THE GENERAL ELECTION BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 56, 29 November 1919, Page 10

THE GENERAL ELECTION BATTLE

■ ' CANDIDATES' SPEECHES ORGANISED ROWDYISM I AUCKLAND 1 NEWS, NOTES, . AND COMMENTS

Writs Issued and the Rolls Closed. . The . writs for tho general elections were issued Yesterday, which means that 'the rolls.- have beth. closed. . Nominhtioiis fdr-fhe Buroiwari eieetioris, afld also for the ;:Maori elections \vilt.be_ reteivea until.Dgceinbov 8, • The Maori elections will Be held on December .16, and the Eurdneari .elections oil the following day, DeGewber.lfi The wi'lts fbr, the European; elections will be returnable on December liriti for the itaori elections cm January 9. ! Labour's Real Enemies. :Mr. IG;'. iii '• Stabham, the member for Duiiedin Central,' tfhb (states a southern contemporaiy) is expected to defeat his oppbiieiit,-. the Labotir candidate, referliiig'to Labour aiul politics, said that certain extremists had. abrogated to._ themselvas. tho-sole i'ighli to ejpe.ik for Labour, v and- had, in.fact, claimed a monopoly of solicitude fbr tho workers of the Dominion. At recent by-elections ttaa leadlifjrspifits of' tliis extreme party had eiiciceedetf iii' finding their way in to tho Hflils'ec'.bf H<>l- - tfiemple, and leaser—all of wlioin had"beeii'ih-gabl for sedition. Mr. Uol* lSnd''ihSd'..bceh chosen, leader of the p'jtity''-?3lni;StaHafl' believed . that tho V'ittbryat' feiie polls of these ihfce nlen had (toifiore to set back the cause.of Labour-.iil Netf Zealand thhn.aHVtiiiirig else that had happened iii its »iiatory. .vl'he'lbyal and putridtid wbrkei'ij. of. No# Zealand had bbfoe to realise tfllat ttaS' happening,-namely, Mat the Labour Organisation'.was being captured by the revolutionary"'parity far its own ends. Wero tliey gGiiig to tolerate .this? . ile was-siiio: they weTe nolv P ifiballlig>. who hopes to repi'esbnt Tehiuka fis nil Independent Labour ifleiiibei',, confessed at a recent) meeting .tfciat' Utibii soino subjebta he ivtis an, es-tfemist,'.-Hel mippbrled this statement by commending tho miners for tiho "go»lbw" ..policy, adding that "the occasion demanded', hiore than a 'gb*slow' policy, and by epedially.commending the stokers "fbr'eonletimes .holdifig up t«e ferry service':.in ol'def to become drunk, to ovep 60me . the-degression caUsed by working ill fires ,in such a hole." . .h^ninfr=

Speaking in Christchurch, the Son, U. TV. Susseil,' ex-Libefal Minister, mode a eiruteirieiit regarding his party position. "I will stftnd by Sir. Joseph Ward,' swo hi!, "for the purpose of voting on a motion of waatTof: confidence 111 the Massey Party, If- it is moved. > But-Hind I want j'.pu to,, note what I am. going to say— lfithSt Vote fails, I, reserve to iby'self the ..right. ! of.. action in'whatever I may determine to <lo afterwards in the interthd couiitty. 'I irill support no l&'der' and. no party ,if it has got to depehdioii, the vote? of Holland, Semple,

arid'Ti'aspr. '■ v'.Latir oft'he was asked: "If Mr; Massey. has the strongest party in the new Parliament, will Mr. lUissell be' prepared to' join him to help form a' stable .Qoveiii'ftiont?" In reply, the candidate declined to commit himself_ either way. . A. voice: Sit on the rail! In' : Winning Form. . ; - "If the Pirform leader bad gone to the country at the hea<l of his party prior tb'.last session his hopes of future office would havo beeii neither so buoyant nor so bright as they are to-day," says tho Slntaurri "Ensigii." "Both lenders we* thrii on the wrong side of tho- public. Their' reception was dismal compared With that of Mr. Hughes, who wns fited in tho principal cities, of Australia, and who appearcif as a demi-god 011 the horiron; But Mr. MAssfiy Was in as' good forfn-as Mr; Hughes/and left office with ft halo of victory at tho end of last seasion. He has been received with the utmost enthusiasm in his own electorate, nnd it was quite clear from the beginning 'of his tour that ho was paying a visit -cf Courtesy to his 'electors rather than cpnvassinf? for their votes. The foot is that tho Prime Minister has made thu, pace from tho jump, and. only , in this way doss a master politician survive, the sliiigs and arrows of political strife. While Sir Joseph Ward has been soaring round in tho uper strata of nationalisation and attempting to climb to dizzy heights, he forgets that his political barometer fails tho higher he ascends." .The Press and the Extremists.

