WELLINGTON EAST

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

WELLINGTON EAST

HE. NEWMAN AT .NEWTOWN. Despite the stormy weather there was a verv fair attendance of electors in tho Victoria Hall, Newtown, last evening, on the occasion of an address delivered by Dr. A. JC. Newman, Reform candidate for Welliii'.'tou.Fast. Mr. ,1. ,1. Clarko presided. Dr. Newman received on the whole » nuiot and good hearing, although he was subjected to a number of gooahumnured interjections from a few Labour sympathisers. In his addiess, Dr. Newman, who was introduced bv tha chairman as a gentleman of extieme honesty of purpose, dwelt on tho necessity of still further devcloiiiii!.' our national education system on the lines of the steps taken by the Government during last session. He believed tho time would come when they would have to have travelling dentists trcversinsr the whole countryside in the interests of the school children. In reply to interjections the candidate said that tho Reform Government had every intention of putting the anti-profiteering law into effect. They did not. mean that it should be treated simply as a scrap of paper. If the Reform Party wvrj returned to power they would not rest contented until every family in the Dominion was decently housed antf decently lodged. (Applause.) An active campaign against disease in all its varying forms was strongly advocated by the candidate. .Speaking in another connection he. stressed tho paramount importance of hvdro-electrical development. Personally he wanted to seo other public works of lesser importance postponed until the Mangahao scheme was carried' through to completion. He believed that if the work were split up into separate contracts there was every chance of it being completed within three years. Various progressive measures which the Government had at present in hand were outlined bv. Dr. Newman, who, in conclusion. reniarked that he believed that New Zealand had got to face a period of trouble. The present good times would, he thought, continue for the next two or three years, but history clearly established that every great war brought in its train an aftermath of trouble. He honed that whatever Government was returned: to power would be a strong one and a wise one.

At the conclusion of the candidate's address a. vote of thanks in his favour was proposed; On being put. it was drowned bv a roar from the detachment of Labour supporters present.

MR. L. M'KBNZIE AT ST. MARK'S. Mr. E. Gallichan occupied the chair at the meeting addressed by Mr. L. M'Kenzic- at St. Mark'si Schoolroom, The candidate said he stood before them us a Progressive Liberal. What was wanted to-day was young men ill political life, men who mixed with the public and knew their views. lie 'believed in the views of the late Mr. Seddon, who knew exactly what tlio people warded—he knew his audience—and he legislated for what they wanted, tempered with wisdom and justice. The country at present was ill a curious position, but if it were handled properly he had no doubt, that it would rise above its difficulties. The first t'hing they had to look to. in such a country was tho land, as they had to increase pioduution. He. was against the aggregation of estates. In the past this had gone on to such an extent that there were members of families owning land who did not. know they owned it. Estates were held by members of the family so as to avoid detection, and he urged that in such cases titles should be investigated. Coming to matters of industry, he said that there were some of the finest industries in the bud in New Zealand, industries that were turning out goods that the whole world wanted. What did they see? One big firm buying a woollen mill in the north, and another buying a mill in tho south. That was aggregation in industrialism, and it meant power and strength in the future. As regards education, they saw American schools coming into New Zealand to give them knowledge that their technical schools did not give them, lie believed that the State should take care of its people from the cradle to the grave. Germany's place in the commercial world before the war was an object lesson to them all. Whatever may have been raid of the Germans, they did educate their children well, ami it was that which had put them en ton commercially. During the late Mr. Semlort's term of office there was a. period of harmony when. Ihe-a wero no strikes or disturbances. but what did tliev find now? Trouble on all sides—the Tories saw all while, others saw all red, but the Liberals stood for tho red, white, and blue, and they would do their best to restore the old harmony. Mr. M'Kenzie said it was a scandal and a shame the way the access lo Wellington from the country had been neglected. There was no necessity for the dangerous road over the iVckareiiki Hill, and if the deviation wore made it would bring one of the. iiiie't producing districts in close touch with the city.

At the close of his address Mr. M'Kenzip v-as given a vote of thanks and confidence.