ON THE PLATFORM

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 49, 21 November 1919, Page 8

ON THE PLATFORM

WELLINGTON NORTH MR. LUKE'S CANDIDATURE " " ANOTHER DISORDERLY ""MEETING •; Mr. J.- P. Luke, sitting member and . ■ candidate for Wellington North, addressed'a'meeting of electors in tho Sydney Street' schoolroom last night. Captain A. K. -Barclay was in the chair. Tho : ' hall' was crowded. Tho majority of the audience' appeared to be in sympathy \\dth the; candidate, but. a minority, representing-, tho extreme Labour section, interrupted almost continuously. Mr. Luke made his speech with difficulty. ' ,_The chairman asked for a patient and , quiet" hearing for the candidate. "We are not hero merely for fun or sport," he said. "We are here to listen to " •A voice: Tlio gospel according to Luke. (Laughter.) 'Tho chairman said the general election was the most important evor held in this country. . There were three great national requirements at tho present time, first industry, next, progress, and then copimop r scnse. Ho -would particularly mention common-senso to a sec-tion-of < the audience. "We take every- ,_ thing in good nature, but we will have "no nonsense," added Captain Barclay in response to-soma interjections. /'Mr. Luko said he presumed'the people present had como.to hear what he had to say. If any of those' present . did . not agree -with him, so much the worse for them. Ho was a member of . the Reform Party, which stood for the progress '• and development of tho Dominion. Tho war had given New Zealand a part in tho Imperial work of Great Britain. Voices: Yes, indentured labour in Samoa. -Sir. Luko .said it was due to the memory of the boys who had passed 5 away that the affairs-of the Dominion , should proceed oh sound lines. . Voices: Cut it out. Mr. Luko said there would be only one voice at tho ■ general election, and that voice would be to re-elect the pre- . 6ent Government, in order that it might carrv on its good work. Tho legislation'of tho Massey Government and of tho. National Government had been in the true interests of tho people. Voices: Rot. Have another think. What did the returneo: soldiers got? - Mr. Luke; who spoke under, a fire'of i rioisy interjections, said the Massey Gov- , . ernment had the confidence of the majority of the people of New Zealand. An enormous burden of debt had been placed on the Dominion during the war, and a sound ana' sane Government. was absolutely- necessary. He had no doubt that on the day of tho election the Massev Government would be absolutely on toi>, and that there would be no need of any compromise. New Zealand had done / . its_part during tho war. Voioes: What about the profiteers? They ditf us. . Mr. Luko approved of tho Samoan mandate. Samoa had become for all practical purposes a part of New Zealand, and he did not doubt that the country would ' ;• shoulder its responsibility cheerfully. (Interruptions.) The acquisition of a nhare in tho'phosphate deposits, of Nauru Island was a most important thing for 1 New Zealand.-.' The chairman attempted.' to quoll 6omo particularly persistent interrupters, and was-loudly.counted out. • Mr. Luke said that Captain Barclay had worked hard in the interests of the nation before most of - the interjectors and they ought to, have respect for him. . A voice: Did you have respect for the council employees? Let your old woman ' live on .£3 10s. a week. Mr. Luko said that it to? not sporting to drag in tihe womenfolk. Deferring further to'Naurn Island, in spite of persistent interruptions, ho emphasised tihe importance of the Nauru Island manures, which ijould a.dd to the fertility and prosperity of the Dominion. ' A voice: We read all that in the newsi papers. Mr. Luke: "Ton will'read a lot more the newspapers. You will read Jihat the candidate Before you is at the" top of .the poll.'-. If a bit o| tho surplus energy that is being let 'off to-night were put into tho work to-morrow, it would be the . better for New Zealand." Mr. « Luke said ho. had always been in favour Butting taxation On ths shoulders best afiß'te bear it. New Zealand had enjoyed, some good years, but it could not expect ■to have good times always, and increased production' was absolutely necessary. Eesearch work was required in order, that production misht be stimulated'and secondary industries developed. The Government realised the very great importance of this matter. There should in regard to conl. The amount of coal in New Zealand was, not ' over large, and tho supply ought to be ' developed properly. Tho development of hydroelectric power was going to save coal, and would be of vast bene l fit "'to-;'. New, Zealand. • Experionco Ktld : shown that electricity could lie produced most economically in largo units. The Government was to bo congratulated on the energy and enterprise it had' put into' the hydro-clectric . schemes. The power to bo made available from Mangahao for the city of Wellington wtiuld not be sufficient for all requirements, and increased provision would be'required. ■ -Voices;., 1 What about the housing efihfe'me? 'And the cost of living? One Ulan, one, job. (Interruption.) Mr. Luke referred to iron and steel production; but was 'interrupted so persistently as to bo seldom audible. Ho thought''that the time had' come' for tho settling of industrial differences by n'leans of industrial committees with independent ajiairmen. It was absolutely necessary for the safety of the Dominion that the old differences of opinion, social unrest, and misunderstanding should be settled.' "Voices:.'By the 'baton. What about , 1913?' , ' . ,Mr! .Lute said ho had advocated tho nalionalisation of coal mines. A voice: What aro you? Mr. Luke: "I am not a Bolshevik, any way. I am a law-abiding citizen." He did not beliovo there would be any settled peaco at the cnal mines until tlio mines were placed under national control. Tho State should have its own colliers.-. - ~ ft voice: And pay.a living wage—

