THE GENERAL ELECTION BATTLE

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 64, 9 December 1919, Page 7

THE GENERAL ELECTION BATTLE

SITUATION IN THE SOUTH

POPULARITY OF MR. MASSEY

NEWS, NOTES, AND COMMENTS

What the Wardists Rejected. Jli , . J. Craigic, who represented Timaru as a Liberal in the last Parliament, is standing now as an Independent. He told the electors at Timaru last week that ho would like to see a. new Government formed composed of the best men from both sides of the House, and iu such ji Government he would like to see moderate , Labour represented. There was every reason why the Government of tho country should bo entrusted to Nio best men of tho Parliament, and he was convinced that were this plan followed, the result would be that the present party bickerings would largely disappear, and generally that the work of the country would bo more efficiently performed. This was tho solution of the present position which ho hoped for, and he felt sure that there was a strong feeling in /the country that there should bo some change in the management of (he national affaire.

What Mr. Craigie urges is, of course, what Sir Joseph Ward and his followers refused to do. Ha! Ha!

"I am a philosopher by nature," faiu Sir Joseph Ward at Leeston, "nnd I am prepared to> take tho decision of tho people as a philosopher, (laughter.) I will tako defeat as a philosopher, and if I come back as Prime Minister on tho 17th I shall say that you, too, aro real philosophers." Sir Joseph's huinour is at times a little obscure.

Miss Melville's Progress. Miss Melville, tho Reform candidate for Grey Lynn, is winning support all along the lino. She is never at a. loss at question time. Thus:

. "Do you bolievo in State control?" asked one of tho audience.—"No; if w6 want tho liquor traffic we've got it; and if we don't wo know what to do with it," she replied.

A gentleman at this stage rose and gave every indication of making an address, but he merely wanted to say that New Zealand was an agricultural country, ho himself was an agricultural man, and if ho had ten votes he woultl cast them all for Miss Melville. (Applause.)

Many other questions were asked, and all were answered by the candidate.. After this the audience thanked the speaker by resolution,.and passed a vote of confidence also.

Paid Agitator Politicians. As Labour stood at present, eaid Mr. Clutha Mackenzie, at Auckland last week, it was composed of paid ageiits, imported, not qf the local working men. A man who loved his country as he (tho speaker) did could havo no truck with it.

The Red Fed Candidate Bureau. A curious tbinpr about the present election is the extent to wbjch the candidates of the official Labour Party havo Been drawn from Wellington. Not only do tho extremists in Wellington supply candidates for the seats in their own city, and its vicinity, but they supply them also for seats. on the east coast and in tho South Island. A Labour candidate was r&quired for Hawke's Bay. Mr. C. H. Chapman wan sent away from Wellinetou to contest tho seat. One was rennired far Gisborne. Mr, Brindlo, who shared wij.li Mr._Sem,ple and Mr. Frasor tho distinction of imprisonment for his seditious utterances during the war, was sent from Wellington to contest the t-oat. It might have been supposed that Canterbury, out of its motley collection of eccentrics, could have supplied Labou; candidates for all the eents in that district. Not so however. From Wellington was obtained a candidate to contest the Riccarton seat.—"Otngo Daily Times."

Wellington lias filled no teare over the exodus. A "Go-slow" Election Meeting. A correspondent writes to the , ' Maiuwatu "Evening- Standard": "At. the meeting at. Rangintu, which 'was to have been addressed by .the Labour candidate on Friday evening. ■ the audience, after waiting patiently till nearly 9 p.m'., cot very restless. The 'candidate not appeared at that liou_r, Mr. W. J~ Pearco moved and Mr. J. Donaldson seconded: "That as it was a go-slow meeting it be adjourned till after the election." The audience then dispersed, more or less disappointed.