Tlxo-leaders of the Labour Party aro very fond of accusing, the "capitalistic Press" of ■ partiality and unfairness. Some of the Labour interjectors at pub-lioiineetihgs-appear to nave believed what they have been told in this respect, for the 6tatomenb that Labour candidates have been "gagged by the newspapers'' is made frequently. The suggestion that the very glib gentlemen who are talking morning, noon and night, Sundays included,.in tie causo of what they call "Laltour," are suffering from any'BOrt df gag has its humorous aspect. As a matter of fact, a study of tho columns of the daily newspapers will convince any unbiased person that the Labonr. candidates are getting their full share of publicity. They are not report; ed every ..time they speak, but noithcr are' tho oiiher candidates. A 1 comparison between the "capitalistic PtW and the Worker"—the "workers' only newspaper,", according to Mr. Hollandis illuminating. The "llaoriland Worker" has space for nothing but the utterances and propaganda or the extremists. It gives/the other parties no hearing at all.: Miss Melville's Objection to the i Extremists. The' Gbvernmcnt Candidate for Grey Lynn, Miss Elkn Melville, was asked at on'o of' her meetings what sho objected to ih the policy of tho Labour Party. Her reply was that her principal objection to the Labour'"'extromists . was their disinclination. In fight for th?ir country. 1 The reply seems to have made somo of tho'Auckland Labour leaders very augry, but the, facts arc there. Tho real worker.* of New .Zealand were not shirkers. They provided 11 very' largo proportion Of the recruits for the Expeditionary Force, and they gained distinction in all ranks'of 1 the Arniy. But the men who have 'got to the head of the Labour Party—the little group represented by Messrs. Holland, It'raser. and Semplo— that is quite another story. Thtf .ShoeWViichor of the Shuffler. .jMafty.,.Liberal and Labour candidates a.fb declaring that the 'referendum is the ffililtioh of a lot of political problems, "liefer tho questions to the people," they Sp.. in. effect, "and let tho people deiide.", The referendum has a lino demociatio flavour, bftt it is ill niany cases of the shuffler. Electors 1166 d lidt imitgiuo that it offers a method of securing an exact record of publ'c opinion 'on all occasions. _ Generally speaking, Ihe opinion to be givell. by the electors must bo expressed in a word, "Yes" or -".No." Some elaboration in posSifele. 1 .The voters, for example, may bs. Med to choose a figure or a, date from a number offered for selection. But obviously it is not practicable to ask tho electors to draw lip a land policy, a repatriation scheiiJo or an electoral law. The Government of the day or the Parliament, roust prepare the policy and theft the electors can be aflced to give o.n opinion. This is the esfent.al wpm(less of tho. referendum system. J heIssue. is decided in most casesj .not, by the' voters, but by the politicians who draft the issues for tho voting paper.

