WELLINGTON EAST

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 50, 22 November 1919, Page 8

WELLINGTON EAST

A. L. MONTETTH AT KILBIRNIE. Mr. A. L. Monteith', Labour candidate for Wellington East, addressed the electors at the schoolroom, Kilbirnie, last evening, 'Mr. W. T. Young presiding. The candidate said that the Parliament to be elected was to be the most important one that New Zealand had seen, as all matter relating to the aftermath of the ivar had to bo attended to. During the war practically no domestic legislation had been passed, and we had the spectacle of the whole of the country's work held up because, in the opinion of the leaders of the Liberal and Reform Parties, there were no members qualified to carry on. If there were, said Mr. ifonteith, why did thoy shirk tho work that they had been elected to carry out? Dealing with Mr. Mnssey's statement that the Government of Queensland had not successfully handled tho question of the cost of living, the candidate said that the standard of living of the peoplo of Queensland was tho highest in Australia, and he quoted the Commonwealth Statistician's figures, which, he tsaid, showed that Queensland was to-day the second lowest in the index figure in the purchasing power of money on food, groceries, and rent, and was the highest in tho amount of increased wages that the people had received. Therefore the position was tlint tl»eost of living~i?as low and the wages were high. The standard of living of 'tho peoplo of Queensland had, said Mr. Monteith, been placed on a. higher' plane. With regard to rents, the position was that Queensland was t.he second lowest in Australia, and in Brisbane the rents were lower than any of the four large centres" in this country. What was the verdict of the people with regard to the Ryan Government? It was "well done good and faithful servants, enter yo into another term of office." Dealing with the coal mines, the candidate stated that the State coal mines showed a profit in 1917 of =£18,521, and in 1918 <824,467. The State had sold their coal at. an average price of .£1 2s. id. a toil. The State mines' had coat the country up lo March 31, 1918, i!30!),730, and no less than ,£208,400 had been written oft' for depreciation out of profits. The present book value was but the Official Year Book stated that tho value was-far in excess of that amount, and showed that the Slate ownership of coal mines was a great success. Tho only trouble was that tho Government had not gone further into the 'busine?s. Dealing with the question of the sea carriage of coal, Mi. .Monteith said that the Cost of Living Commission had stated that if the Union Steam Ship Company rCceivrd one shilling a ton over what was a fair value the peoplo of Wellington would pay inlo the company's exchequer the sum _ of j(M(I,0!>0 in one year, as a result of the .-mall increase of the one shilling. The commission had also staled that the shippin? companies had effected a monopoly with regard to the carriage of coal from the Weil Coast ports, and that the only i remedy was that the State should enter into competition and have State colliers.

The Labour Party were being called extremist* to-day, said Mr. Monleith. It always had to'lie remembered that peoplo who "sold bad milk were placed in tho dock, but peoplo who sold extremely good milk were an assot to tho people, that was tho position of the Labour Party—they had the platform that would be extremely good for the people. Tho candidate was accorded u vote of thanks and confidence.