WELLINGTON SUBURBS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 65, 10 December 1919, Page 8

WELLINGTON SUBURBS

MR. WRIGHT AT MIRAMAR. Mr R A. Wright continued' the control. for the Suburbs last! evening, when ho addressed'a meeting at the MinUnar Town Hall. The Mayor (Mr. S. btone)

1 oceupifti. the ohair. ~ , I Mr Wright: quoted hgur.\s t.o show that. the repatriation of returned soldiers was i receiving great consideration a,t the I hands of the Department. An earnest ellorl was being made to settle the soldiers on the land, and excellent work hod been done. ■Referring 10. the piatform of the Labour l'arlv, attention wa.; drawn to the absence of a plank advocating a white ; New Zealand. The original Labour | Party had such a plank. Evidently now, ' owing to the number of international ' Socialists in the party, (here was 110 sympathy with a white New Zealand party. Thp international Socialists regarded every man as a brother regardless of civilisation, and if this policy were adhered to New Zealand could be flooded 1 with Asiatic, labour. Answering ft (jiK'Stion, Mr. risnt ?av\ that if continuance \v;to carried by vote or default, it; would not be Ihe end of tee licensing question. A vote on three issues 'would tako place again in three years' time. , . Towards the close of the meeting matters became very lively, but Mi'- Wright received a good Varingi, and was accorded a vote of thanks at the conclusion of the meeting.

MR. SLOANE AT EEIIHAiIPORE. Mr. Dunbar Sloane, Liberal candidate, addressed a mealing at the Masonic Hull, Berhampore, last night. Jfr. J. Reid wis in tho chair. Mr. Sloano spoke at length on the primary produce cf the Dominiun. "li is beyond possible doubt," said tho speaker, "that out primary produce is being manipulated by monopolistic companies, trusts, and combines, to tho great detriment of cur producers, and automatically to the great mass of the people of the Dominion." ! n order to prevent (.his, ho was firmly convinced that the Statu must have the power by license to investigate every pound's worth of business dono by the Nov.- Zealand freezers. The prosperity nf New Zealand depended almost entirely on the judicious handling of our primary produce, meat, wool, mutton, cheese'anil butter. The operations of t.he trusts and combines wore easily understood when they considered that the policies of the banks, shipping companies, and many other departments connected with tho "transport and sale of our primary produce were dictated from London. From the moment the farmer sold his fat stock the fun began, and if ouo could trace the history of a mutton chop from tho" drafting-yard of the producer to tho fable of tho consumer ill England one would be filled with amazement. 'J'he present shortage of refrigerator shipping space was, he said, the direct outcomo of the ramifications of the shipping combines, and if a stroke of real statesmanship were not forthcoming in the near future the producer might find himself "high and dry." In speaking on labour troubles, Mr. Sloano urged upon his audience the •mpnrtanco of putting all workers on a good footing by tho establishment of a sound superannuation scheme and national . unemployment insurance schemes. Tho employer, must "toe the mark" aa well as (lie employee, meet each oilier halfwav and adjust differences. They must be prewired for the new energy which invariably folio,vs a prolonged war and apply it to the agricultural, industrial, and social life with justice to all. Mr. Sloane also suoke on education, hydroelectric development, railway, >nad and bridge construction. A hearty vote of thanks and confidence was accorded the speaker.

MR, CROSK.ERY. Mr. A. Vi'. Croskcry, official Labour candidate, addressed a large meeting of electors at -Moore's Hall, .lohnsonnlle, last evening. Mr] G. Towuhill presided. Healing with the question of profiteering, 51 r. Creskerv pointed out that s'nee August, 191-1, statutory legislation had cx-i.-tad for the. purpose of preventing pro(tleering, but during the whole of that peiiod—oier five years—only one prosecution had been taken, and it ignoin'niously f'aiied. The fact iliat the authorities hail taken no adequate steps to enforce the law, afforded clear proof that tlic-v nei or intended to do so. Tho Act providing for a Board of Trade li> be set up to deal with the regulation of prices, "etc., in order to stop pioneering had I,e{ ' n nn absolute failure ami when one analyst! tho .slafonienl. of a member of a deputation from the merchants cf this city who wnited upon the Prime Minister on Septeitflj.!'.'!as( with leterence to the new Hoard of Trade Bill, the full l'.ght of day was iiirown on 'tho reason for tho fai'iirc of the hoard nf Trade to stop profiteering. As a matter of fact, thov had by their hc--1 ion oulv encouraged it. "Lit me here," said 51 r". Croskcry, "quale the statement so ill-it it will he thoroughly understood. The member of the dcputaFon, in addressing: Ihe Pr'mo Minister, said: 'The Heard of Trade hud laid down the rub' that the selling lias's was lo be on lit,- co.-l of replacement,' and while that bodv was in exigence they felt, quite seeuie. By making the above rule the Unard of Trade handed the 'people this Dominion over to the merchants." The eaiid'date was accordrd a unanimous vote ol I hanks and confidence.