WELLINGTON NORTH

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 59, 3 December 1919, Page 8

WELLINGTON NORTH

MR. J; P. LUKE AT KELBURN. Mr. J. P. Luke, Reform candidate for Wellington North, addressed a meeting of electors in the lu'lburn Kiosk hist night. Councillor W. H. Bennett presided over an attendance that was good in view of the weather conditions prevailing. Mr. Luke claimed! that during his two years in the House he had acted in a way (hat entitled him to the support of the electors in his present candidature. (Applause.) In the Dominion at piesent disruptive forces were at work, and the people who referred to themselves as "we of the Labour Party" were making a bid lor the reins of government. Ho bslieved in the proper representation of Labour, but he deprecated the disruptive tendencies of some who claimed to s|,;ak in the name of Labour. The eoulitry had to face heavy financial liabilities, and he was convinced that tho Government which had the confidence of the people and was capable of directing our future was the Reform Government. (Applause.) New Zealand ought to aim at co-operating with Britain and tho other Dominions to ensure that in future the needs of the Empire should bo supplied from within the Empire. He believed that the coining election _w;fc the most important in the history of New Zealand. It seemed to him that formerly Hie people had taken a keener interest in polil.cs than they did to day. Every bit of unoccupied land in the country should be brought into use as soon as possible, and the Government should not be chary of taking land, where necessary, for tiie promotion of closer settlement. A trouble that faced New Henland was the growing tendency of tho young to enter unskilled occupations. Unless wo duly fostered our secondary industries we could not hope to achiove the best results. He believed in inducing young men io enter technical colleges and there develop not the purely manual, hut tho intellectual side (it skill in the various trades. ]f we wore going to build up our secondary industries we must also suitably reform the tariff, and take steps to prevent "dumping." 'Mr. Luke was listened .to with I lie closest attention 1 throughout. At the end of his address he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence.

MR. BROWNE AT TIIORNDOX. Mr 11. Oaklev Browne, the Liberal candidate for Wellington North, addressed a hnndful of electors in the Goring Street Hall last cvenin?. Mr. R. Sproule was in the chair. The candidate's speech was oil the lines of those already _ delivered by him. ITe devoted a considerable amount of attention to Ihe differences between certain candidates in the Wairarapa. He criticised t no statements made by the Prime Minister at Kiverton ill respect lo Sir Joseph Wards connection wUli the extreme Labour Party, lie accused Mr. Massey of twisting certain remarks made by Mr. Walker as_to how the National Government came into existence. ITo recounted the past achievemen I - of the Liberal Party. Mr. Browne contended that land, aggregation was still i»oing oil. and although there was lesislnTion on the Statute Book to stop this it. whs of no lmvinsr nn Acf unions tliiiL Act was properly arlminisir-rwl, lie cortain Hulk <i Ift'fonn {'Ov(?riiNw»ij(: would not check land awregalion. He declared that the times called for action, and it was absolutely necessary that they should pill men into Parliament who were progressive and who would pledge themselves to carry out a policy that was going to put New Zealand lirsl—that was going to 'break up tb p largo estates so that production might lie increased. They had to «ef out of the system of publif works doles. Roads and railways should be completed. Tie advocaled the improvement of the Arbitration Act, and sug-

gested that two experts conversant with (lie conditions of tin.' industry in which a dispute occurred should sit as assessors. lie contended that they could not have prosperity without industrial peace. Tlio member for Wellington North should give particular attention to the Civil fii'rvnntti. and he declared that if elected lio would malic- that, his special business,