moro than the council does. f Mr. Luko: The council has been a T.ery good employer, and you know it. Voices: What about Peaco Day? And Labour Day? Mr. Luko: "You don't need a Labour Day. You don't do much work." Stateowned colliers, in conjunction - with Stato coal, would help to solvo the coal problem. He agreed that better accommodation was needed for the coal, miners: (Interruptions and cheers for Mr. Semple.) The present Government would do the rijilit thing by tho miners. There must bo a revolution in conditions of work at the mines. A voice: There will be a revolution all right. (Unroar.) Mr. Luko said that he (had visited eome of tho AYest Coast mines. A voice. Then the miners didn't sec you. (Laughter.) A section of tho meeting counted the candidate out. Resuming after some moro interruption, Mr. Luke advocated a Slate ferr'v service between Wellington anil Lyttelton. It was necessary to develop tho secondary industries, and the Government'ought to do more in this-direc-tion. New Zealand ought to manufacture a larger part of its own raw materials. Ho stood for the present free, imsentarian. and national system of edu' cation. Tlio expenditure on education had increased by a year under , the present Government. This expenditure had been fully justified. (Interruptioin-) lie would approve of making it easy for every young man and young girl to nrocecd from the primary school to the University. Tho Government had done the fair thine by the returned men. (Kft'/Wih $ .Gnvy, I°' see th|i,fc every, returned, soldier, !;ivas -properly, restored to civilian life... Mr;' Luke quoted figures to show Mie" success of the repatriation scheme. The noise mado him inaudible to all except thoso in tho front part of tho hall. • '

Turning to matters of finance, Mr. Luko said that tlio taxation of tho Doion pur head had crown wjth tlio in- • crease in tho public debt during tlio wftr period. The debt had been practi- | callly doubled, ivnd tho production rcouired to be doubled also. The Government had faced the housing problem courageously. (Interruption.) The Wellington City Council had a scheme in oueration that din it credit. The scheme, when the money was obtained from (lie Government, would ennble the council to provide homes at a minimum, rental. The housing scheme, next to the repatriation of the soldiers, was the most important matter before the country at tho iiresent time. In conclusion, Mr. Luko said ho stood for sound government and for a Ministry that would do justice to all. He kneiv, that the- Government which he supported would not compromise with any disloyal section of the community. It would not bo side-truck- ■ ed by anything that a small cowrie of loud-inouthftd persons ycould do* Ho stood tor sound taxation; and for a fair deal to the soldiers. (Interruption.) Tho Massev Government was absolutely determined to do justice to the returned ■mtin. He was in favour of the development of the back-country, and the speedy completion of tho main lines of railway, which could be fed by motor services. He supported a vigorous expansion oi the secondary industries of the Dominion, which needed encouraging for the benefit, of tho wliolo country. ' ■ The interruptions, which had been proceeding without pause, becaiuo so loud at this stage that .Mr- Luke had to stop. When ho resumed, he added that if tho Massev Government was.returned to power the country would have a Government it could lie proud of. He was not surprised at tho tone of tho meeting, hut lie looked forward with confidence to tho general election. ' There might bo one or two people who disagreed with him, but ho believed the great majority of the people of Wellington North would support his candidature. (Applause aud dissent.) , Answering questions, Mr. Luke 6aid that ho had been told by experienced men that it was impossible for white men to work in the tropical islands, such as'' Samoa. The position was that the plantations at Samoa were going to ruin for lack of labour. Nobody m the House liked indentured labour. But tnero was 110 other labour to be got at Samoa at present, and tho Government had simply extended tho old system of indenture for a year in order that the new Parliament might consider tho whole question. He would not support tho repeal of six o'clock closing; Ho was in favour of full wages being paid to workers whilo absent on acoount of accident. There were homes m Weilington that ought to be demolished. Tho council was all that it possibly could to solve tho housing question. The Labour section of the audienco had many questions, but generally shouted down both it 9 own questions and Mr. Luke's replies. Partial order was restored by an appeal from a Labour man. who asked that the chairman should be respected. A vote of thanks to' Mr. Luko was lnoved and seconded. The. chairman refused to tako {in amendment, and tli<v motion was carried amid applanso and uproar. The disorderly element gavo cheers for the Labour candidate and groans for Mr. Luke before dispersing. ME. J. BEAD ATMA SONIC HALL. Mr. J. Eead, the Labour candidate for'. Wellington North, 'addressed a' meeting in the Masonic Hall, Boulcott Street last evening, Mr. M. Walsh being in the chair. Mr. Bead, dealing with the nuestion l of the right of the Civil Service to political liberty, said tho Labour Party would certainly extend all the rights of the general c&mmunity to' State employees of every description. He went on to condemn the free-of-in-come tax loans raised by the National Government, and contended this was the means of making.a present of enormous sums to those who ought to have befn compelled to pay to the full with regard to tile money required for carrying on the war. Mr. Luko had shown that ho was far from sympathetic with tlie workers in the City Council when bringing forward very reasonable claims. The men asked for a £1- weekly wage, which would now not be so good as their „i 2 12s. 4d. .prior to the war, but Mr. Luke had opposed this, and would not agrco to anything over ,£3 ■ 15s. per week. Business 1 - people, were equally as interested in' the workers being paid properly as anyone else, and if low wages and salaries were to rule they would very soon feel. the effects. • Referring to town planning, Mr. -Eead said the Labour Party would do all : could to see that our towns were designed in such a way as to give the greatest possible chance of health to the people. Endeavour should lie mode to have as beau-. tiful surroundings as possible. Tho Labour Party held that men did not live to work,' hilt rather they worked to live. In the designing of future-homes, all the improvements which led to our women getting through, their work in, an easier way than formerly were to bo commended. At the conclusion of the meeting a vote of thanks and confidenee in the candidate was passed unanimously.