A PLEDGE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 48, 20 November 1919, Page 8

A PLEDGE

MR. MASSEY SPURNS EXTREME LABOUR

SOME VERY PLAIN SPEAKING

By Telegraph.—Special Reporter.

Eltham, November 19. "It is the duty of tlio electors of this country," said the Prime Minister at Eltham to-night, "to sclect and elect the best men in this country to represent them in Parliament to deal with tlio urgent problems of repatriation and reconstruction." A voice: That is what they are going to do. Mr. Massey: I hope they will. If they do I shall lead a majority of about fifteen. Mr. Massey spoke of the Labour Party, differentiating very 1 clearly between the workers and s tho members of the Parliamentary Labour Party. The workers mid wage-earners of this country, lie said, are as loyal as any other section in tlie community. A voice: More so. Mr. Massey: Well, I am not going to .quarrel about that, but when I' say workers and I don't want to include the Parliamentary Labour Party led by Mr.! Holland. (Applause.) I took a very keen interest in everything pertaining to the war, as other citizens did, but I can't think of any assistance given to us in the struggle by any member of the Parliamentary Labour Party. I can't remember any of tliem making a patriotic speech. A voice: Why don't you put Semple into the Cabinet? • Mr, Massey: Heaven forbid that any Member of that party should ever havo an opportunity of taking part in the Government of the country. (Applause.) Through all those long and dark years when the British people were pouring out Wood mid treasure this party never lent a hand. (Hear, hear.) I want to discriminate always between tlie workers and the Parliamentary Labour Party, in industrial matters, where are the members of this party? Where are they with regard to coal? They are on the sido of tho "go slow" policy, which is a curse to this country or to any other country. There are numbers of candidates of this Parliamentary Laboyr Party before tho people of this country in these elections, and the party expect to get a number of them returned. They Cannot get into power, but they may get into the position of holding the balance of power without whoso voles neither of tho other parties will bo able to holi} office. A voice: And, by God,.you'll take.them old man! Mr. Massey: "I will make this pledge to this meeting of citizens of Eltham:— That rather, than hold office! by the voto of any one of those men or of all of them I would walk off the Treasury benches without a moment's notice. They will never get mo in a position to dictate to me. As long as I lead the Govern, mcnt, I will dictate its policy with tlio advice of niy colleagues, and when I find that I have not enough genuine supportere to give mo a majority of the House I will vacate oftide. In making this pledge I can speak .for myself and my own party. I cannot speak for the othor people—l am not in their confidence. Hero is tho position of tho parties in Parliauiont to-day:—Tho Keform Party has a strength of 41, the Liberal Party is 31, tho rest ot' the llouso is made up of tho official Labour Party and other Labour members and Independents. It is not possible for tho Liberal Party to overtake us. Wo will still have a majority over the Liberal Party, but if wo don't got a majority of the' House and tlie other people form an alliance with the Parliamentary Labour Party, then God help Now Zealand." (Applause.) A voice: Excuse me calling you-"Bill," but you're all right. Mr. Massey: STou do not need to apologise, you aro not the first to call me that by a long way. Tho interrupter: Hero havo I been against you for 25 years, but I'm with yon to-night. Mr. Mnssoy • welcomed his new convert, and said that ho had heard of many such quito lntely. PARNELL . ■ Br Toleirr»nli—Presn Zixiciatlon. Auckland. November 19. Mrs. F. E. Baume, Opposition candidate for Israeli, opened her campaign to-night, when she addressed a crowded meeting. Mrs. Baumo received an excellent hearing, and deal at longth with education questions. She advocated t'ho endowment of motherhood. The candidate received a vote of thanks and confidence. PALMEKSTON Palmerston North, November 19. ' Mr. Moses Ayrton, Labour candidate for Palmerston North, opened his campaign to-night. Ho advocated State control of- necessary commodities, landholding on. tlio'basis of use, not speculating, electoral reform in tho direction of a smaller number of Parliamentarians and enhanced remuneration. The candidate dealt exhaustively with shipping profits, and advocated nationalisation. A vote of confidence in the candidate was carried. RANOTEI By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent. Marton, November 19. Brigadier-General Meldruni, Liberal candidate for Rangitikei, opened liis campaign in Marton last night, when he addressed a largo audience. The meeting carried a resolution of no confidence in tho Liberal Party. ' CHRISTCHURCH EAST Br TelesraDh-I'reßß Association. Christchurch, November 19. Dr. Thaekor, M.P., who is seeking reelection for Christchurch East, addressing his first meeting to-night, urged that the State should take chargo of' all incurable disease cases, like cancer, etc., and should take charge of all defectives. Ho thought the riso in tho cost of living had been <luo to tho floating of bi» loans in New Zealand. A voto of thanks was accorded tho -candidate.- .

