GENERAL ELECTION BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 49, 21 November 1919, Page 7

GENERAL ELECTION BATTLE

ORGANISED RED-FED HOODLUMS IN EVIDENCE

TWO LIVELY MEETINGS

NEWS NOTES AND COMMENTS

Pollina Day, December 17, Mr. Masscy annouueed yostero'ay that the polling Jny would bo Wednesday, December 17. The Maori elections will be hold on the day previous. The Vinegar Touch. Singularly oblivious to the fact that the only difference between the Liberalism of Mr- John Ballance and,the Liberalism of Mr. Massoy is Sir Joseph Ward, tlio Auckland "Star" presents its readers with tho following little offering of jaundice, gall, and wormwood: MVisseyism remains in theory and principle precisely ivhat its ancestry and origin would suggest. It is tho lineal descendant and heir of the Conservatism which so long and obstinately withstood the new gospel of Liberalism when it was first preached by Sir Georgo Grey and "Mr. Ballanco and Mr. Seddon; and, like its progenitor, it is and always has been, in spirit, obstructive and narrow, self-interested and limited, the friend of privilege and monopoly, the foo of democratic equality and progress—in "brief, the very antithesis and contrary of that Liberalism which tho great democratic alliance headed by Ballanco and Seddon first promulgated and which tho Liberals of to-day still consistently and faithfully, uphold. What Germany Missed. As an oxamplo o£ the sort of individual that electors are invited to support there is Mr. T. Brindle, of tho Christchurch Labour Party, who went down to Timaru tho other evening and delivered himself of an opon-air speech. Later ho invited questions, and the invitation was readily accepted. "Ave you proud of tho fact that you aro an Englishman?" was tho question put bv a returned soldier. "Not particularly," replied Mr. Brindle; "As I could not choose my parents before I was born I do not seo that thero is anything to be proud of. I might havo been born a German!"' (Laughter and some hoots.) Mr. Witty's Phoenix. "We should bo very remiss," observes the Christchurch "Press," "if wo did not notico the remarkable utteranco lay Mr. Witty. He frankly admits that the old Liberal Party is dead—the old Liberal Party whoso shado is so warmly invoked by most of tho Opposition candidates that one is tempted to suspect them of thinking that nobody has been born or has died for twenty years past. Mr. Witty declared that 'out of the itslies of tho party was going to spring a uew Liberal Party, which would do better work than tho old.' The only party (hat can grow out of tho weeds and wreckago of Liberalism is a party dominated. by revolutionary Labour; and whothei' sueli a party would do better work than any other party that lias hitherto been in power.is tho question which Mr. Witty will bo disappointed to hear tho peoplo answer in the negativo next month." Wardism's Lost Opportunities. The Hon. R. H, Rhodes reminds tho public that the first real attempt made to prevent the reaggregation of laud was made by tho Reform Government. "It is ono of tho curiosities of politics," says tho Christchurch "Press," "that tho Government should bo attached on this question by tho peoplo who had twenty yeare of unbroken opportunity to deal effectively with this aspeot of tho land problem, and, on -their own showing, made no u:>e of that opportunity whatever. Hoilandism Seems to bo Unpopular! A