in the present Home of Representatives, and ho honed that it would have a majority in the new House. The danger to be seen ahead was that owing to the splitting of votes among the tinrlies both the Reformers and the Liberals mislit fail to secure an absolute majority. lie would not undertake to support' any Government that was <lr pendent for its existence on the willot a revolutionary labour eronn holding the balance of power. Mr. Wright referred to the Labour Parly at «omr

loill'tll. , , . The pn-ndidate said that ho stood for p stable Government. sober finance, and slowly progress. By stable Government lie meant ft Government that would progress bv ordorlv and constitutional means." It was true that 'Parliamentary procedure was sometimes slow and apparentlv cumbersome. Tint the elector* should realise that the procedure had, been designed to prevent lnsty and reckless legislation. Tt provided protection for minorities and opportunities. for debfiin and considornHon. A Finbj Gn\eminent. in his -stimnte, was a Goven,ment that would trovern bv law. that would obey i!ie law itself, and that won d not favour one class against am otliei place Polwr financn was a lmcc.wity 0 n,e future. 'IV war UA burden of <lebt behind it. end lb } ' isters who had cliaree of tho national finance must be cautious, firm, and meCTCs"ivo. Mr. Wright referred to the fact Hint- after the eleckon of 19H the Reform Government had not had a secure majority behind it in the Hou-c. The formation of tho National Government had been the natural outcome of that position, since stable administration was essential for war purposes. Xho National Government, bent on tho successful prosecution of New Zealand s share of the war, had many unpleasant and unpopular things to do. Jt hail been compelled by stern necessity to cuitail temporarily the liberty, of the people in many directions, '[here had been times when the f*td of the Empire and of civilisation had trembled in the balance, and the National Government, m common with tho other Governments of the Eninire, had to mobilise all the available forces against the enemy, these facts' slio'ulil be I'cmenibered wlien the Government was being criticised. I Mr. Wright 'proceeded to sketch the legislation of the session. lie w/nsidered that the Reform Government had done particularly good worlc in the short timo at its disposal. Tho Labour members had protested against the Undesirable Immigrants Exclusion Bill, but he had not had any hesitation about supporting the measure. The Dominion had found during the war that it did not pay to admit into the country every person, however antagonistic or generally undesirable, who might care to come. He approved of the admission of women to the House of Representatives and regretted that the Legislative Councillors had refused to receive women in their branch of the Legislature; The new Board of Trade Act. dealing with profiteering, was one of the most drastic laws ever passed, and he hoped that it .was going to prove effective. The Government had been generous in its provision for the soldiers by -way of repatriation and gratuity. But lie thought tho pensions paid to totally disabled men would have to bo increased in the future. Tho cost of living problem, said Mr. Wright, was perplexing every country. The Labour members had been fond of riuotiug Queensland, where a Labour Government' was in power, but actual figures had disproved their contentions. The cost of living in Queensland, under a Labour Government, had risen more than the cost of living in New Zealand. What were the causes of tho world-wide increases? Profiteering was a factor, but not the chief' factor. The war was at tho bottom of the trouble. The enormous expenditure 011 the war had been met by tho issue of paper currency to the point of inflation. Before the war New Zealand had notes, for about. .£2,000,000 in circulation. "To-day the notes represented about .£7,000,000. Inflated currency always meant increased prices, and he believed that the trouble would continue until the currency was brought back to a normal condition. Another factor bad been tho rate of exchange, which had operated _ against tho British Kmpiro. Profiteering had helped to send up prices, but the most effective remedy for rising' prices vas to get back the currency to a sound basis. When tho currency was deflated I prices fall. At the same time the whole nation must get to work. Production must bo increased. Without maximum production, the Dominion could not have all the prosperity that was within its reach. Mr. Wright mentioned tho hydro-electric power seneme, which ho regarded as of very great national importance. He would advocate tho energetic prosecution of the hao scheme. In conclusion, Mr. Wiight said that if returned again to the House he would do his best to guard tho interests of every part of tho o'ectorate. <Yt the saino time ho-would do Ms bast to serve the interests of the. Dominion as a whole. He would bo proud if jin opportunity to represent Wellington Suburbs -in tho new Parliament. (Applause.) ~ , r In answer to quwhons, Mr.. Wright said a recent prosecution in Wellington 011 ft, charge of profiteering imd foiled or account of a. defect in the law. lie did not think tho f-amo lliiiig could happen under tho new Act. Ho did not approve of the ward system in mnniciiial noblies. The ward systom lent itself to "log-rolling." Ho was in favour of Mr. Sidev's Daylight Saving Bill. apnrove of a Tail' Rent P-ill, brt considered that tho most satisfactory tlung was for every man to own his own house. He was not in favour of tho 'abolition of the Legislative Council. He considered it was' neocssary t<- have a second Chamber, but. 110 d.d net like the present nominative svstem. The Legislative. Council should bo elf-dive. Ho had always opposed the issue of Icons free of incomo tax. i\fter answering ptlier questions, Mr. Wright was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.

Onv mornimr contemporary (savs thf> Ohristehiu'eh "Press") has. found the happv word fnr Sir Joseph (-■' on noliev. "Th* nrnornmnie with wlnel) •Sir .Tn=oph W<"'d and his followers now face the elections is repHe with »K mocrntic and nrcrcssive idos." This excellent word 'i luo ond to lv left, iw it 1)0"! hitherto been left. to linMk>""i o rs to misuse in IVir advertisements. Webster tolls us about it: "Repletion ("noun): The stale of nlete or excessive fulness. Koec'fical'v. (V) Of the blond-vessels hyperemia: plethora. (2) Of the stomach, surfeit." v Some merriment, was paused at tlw meeting of lioskill plpctors addressed by Mr. V.'IT. Potter on Thursday evening when n member of the nud'ence sent im a lonß question, nskinsr if the Candida to wns satisfied with (lit; Government in n«nect to the influenza epidemic, the railway breakdown. the American meat trust-, 'and the liirn? of the Union Company's sliins instead of l)ui''.din<T its own. In his replv, the randidnte deelared thnt if tliev would blame 'Mr. Mnesev for th» t-pidemip. tliev would H'nne him far a dark night. (f.oud laughter.) A'r 'P. M. lTornsby, M.P., addressed the Sectors of Tinui in (lie Laupdnln llall on Friday evening. Mr.'Hugh Morrison presided, and spoke in eulogistic terms of the candidal*. After questions had been answered a volo of thanks was curried by acclaunntion. ______ i

snl<licv<; ami tlir.iv deiiendanls. The soldier placed "is 'if" at stake fur our Bakes, ami I ilo not mind what Mr. liassoy or anyone else says of mc on amount of my views in that rcspect. I will still hold Hint view, and I am convinced U)o country will oiidoraq it."