Roform's Land Resort). .The following, tabid Bhoifs the Results of the fiefofni Party's administration of the land lawsi— . .-A . 1910-11. ■ : 1917-18. Aver-,. AverAcrai No. age.' J>!o. age. 11 to 1000 ' 50,045 221 5i(686 ■ . 22k 1001 to 5000 ... 4,780 1,9G4 5,623 1,959 5001 to 10,000 . 52S 6,703 565 6,990 10,001 to 20,000. 204 14,209,. ' '291 14,058 20,00 116 60,000 136 30,571 18, i 30,959 Over 50,000 ...., 90 90,319 . 6l 88,290 ; Totals ...... 55,801 ] 719 64,411 669 During the five-year period under Sir Joseph Ward's Government the number of . holdings exceeding.. 1(W0 acres increased by. 1196; w'hilo in. the seven years ifroih 1911 to 1918, which includes the-last year of the LibdrSl regime, the increase in large holdings was oiJy -929. Since the Reform- Government entered office, the increase in both the-number, and the area held in. small farms has been far. ; mbre ripid .thaii In the 'preceding five years, as the following table shows:— Increase in 1906-11. . 1911-18. holding! - No. Attia. No: Area. Up to'iOOO . acres ... 2,722 1,215,350 7(681 1,065,006 Over 1000 • acres .... 1,196. 1,584,245 : 929 1,-217,931 'fnese demonstrate that only bythe. suppression of vital facts ,is it possible to, give any substance-,to thechargd that tile Cibvei'hment has favoured the lai'ge landholders. Introducing—Miss Melville, Mis# Ellen Melville,' the Government candidate for. Gfey Lynn, suggests that the driiliestic liel|i problem oilii be solved by giving girls who help in other people's bbibes li'properly recognised social.status,' the same as nurses, for instance. She proposes the training of girls for domestic work in hostels, where they could (rain State certificates fbr various grades. They could then go out to work for a certain number of hours'a week. - She felt sill'e, she said, that if such girls had a recognised standing had their certificated could command good pay for them, plenty-would go in for domestic Service. That -would be at the wiiria time a boon fov the women whb could hot now dbtnin .help, nfld wero in consequence wearing themselves out. The Evidence. Here is' snltip' of the 'evidence upon, which the tibials Wish the people to condemn "the Tories"! it is a list of a few of the achievements of Mr. Massey's Government between the downfall of the Liberal Partv in 1912 and the general election iil 1914:—

Tho raising, of tile salaries of the railway omn'oyees (whom the Liberals had underpaid) bV .£120,000 per, annum. Similar relief to - police underpaid by the Liberals. .£18,009 a year.

Similar relief to'ndstnl servants underpaid bv the Liberals, dfilOOO a year.. Similar relief to teachers underpaid by tlm Liberali!. iCISO.OCO. a'ydnf.... Pensions to womenfit .fiO jrcare instead of the 05 years insisted on by ,the Liberals. .'' , •" ft. - lieniission of, income. fnx, on. small?,'Jincomes, in respoct of .children. Payment pf "pensions of $G to veterans \W'thout disqunlifieatiort. " , Extension of widows' pensions and establishment of pensions in resnect of every child under 14 whose mother is a widow. . .' -. Provision of better conditions for shearer' and agricultural labourers. . Exemption of workers' chnttels for distraint, for debt raised to .£SO. i Industrial legislation providing for secret ballots of unions. _ Abolition of tho noxious system pf political pull in the Civil Service. • Superannuation allowances for em-

plovew of local bodies; Protection of the workers Against atnloitation through the salo of shoddy as leather.' Benlacement of feeble and trivial workers'. homes policv by nctlve nnd vigorous policy of providing finch homes.. Increase of Graduated, land tax. Reform of the Legislative Council;-. Ways and Ways of Doing It. Tho Tflhour extremists are fond of saythnt thers ought to hove Iren ■, a referendum "before the Service Act was passed in New Zealand, The decision in such ft referendum would have'depended very largely on the Way (he rote was put. ' If the Government had submit tcl this Issue, "Shall New Zealand reinforce tho boys in the tronohes?" or "Shall' shirkers' bo allowed to evade service?" the electors' ,\vo\ild havo given, a vote for national service. But suppose the voto had been put in the form approved by the Labour extremists. "Shall'we become a conscript nation?" Thinas He Would Rathsr Have Not Said.

Tho Wanranu! "Chronicle," which is conducting ■ a vigorous campaign in the interests of sound government, observeis; —"Wammmti, so wo have been told 1 again and again, is the fountain-head of New Zealand Liberalism. It was the political homo and stronghold of John ,Ballaiice. Yet in Wangantii. to-day, Liberalism cannot find one man who is willing to carrv its colours into OiijtM, •its journalistic champion' hesitates to speak approvingly of a leader in. whom it has no faith, and daily violates its political conscience by supporting the candidature of a gentleman who has ; completely changed front, and now professes preference for the leader whom he previously denounced in unmeasured terms. In Wanganui to-day the 'Liberal' candidate is asking the electors to support a ihan a party of whom ho . himself Jhtis said

" "The Liberal Government havo. be- l come Conservative—more so than the' Conservative party ilself.'--Mr.. Veitch (1911)

'"Wn aro tired of Waidlsm and oneman Government.'—Mr. Veitch (1911).