RICCARTON Christchurch, November 19. Mr. W. B. Devereux, Reform candidate for Riccarton, opened his campaign to-night. Ho highly extolled Mr. Masspy's endeavour to tap down the cost of living. Mr. Massay was the loal friend of tho tnie workers, and though ho might'bn tho 'best hated man .in' Now Zealand amongst tho workers just now there would bo a great many tears sited over him by the workers if ho were to die. Tl.e education system of Now Zealand hail been starved by past Governments, but he thought Mr. Massey would mako the system so perfect, that eventually tho very l>"st brains of the country would b» avail,iblo for teaching the children. Ho thought a State Rank with a paper currency would be tho very best thin? tho country could, have. Mr. Devereux was accorded a vote of thanks. / , "AVON . ; Christchurch, November 19. : Mr, I). G. Sullivan, Labour candidate for Avon, opened his campaign to-night, Atid received a vote of thanks and confi:<lenee. TIo defended, the Labour Party, 'and denied that it ivas Bolshevistic or '■Anarchistic, and contended that it had made serious efforts lo brine about better relations between employers and employees. He denounced (he Government for not cheeking the rising cost of living and criticised its land proposals. He ivas in favour of a Stato Bank and nationalisation of mines and the ferry service, and urged (hat more should be done to develop secondary industries. WAITAKi Duncdin, November 10. Mr. W. G. Paul. Labour candidate for Waitaki spat, addressed a well-attended meejinc at Naseby on Tuesday night and Tfceivcd a favourable hearing.' Ho pnid. a tribute to the old Liberal Party under Mr. Ballaneo and Mr. Peddon, but. went on to con tend that noithor tho Liberals

nor tho Reformers had produced anything of a progressive nature since then. Dealing with, tho land question, ho -urged tho neod of a substantial incroaso in tho graduated land tax in ordor to prevent the aggregation that he contended wai going on. Mr. Paul 6aid ho was in favour of nationalisation of- tho coal mines, with tho appointment of boards of control. Ho -would support subsidies to largo hydro-electric schemes, in preference tp smaller schemes; also State acquisition' of transportation services. Tho spoakor was accorded a unanimous voto of thanks by acclamation.

WAITAKI Waimate, November 19. Mr. J. Bitchoner spoko to-night in Waimato for an hour and a half to a well-filled hall. JTo reoeived an excellent hearing, and tho meeting was en. tliusiastic. Ho said lie would support Mr. Massey in a voto of no-confidence. Increased production would solve tho after-war difficulties. He referred to the industrial unrest and said time would be the healer. _ He was opposed to nationalisation, which was not practicable, except that tho State snould own ships to get the produce out of tho conn-, try. Taxation should l>e readjusted. The land tax at present was iniquitous. Hydro-electric schemes should be pushed regardless of cost n.c the only relief from the coal difficulty. The drought in Australia added to tho seriousness of tho wheat question in New Zealand. Tho farmer should be encouraged to grow wheat. Ho favoured indentured labour for Samoa as tho only method whereby the island could be worked. It was not a white man's country .A vote of thanks was accorded tho candidate. labourltTastings By Telci;r;>r' , <-Prmß Association. Hastings, November 19. Mr. C. H. Chapman, tho official Labour Candida to for Hawke's Bay, addressed a large meeting of tho electors in Hastings last night. In tho course of Lis address, Mr. Chapman contended that neither the Reform nor the Liberal leaders had done anything to meeli the changed conditidns arising out of tho war. The Labour Party had two main objectives, one being free education from the kindergarten to ffiio university, and Mio other that Labour should 1 have a greater share of the wealth produced by Labour. He advocated the establishment of a Stato bank and other Stato enterprises. WOMAN THE THAMES Thames, November ID. Mrs, Lindsay Cooke, Independent woman candidate (soldiers' platform) addressed one of the largest political meetings held at the Thames. She spoke trenchantly, and at the conclusion was accorded a hearty voto of thanks and confidence.