WELLINGTON NORTH
MR. H. O. BROWNE'S OPENING MEETING. Mr. 11. Oakley Browne, Liberal candidate for Wellington North, addressed a nioetins of doctors in the Sydney Street Schoiilroom last night. Mr. M. Carr preeideil. Tlie hall was crowded, and the candidate was given a good hearing. The Labour section of the meeting made interiections at intervals, but did not interrupt the candidate seriously.
Tim chairman, in introducing the cannidate. said that Mr. Browne was a Wellineton man with considerable political exnerience as a Ministerial secretary. lie was entitled to a fair and patient hearing. Mr. Browne, who was received with apDlnur.e, said that it was very encourai,'ins for a young candidate to have such an audience as was assembled that night. Wcllincton North was a very important constituency, and it ought to be represented by a. progressive man. The Dominion needed sorao young blood in parliament. He.stood' as a Liberal. He did not Ihink that an Independent in Parliament did any good for himself or his constituency. Ho stood as a Liberal because that narty had done great things for tho country in the past, and was prepared to extend its good work in tho future. It contained men-who bad spent busv oiiys and sleepless nights working in the interests of tho nation.
A voice: What about tho Labour Pirty- 1 lII'. Browne: "The Labour Parly's all right, but it wants the right men at the top. I will represent labour, but I will 600 tint we don't have men at the head of affairs who are dangerous to tho commuuily." He was a convinced Liberal Jis a matter of theory and principle, and ho knew that Liberal principles had worked (nit splendidly in the past. (Laughter.) Liberalism had achieved -much in the fac3 of bitter'opposition. What about tlie old-nge pension, workers' compensation nnd land reform? Thirty years aso all tho land in New Zealand was iu the hands of tho monopolists. A voice: It is held by them now.
Mr- Browne said that tho Conservatives'hml fostered monopoly.- The Lil>erais had broken it down. The Liberals had (riven the. country adult suffrage, a x vofn for any man. Was that any good?
Voices: No. Mr. Browne: That man does not deservo a vote. The country was so accustomed to the good things provided by the Liberals that it bad tended to forget tho men who had done the work. A voice: We have not forgotten DickSed.lmi. Mr. Browne: "Mind you don't forget him.' Mr. Massey. Sir James Allen and tho others were thero too, and they wero the'obstructionists of those days." A '.rood deal h.'id been said lately about a-bolMiinf,- party. But the idea behind that cry was to .abolish the Liberal Party and give Mr. Massey's party unfettered power. ■A voice: Abolish them both. (Laughter.) Mr. Brnwno eaid tho Reformers had tiifcon seme portions of the Liberal policy. . ,' A voice: Look what the Liberals have stolen from tho Labour Party!
Mr. Browne said he did not mind borrowing ideas if they wero good once. The Liberals were going to put their policy into practical operation. The Reformers in 1311 had promised to reduce taxation, to reduce borrowing, lo reduco the cost of living, tn promote industrial peace. They had douo none of tl.ings, and now thov were asking the electors (o givo a blank cheque. Tho Liberals had a policy, but the. Reformers had none. There, was a wido gulf between the Reformer? and Liberals, and it would not be bridged. Tlip Reform policy was onnionllijrcd Liberalism. . A voice: Why'don't you join the Labour Part}'? i
Mr. Browne: "I woiild join tho Labour Party tn-morrow if it bad a policy I could adopt, and men at its head whom I could support," Tho candidate assured the .meeting that Hie Liberal policy was going to be supported by pei-foniMncm if the Liberal Party went hack into office, as he was certain it would do. It would put into operation tho programme laid down by.Sir Joseph Ward. He considered that.tho main arterial railway lines should be cimpletcd quickly. A great national policy of rail and road construction was necessary. Thn AVellinfrtonLyltelton ferry service should be nationalised. 'Tho dilatory, do-nothing policy of the Government in regard to land settUmwit had kept the country back. Large holding* had increased in number sinco the Reformers- got into ofiict... A vcit:'.'.: Where was .Topy? Mr. Browno: He was doing imporiaut liiwiial work in England. The voice: Well, they inado a botch of thj Peaco Treaty. Mr. Browne said that Masseyism wis in the liande of the laud monopolist?, and Liberalism must step in to save the countiry. (Laughter and applause.) Sir Joseph Ward had been the originator ofthe hydro-electric power scheme. - The Reformers had < called it a wild-cat scheme, but thoy had now adopted it. Cheap hydro-electric power was going to bo .of enormous beuefit to the peoplo in the factories, workshops, and honle-s. The fostering of local industries by fiscal tefqrm and other methods lyas a plank ot his policy. Protection could be given to infant, industries withoub injury to the consumers. It' was very necessary that New Zealand should be better advertised. Tho right class of immigrant oughli to be attracted to the country. Ho etood for a white New Zealand. He did not support indentured labour, nor did Sir Joseph Ward. He would assure the electors on that point. The Dominion did nod want to receive aliens of any kind. Hindus as well as Chinese and Germans ought lo be kept out. A voice: The Constitution won't let us keep them put. Mr. Browne: Then we will alter the Constitution. Pulr me in, and I will help you to do it. • A Voice: No. You will vote with "Old Joo" and ho won't do it. (Laughter.) M,r. Browne said that Sir Joseph Ward had put a surtax of 50 per cent., on enemy goods. But the Masj&y Government last session changed that to "not exceeding 50 nor cent." This meant that Hie surtax, might be no more than 1 per cent. \
A voice: Did tolie Liberals vote against it? . ' '
Mr. Browne: "You can see that in Hansard." (Laughter.) He believed tlmt the industrial fituaMon required to bo improved. Very many of the workers did not got a square deal, and he would favour all constitutional measures that would improve their position, 'J he problem of unemployment had to be solved. It was the source of a great deal of industrial unrest. Tho Lioeral policy proposed permanent employment tor waterside workers, and he believed the schemeeiuoiild. go further Avnd icmibrace all branches of labour. If the '.vorkers got fixed employment on salary for tk'ir wliolo lime
A voice: Would you givo it to us in advance? (Laughter.) Mr. Browne: "Even then we would not be at the oiul ot strikes. II; is the absolute dependence of the workers on the capitalist and tho employing class that makes industrial unrest. The workers want security of employment, and a shore of tho profile." He approved generally of the Whitley scheme. A large share of control of industry vould -havo to bo extended lo tho workers in every industry. The cost-oi'-living question would have to be tackled i ourageouely. No Government could have prevented pi-ices rising lo sonit extent. But profiteering had been ii factor, and inflated currency had been a greater factor. The Government had not done onoiigJi to restrict profit;; and break . down monopolies. .It should reduce die amount of paper money in circulation. The Government during Ihe ivnr should have increased the grndiiiitod land lux in tho higher incidence, nnd. also the death duties.