question put to Mr. Veitch at Wanganui: "How would you vote between Holland, Ward, and Massey?" "I would not voto for Holland whatever happened," was the reply, which was received with applause. "I liavo wade up my mind on this point. If I can't have a freo hand to follow my conscience I am not fit to represent you and you had better get somebody else." A Home of Bolshevism. . I'eferring to tbo retirement of Mr. T. J. Ryan from Queensland politics, Mr. William Hughes, the Fedoral Primo Minister, said the other day: "Mr. Ryan has got out now. I won't say it is a good thing for Queensland, because lie has left just as bad men "behind him. If there is ono woman who sent her son to fight for. his country who votes for such a man as Ryan she is not mindful of the dangers and sacrifice made by her boy and tho thousands of oilier boys who stood alongside liim. Why, a soldier seeking employment found no place iu this homo of Bolshevism. Ho was asked to take his badge off." And Echo Answers, "Why?" Why, aslced Mr. Dunbar Sloano at Kaiwarra last night, does the good citizen allow himself to be crushed on tho 0110 hand by the profiteer, and on the other bv the extremist and direct actionist? Why does he not rise up and come into his own? Ho is, by his industry, building the national greatness of this country, but, when it comes to polling day he is quite apathetic, and the results show that in some cases 30 pelcent. of tho electors have not voted. "Men Without a Country." "I stand four-squaro and shoulder to shoulder with tlbe Reform Parly in ono thing," remarked Mr. T. M. Wilford, M.P., at Eastbourne last night. "I am," lie added, "opposed to extremists—to the men without a country." A 'Torv Candlu'aie. Mr. K,. MacArtney, who is contesting tho Lvttelton seat as a supporter ot' tho Government, remarked that ho had noticed some tx'oplo professing alarm lest a' "Torv" candidate should win. Tho reference evidently was- to himself. He could assure tho electors that tho only "Torv" that appealed to him was "Victory." Tha "Passive Resisters" to Toil, Mr. L. M. Isitt, who lias declared that he believes a combination of sano political elements to bo tho proper tiling, is being opposed for Christchurch North bv an official Labour nominee, who figures prominently as an "anti-militarist" ano; encourneer of shirkers during the war. Speaking this week, Mr. Isitt said: Tho working men must help the Government to help themselves. If thoy stood with their hands in their pockets adopting tho pro-slow policy they were going tho wav to ruin. It was the most elijldish. puerilo talk that men could indiilgo in to sav the Government had a big sum of money to dispense. To secure high watres we must produce. There was ono thing that no Government, no Labour union, no Labour loader, or! anyone could go. They could not pay 1 a hiriior wago at ,0110 end and securo lessened production at tho other. Voices: Who said tlicy could? )' Mr. Isitt: Well, you go round tho corner and knock tho go-slow policy on tho head. Much Cry and Little Wool. . How do you expect to give effect to your proposals as an independent, when fivo Labour members havo filled pages o[ "Hansard" and liavo not got any redress? was a. question put to Lieut,Colonel Mitchell at his meeting at Bcrhamporo last evening and answered thus: "Simply becauso the five Labour members aro falcon no notico of." ) (Laughter and applause,),