Placing Him. "After a deal of pains," comments tho Wansanui "Chronicle," "we have got Mr. Veitch definitely 'on side' as an opponent of Mr. Massey. Mr. Durham,, the anti-prohibition lecturer, and the Welfare League are helping us to ,, place Sir. Veitch where we think he belongs on the liquor question. Wo arc getting along ni.cely."

(The next place the "Chronicle" apparently aims to put Mr. Veitch is at tho bottom of the poll.

"United We Stand!" Speaking at Lceston on Friday, Sir Joseph Ward expresses great indignation at a, suggestion that the Liberals and tho Labour extremists were "in allinnce" in tho present election campaign. Tho Liberal Leader persists, presumably from tactical reason!;, in evading the point. He is not accused of having made a definito bargain with the Holland party. But it is entirely clear that when he moves a wan fcof -confidence motion in the new House of Representatives he will liavo tho assistance of tho Labour members in tho attempt to wreck the Massey Government. If he carried his motion, it would be as bho ally of the extremists, and if' he tool: office it almost certainly would bo by consent of the same groui). Mr. Holland has not wisguised his intentions. Ho says Mint the Parliamentary labour Party will "seize the first, opportunity to 'defeat Massey on anybody's motion," and tluit "if Ward came in, Labour would only, keep him there .while he complied with it* demands.''

A Detail-But Important, The real issue is stated pointedly by tho Christchurch "Press":

What Sir Joseph Ward has not said—and his omission to say it, if ;iot an oversight, is of cardinal importance—is that he will not move against tho Government unless ho has more direct followers, members of his own Liberal Party, Hum all other parties combined. If his omission to pledge himself to this (and \ thereby to givo tho only real (■ssm , - niico respecting his relation to llifi Reds) is only an oversight, he v ill no doubt bo glad to have his attention thus called to it.

If Sir Joseph Ward is counting on using Labour support to gain ollice, (hen the exact terms of tho Liberal-Labour aliiunco are not of great .moment.

iliGse Awkward Figures. The official Labour candidate for Westland toid a meeting lust week that his candidature was truly democratic because he was the nominee of "no fewer than 1300 members of the organisations affiliated to tho Westlaiid Labour Representation Committee.' , This statement throws an interesting sidelight on the oft-repeated claim that Labour candidates represent, "the people." Thero are over 7000 electors on the Westland roll. Mr. O'Brien was selectee! by a. section of tho 13CrO ■unionists affiliated, to tJioL.ll,G^

Housewives,. Please Note,

The indefinite, extension of tho i/o-slow policy in the mines is foreshadowed by tho "Grey lliver Argus," the now organ of the Labour extremists, in the following paragraph:—

"Reports to hand from tho mining districts indicate tliat the mine workers were never more solid in their determination to obtain a considerable improvement in their working conditions, and unless the coal owners hurry up with their long overd»o concessions, the 'go-slow , is liable to become permanently established. The miners aro proving by their experiences that, from a safety standpoint alone, tho 'go-slow' bos' accomplished more than all the mining Acts, actions of inspectors, and investigations put together. On this question of safety alone, the miners will have to seriously consider if it is advisable to ever mine coal on tho speeding-up system again." This threat ought to interest tlio peoplo of New Zealand just now.

Revolutionary Talk. This is the way the "Maoriland Worker" preaches tho doctrine of Red Revolution: "Henceforth world revolution -will go on until societies that sanction militarism, and capitalism, disappear from the earth. A British revolution is going on to-day. It began before the war, and will go on, peacefully or otherwise, until tho rotten social system of Britain goes the wav of the Hohenzollorns and the Romanoffs and tho Hapsburgs. Nothing is more certain than that. It is certain also that the aristocrats and capitalists will fight desperately against overy attempt to wrest .their unjust privileges from them. Whether tho British revolution will be accomplished in our generation or not we do .not presume to say, but we have long held tho opinion that if Britain escapes a bloody revolution of the most awful character something like a miracle must happen. Not for much longer will the workers of Britain shoot and slay at the behest of their governors, and when the workers of Britain rise in a mass-as they will do ono day if urged too strongly, (hey will eeo the social revolution through to a finish. America has sown tho seeds of revolution for many.years, and the harvest is ready to appear. France, Spain, and other European nations now quiet will flame- into revolution at any moment. The whole world is in a ferment of revolution; revolution is necessary to save humanity from a relapse into barbarism."