" 'Tlw Wnrdite Ministers have become arrogant. selfish, and inattentive to their duties/—Mr. Veitch (19111.

" 'Tim workers aro tired of Wardism.' —Mr. Veitch (1911 J. ' '"A man like Sir JosMih Ward, with such feeble heart and lack of courage.'— Mr. Veitch (1911).

"'The onlv thing that, I Can see-that' the (Ward) Government does is fhat it dodges every responsibility with the hone of existing a little longer.'—Mr. Veitch (lnil)." :■ The Virtues of the Other Side. The "Manawatu Herald," in an editorial review of the main points of a recent speech of Mr. Edward Newman, observes, en passant., that it believes that Mr. Newman Would be happier without the evils of party Government, nnd adds that it is a difficult thing for a partisan to mention the virtues of the other side. It is, if the said virtues are of the negative variety, and belong wholly to the past. A Side-slip. The "Poverty Bay Herald," asupporter Of lihc Liberal Party, has put. its foot in it: "if," says that journal. "Sir Joseph Ward cftn build dwelling house? and profitably let them at 103. a week, why is it beyond the power of everybody else .just now to construct a house for less than.a rcnlal value of .JJI a week at least?'' , . „ ~ ~ Well, you see, Sir Joseph builds his On paper.

The Red-Fed Two-Speed Motor. "They won't produce wheat and they go slow,", raid an interjecter at Mr. Luke's meeting, when the candidate was referring,to the wheat question. . Mr. Luke: I don't think you ever did anything but go slow. The interrupter: That's ri|ht. ■ I go 6low all the time. I've been working for them long enough and I've, learned to go sla.v on 'em. (Applause from tho Labour friends). A voice: You've only got two speeds— "go-slow and stop." Labour's Defence Proposals'.While dealing with tho Labotir Party's constitution last night, Mr. Wilford told his aiidiehbo that he wanted them to carefully consider the' following, which under the hendiu" of defence: "A citizens' army, on a voluntary basis with standard wages while on duty:" Ho wanted to know what this army was for, and was it under tho British Flag or Rod- Flag. This lifid never been discussed before, lie Said. Mr. Wilford and the-Extremists. ■ Replying to questidhs lnsfc night, Mr. Wilford said he would nnt hold office with tile present labour leaders. If the Liberal Party were returned to power, and had to depend on the Holland Party, they would not stay there a minute! The Right Stuff. The big debt of the Dominion as the result of tike war was referred to by Mr. Luke at his, nietting last night, and lie spoke, also of the heavy respbiisibllities on, the Government in the years to come. "What Government Would you have in office to deal .with such a situation?" he asked. "Labour!", was ehouted from about) sii hoarse throats. Mr. Luko.: Yoil would put extremists in office! ; But wlint this country wants is a responsible body of people in office, a- Government that will have the resjieot iiot only of the people iii New Zealand, but of the .people .outside New Zealand, arid that is the .Reform Government. (Applause.) A Reluctant Candidate. The. electors of Clutha are being afforded frhat is, for them, an- unusual range of selection 'iii the contest for the Pdriiafhchtai'y representation 0 f their ooiiStitiiency. We. liope, however, observea the ."Otago Daily Times," that the ihdst'rec6nt. addition to the list of candidates; Ifr. John. Christie, will take no exception to the suggestion that he may us. well stay at heiiie, where he would— ed we gather—prefer to be, if ho is not prepared to go through "the purgatory,''

as he calls it,' of addressing meetings and dissipating his oneruy in the manner. tliatjs demanded by the electors as a compliment- to themselves. His idea in politics is lb follow the plan he would adopt if he were buying a plough or a team of horses. "He never allied himself with anybody until - he had a pretty good look at thom." We suggest to him that tho.electors of Clutha, who are not all members Of the organijations with which Mr. Christie is connected, ■ are entitledi Upon the principle that is followed by himself, to have "a pretty good look" at him before they decide to support him, Mi'.' Christio is a i'eluctant candidate. In n spirit of Belt-abnegation that is as refreshing as it is rare,:lie has offered himself as acandidate becauso he <loes not care to