Voices-. Who was Finance Minister? 111 , . Browne replied that !ho National fiovcrnment had been a (.iuvei-iiuiiMu- of compromise. It had been formed to win the war, and as soon as this task whs completed Sir Joseph Ward left it in order "that ho might light the bullies of tho people. (Laughter and interruption.) Tho first stops towards reduced
prices must be tho punishment of proIneriiig, the break-down of. monopolies, and the limiting of the iiolo issue. Tho arbitration system had been of great benefit to tho workers in the past, and should not be condemned becauso it had defects. He believed in constitutional nreress, in evolution and not revolution. The" fiovcrnment should be prepared 10. force Hie employers to meet the workers in national conference. He supported educational reform on the lmi's of Liberal policy. He was opposed to military training for youths in camps. A voice: How are you going .to keep a white New Zealand? Mr Browne advocated proportional representation and an undivided Imperial Navy Wellington should have a better railway station and other public works. In conclusion, he declared that if elected to Parliament he would do his utmost to represent the constituency and the Dominion faithfully and well. (Prolonged applause.) , Tlie candidate answered a number of questions, Mr I! M'Kenzie moved a vote ot thanks and confidence. He was subjected to some interruption through the effort of a Labour man to move an adverse motion at the same time Mr. M keuzio complimented the candidate on his speech, and predicted the formation of a Liberal-Labour Government after the Mr. J. Hutehofon seconded tho motion. A Labour elector moved «s an amendment a vote of thanks, with ,a proviso that the meeting had no confidence in either the Liberal Party or the Reform Part}'. The' amendment was rejected by an overwhelming majority on a show ot hands, and the motion was carried. ""' Ml!. LUKE'S CANDIDATURE., Mr J P. Luke " ie I* 0101 '" 1 candidate for Wellington North, held a very successful committee meeting last evening. The several 'committeesi reported splendid procrees in the campaign and. that the prospects for the return of Mr. Luke were very good indeed. Arranuwncnts ■v'-o.re made in connection with the enraT)ai»n, "district committees w ero set up and" a very euergetic plan of organisation, was fully dealt with and approved. Captain Barclay is chairman of committees and associated with him is Air. U P S Kelly, organiser and secretary, ami il'r. 'Slenhenson-. assistant-secretary. Mr. Luke will address the electors of Wellington North at Masonic Hall, Bonlcott Strner, to-morrow, at the Ivelburn kiosk on December 2, and St. Pauls schoolroom, Tinakori Road, on December *•
ADDRESS BY MR, J. READ.. The Labour candidate for Wellington North Mr. J. Head, addressed a meeting in the' Methodist Schoolroom, ilolesworth Street, last night. There was an attendance; of about 20 people, over which Mr. M. Welsh presided, inferring to rcwdiness at recent political meetings, tho chairman refuted the charge that tho Labour Party was responsible for the interruptions. As far as The present campaign was concerned he oaid he believed that certain candidates had men going round to the various meetings to "start tho ball rolling."- This was done with the object of bringing discredit through the Press on to the Labour Party. Tho Labour Party believed in fair play, and wero prepared lo take a fair amount of the blame, but not all of it. "Wo stand for a good, clean fight," he said, in conclusion. •"I say these interruptions at meetings ore organised by our opponents and not by tho Labour Party at all." Mr. Picad also ■ dissociated rhe Labour Party altogether from interruptions at meetings. The Labour Party did not stand for disorderly meetings, a?id ho defied fliiyone to show that it did bo. Dealing with Samoa, tho candidate said ho opposed tho system of indentured/labour. Kegarding immigration, ho contended that it was n sin for people to Ijo brought into the Dominion whilo tho housing problem remained acute. It was quito likely that tho economic conditions in Europe would be so good in the futuro that great inducements uould have to ba offered to attract European immigrants to New Zealand. i'rom that standpoint alone it was conceivable that 'difficulty would bo experienced in obtaining immigrants. There was danger, therefore, that the Government, lU'tor having got used to cheap, indentured Infcour in Samoa, would seek k> introduce eiich labour into the Dominion with tho idea of assisting those peopip who wanted to exploit the workers. The candidate explained at length various planks in the Jjabour Party platform, ami claimed that oyory man had tho right to work, provided he wished to render useful service to the Stato. The Labour Party stood for a five-day week-of 40 hours, with tho recognition of unionism as the basis of arbitration in industrial law. Ho also claimed that country workers should liavo better housing conditions. •• At tlie cloio of his address Mr. Eoad was accorded a unanimous vote of thanka and confidence,
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Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 54, 27 November 1919, Page 8
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2,104WELLINGTON NORTH Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 54, 27 November 1919, Page 8
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