This from the official organ of the exhemiste, who are prepared to vote with Sir Joseph Ward to throw out Mr. jlassey. Another Glimpse of Queensland.' ■ ! ■ The Premier of Queensland is appealing to the labour unions "to enforce discipline against' revolutionaries and direct abtioniste." He-is reported to have eafcj that "these men, who had 'bWn in from America and the Southern States, were bringing discredit on tiho whole Labour movement. The Australian Workers' Union their white ant methods, instead of booting them out."

New Zealand's experience in this respect has been similar to that of Queensland. Almost all the Labour extremists nre comparatively recent arrivals in New Zealand, and they have brought) with them prejudices and tenciencics that largely are foreign to the native-born New Zealander.

Pleasant Homes and Happy People. "It should be the aim of the State," said Colonel Mitchell, when dealing with housing at Brooklyn last night, "to house the people in good bonie3 in pleasant situations, and under such conditions that they may make thoso homes their own."'

Class Against Class. "Tho very worst thins we can. do at the present time is to inflame the minds of one class against another. All this talk of class and class hatred? should be cut out, and we should be- a happy, united people."—Colonel Mitchell at Brooklyn. ' An Extremist, "Since you have stolen the Labour Party's platform, are you not an extremist?" Colonel Mitchell was asked at Brooklyn last night. "If I am an exwemist," he replied, "I am at all events a loyal one."

For the Next Epidemic. Speaking at LyaJ.l Bay last evening, Mr. Dunbar Sloanu, on tho question of epidemics, • advocated the ci»tab;ishineut of a Citizens' Awns. Medical Corps, with officers, n.co.'s, aiu.l men (.r,;en ond-ovo-nien); an organisation laid uowu on the Army principle, ■ whereby everybody would know their t exact duties; buildings decided on i'oj hospitnis, chemists' shops, fruit shops, and wholesale wine and spirit stores io immeciately come under the State; medical meij ut so much per day to be immjidiately commandeered on tho first indication of an'outbreak. Finally, to Rive everyone in New Zealand a real live interest in this scheme, have a New Zealand Health Day once a year on tho samo lines as a Kosci and Carnation Day, etc. An immense sum of money would be collected which would bo invested by the Government and held against a;y outbreak.

The Cry for Domestic Help,

Miss EUon Melville, the Beform candidate for Auckland West, said tlio other night that to her it appeared unreasonnble to object to immigration. What was wiuited was ft systematic, controlled influx so that tho population was built up on right lines. Not only men wore wanted, 'but women too,

A voice: To provide cheap servants for the liemuora push.

"There seems to be quito uu erroneous impression.'that it is only .the well-to-do, women who require assistance m tin: home," quietly retorted the candidate. "Those who know recognise that the assistance is moro urgently required by those who cannot Iμ described as wealthy—those with large families nnd of moderate means. The rich women can got help or ran livo in flats; it is the tainily woman who wants help most."

The Cost of Living. At Mr. Nasli'e meeting at Palnierston North the Labour Party issued a leaflet headed, "Na6h proposes to increase tho cost of living: Ho tries to raise tho price of bacon." Following this was a quotation, supposed to bo from Hnnsard, as to tho candidate's action, when ho asked tho Prinio Minister whether the Government could give relief' to tho bacon manufacturers.

Mr. Nash said he had pointed out in tho House that what ho wanted to do was to prevent ono big concern getting hold of the industry, to tho detriment of a number of small co-operative curing comnanies. Ho read from Hansard to show that hie endeavour -was to .prevent tho retail price being increased, aud that showed that he had no intention of increasing tho cost of living.