Direct Speech to Direct Actionists. Tho niodei'ato-Labour,, candidate for TaranakH Mr. .S." G". jjniiibr- told an audience that ho "liad no sympathy with '\\ the present Parliamentary Labour Party, I who were revolutionary • Socialists and j direct actionists, whose extremo views > wero really inimical to the great body 1 I of Labour and destroyed for tho present \' any chanco of tho Labour Party gaining success at tho polls." The Labour extremists havo not succeeded in putting up a candidate against Mr. Smith. They say, of course, that ho is a mero "camou> j ' finge candidate" and so forth. But thoy j cannot got over tlio hard fact that h'o j" ; is about tlio most prominent unionist I 1 in his district. j Mr. Webb Recalled to Memory. "Aro you in favour of removing the '.' civil and political restrictions on Mr. Webb to allow liim to, contest a seat?" irf , a „l uestion of Lieut-Colonel I Mitchell at Berhampore last evening. Ao, - " ho said midst loud and enthusiastic applause. fr No man has a right • j to help to govern a country who is not : prepared to help to fight and defend it." (Applause.) Whom the Cap Fits—! "Aro there any overwhelming rea®ons ' asks the "Otaco Daily Times," why tho parties which, under an arrangement that preserved to each its political identity and that was" manifestly artificial and unsatisfactory, united for tho purpose o£ concentrating tho efforts of the Dominion upon tlio discharge of its task during the war, ] should now bo thrown into opposition to each other?" There is at least one ■overwhelming reason" why this is so, remarks tho Christcliurcli ."Press," and ■ 1 that is the overweening ambition of ono > man to occupy the centre of the political stage and monopoliso all tho limelight. ."Rotten, Degenerate, and Contemptiblo. L. M. Isitt, M.P., has been vexing the Labour extremists in Christchurch North by making some pointed allusions to tlio "go-slow" policy.. If tho Dominion wcro going to pay high wages, he said at a meeting this week, "that rotten, de-genorate, and contemptible system, tho go-slow policy, Jiad to 'be stopped, and had to' have the opposition and condemnation of every decent man." He had stood on tho wharves in company with a fellow-member of the House a little while ago, and seen men who were receiving high pay crawliug at their work. Ho was ashamed to.seo how little work somo men wcro doing for good pay. Tho Labour extremists, of course, tried to shout Mr. Isitt down. Tho Logic of Red Utopia. Ono of tho noisy representatives of "Labour" at My. Luko's meeting last night put this question: "If it took the working classes twelve months to do tlio work thoy now do in threo months, would not that abolish unemployment?" The schemo certainly would abolish something— wfjges and meals, for cxnmplo. Why stop at tlio extension to twelve months? Why not spread a week's work over a lifetime? If a coal miner now hows 700 tons of coal in a year, why should ho not cut down tho output to 10 tons a year and so provide work in tho coal mines for the wholo adult male population of Now Zealand, sincc 70 men would be required to do the work of ono man? The absurdity of tlio idea that employment - can 'be increased by curtailing production is patent to anybody who gives a moment's thought to the matter. But then thinking- is not the. strong point of the, leather-lunged persons who "do tho braying for Messrs.-—"'. Holland, Seniplo, and Co. Loyalists will Rally. (At Berhampore last evening, Lieut!- j Colonel Mitclicl whon addressing the Wellington South electors was asked if 110 had joined tho P.P.A., and wliethor that organisation was supporting him. Iu reply he said: "I have not joined the organisation, and I don't know whether thoy aro supporting me. but I expect them to support me, as I do every loyal mail and woman in tie community." Wellington's Now StationSpeaking at Ngaio last night, Mr. R. A. i Wright referred to the leisurely and easy-going policy of tho Government in regard to tbo new railway station. The present Minister of Railways-had admit- . tod that the suburbau residents were long suffering. He, however, promised a deputation that progress would be madot in tho New Year. Mr. Wright urged that if the now station would not be ready for a number of yoars, tho Railway Department should arrange to run all the Manawatu trains into the Lnmbton station. This would givo great relief to suburban residents. Tho cost, would not bo .excessive, and in all probability, by running all trains into one station, such an amalgamation would result in a saving in the working expenses. Passing Strange. In one of his speeches last weet. the Labour candidate for Wellington South denied that thero was a shortage of Labour for tlio building of homes under tho housing schemo. Tf tlio Governmentwould approach the unions concerned, he said, amnio labour would be forthcoming. This strange remark has attracted attention in many parts of New Zealand. Whero is the laboi\r that could be made available if tho Government went, cap in hand, to' tho aiuions? Land has been - provided for tho orection of homes by the municipalities and the _ State. Money and materials are available. Labour . candidates aro telling their audioncea every night that tbo shortage of homes is inflicting desperate hardship on thousands of poor peoplo. And yet, according'to Mr. Seniplo, tho unions are withholding labour that could bo mado available if the Government asked iliem! Organised Hoodlumism. The local representatives of the Holland party pursued their usual tactics at Mr. Luko's meeting in Wellington North last night. They shouted, hooted, and interrupted. They, did not hear much of what tho candidate was saying, because they wcro making so much noise themselves, and they prevented tho decent section of tho audience from hearing. Tho peoplo responsible for tactics of this land ; obviously have no regard for freedom of speech or. tlio right of public meeting. They do their best to deny freo speech to anybody outsido (heir own circle of muddled opinion. Tlicy think that a public meeting, called for tho presentation of tho views of a candidate for Parliament, is tho placo for a display of hoodlumism. Thinking people can derive some consolation from the reflection that tho extremists have very little chiuice of securing strong representation 111 Parliament while they continue to behave in a manner that earns for them tho contempt of every democratic < , itizen.^v\^ / An. ; explosion of a bomb store in the neighbourhood of H'escia killed seven soldiers, two children, and a civilian, and severely injured a largo number of other 111 Sir*Thomas Fowcll Victor Buxton, 1 , j!reaBurer of the Church Missionary Society, nml chairman of the Missions to Seamen, who died on May 31, tlio result of a motor-car accident, has left estate of the value of JC315,310. tho net personalty being rfIW,SS7.