disappoint the electors who have asked him' to stand.' Personally ' he "lmtes making speeches" and he "deplores having t6 come out" as a candidate. Parliament is no place for him. ' He will be mncli "better engaged in carrying on the necessary work ot production in the country than in entering upon an uncongenial political career. So Simple, Too. "Havo a referendum," shout'ed a Labour extremist at Mr. Pirnni's meeting when the problem of national defence was mentioned. ''If tho people say yon should go to war, then go to wan If they say 'J>o.' then stay .it home.' - This delightfully simple recipe for securing immunity from all foreign aggression has its attractions. All we liaVe V> do to avoid futuro wars is to say, "Wo, we won't fight," and 110 doubt, the enemy whoever ho may be will retire discomfittd. But what if he doesn't retire? The Holland party ndvocato direct action in industrial' disputes; that is to say, they propose that the workers shall abandon argument and use force in ordei to secure their wishes. But they believe that the use of force in international affairs can bo avoided if one of the parties to the dispute takes a referendum and decides to-"stay at home" Well, as Tommy used to say, "I don't think." "Liberty"—of Sorts. Speaking of extreme Labour at tho Lowor Ilutt Sir. E. P. Rishworth said "they had tried to take away other peo. pic's liberty nnd denied them liberty of speech." Of course this is in the recognised Russian plan. "Liberty" to the Bolsliovik means "liberty" to do as lie pleases ■ with other people's . lives and other people's property. Slaves of tho Caucus., ,

The' Labour-Socialist candidate at Palmers ton North, when asked if lie supported "Semple, Holland and C 0.," said that "110 greater niistnko could bo made than that the gentlemen whose named had been mentioned constituted the Labour Party. He, as candidate, definitely refused to. follow, any man until he first of all wns convinced that it was right for him to do so, No man, in his estimation, was. big enough to command others to follow him in a blind mechanical fashion."

This Sounds all right. Other official Labour-Socialists are indulging in the same sort of stiilT. But as they have all signed the pledge prepared for them by the extremists, they nave lost tho 'independence they..'claim to possess. They musfc'do what tho party clique tells them if they aris men of their, word. It is a bit hard on Mr. Holland and his colleagues that 60 many of their political children should be so chary of acknowledging kinship. "Piffle." "This country has paid for shiploads of female servants to be, brought to Now Zealand," sajfs an Opposition organ. "Aro these women or' their children in domestic service now? Of course, not I The policy of the Government has ■ Caused them to drift into city factories and offices, and whilo that policy is maintained there will, bo ft continuance of the fatal drift." This is a. now charge against the Government. Is the suggestion that tho Government _ should have kept down wages in . the factories in order that girls might not be tempted out of domestio service? Or should tho Government have passed a law requiring all children of domestic workers, to remain in domestic- sen - ice? Will any <»tiier word than ."pliffle" adequately describs this descent of Wardist criticism ? "Oh, Mr. Browne I"'

"So sure nd the Md-ssoy party is returned to power, you are going to be saddled with this system of four months' training for youths in camps," sa.id .Mr. H. Oakley Browne to Wellington North electors last night. "Sir J nines Alien has said that ho will reduce the period to tivo months, but that is just as obnoxious. Wo don't want tho drill sergeant in New Zealand and wn won't have him."

This may be easy Stuff with which to tickle the ears of a. few antimilitiirists, but is it true or honest political argument? Mr. Massey bus stated definitely that the training scheme suggested by Sir ,Tanies Allen Is not tho policy of the Government and has never been considered by Cabinet. Sir James 'Alien himself has stated that the idea is a mere suggestion, which can he altered to suit requirements. The speeches of candidates have shown that supporters of tho Government are just as much 'against four months' .training as anyono eifie. In tho light of theso facts it Is plain that Sir. Browrio is not to bo taken very seriously except, ns a useful votesplitting aid to the LalxMir-Extremists. Labour Defeat in Civic Elections, A Pres? Association message from Perth (Western Australia) states that all tiho five Labour candidates were defeated at the City Council elections.