WELLINGTON SUBURBS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 66, 11 December 1919, Page 8

WELLINGTON SUBURBS

MR, WRIGHT AT JOHNSONVILLE. A large audience assfmbled at Moore Brothers' Hall last evening, when Mr. R. A. Wright continued his campaign for the Suburbs seat. The chairman of the Town Board (Mr. F. T, Mccre) occupied the chair, and briefly introduced Mr. Wright to the audience The speaker received a good hearing, and discussed at length the political questions of the day; • Referring to the increased cost of living, he said that a revision of .the Customs duties was necessary. It was undoubtedly true that increased charges for goods meant increased Customs taxation. Tho variif must he revised. Every Government ai oided tariff revision', oven when anomalies existed,' becauso of the irritation it caused. Even so, anything that would give relief to the people who were paying high prices for goods must receive attention. Mr. Wright answered a number of questions, and received a vote of thanks, a motion of thanks hut 110 confidence in the' Government being declared lost aj' the Voices. MR. SLOANE AT BMHAMPORJS. Speakilig at Berhampore Mr. Sioane advocated the simultaneous development of all tho hydro-eleotric schemes, and painted a picture of the advantages to be derived by the completion oi' the .Msiigahao scheme. When this cheap and. plentiful power enme to the cities, secondary industries and local, manufactures would, said Mr. Sioane, spring up like mushrooms. There would be an abundance of work for all and the country would be the richer and happier by a great deal. 111 reply to a question Mr. Sioane said that if he was tho Minister of Public Works he would send for the Ordnance Officer and say accommodation was required at tha dam site at Mangahao for 200 men and was wanted 111 li clays. There were' in the country the most up-tordato Indian tents and camp ■ equipment of every kind. Why not put it, to some useful purpose? It would provide the most excellent accommodation. To talk of putting in a mill to cut timber to build accommodation meant months of delay.. Lr.fcour could be sscured, but it must Ik paid the marRet rate and not less thaii private employers would offer. Mr. Sioane ai» spoke 011 profiteering and the cost of living and the advantages of a State bank. « ' Mil. CROSKEEY AT KAIWAKRA. Vr. A. W. Croskcry, Official Labour candidate for Wellington Suburbs, addressed a meeting at the Church Hall, Kaiwami, Mr. J. Kavius pr«s;ding. The Board of -Trade Bill as now amended by Parliament was, said Mr. Croskery, another S'"n«e scrcen device to caver up the tt\ i<s of maladministration by tne Cover- nient and the present licard of Trade. There was, and had been, sufficient legal machinery to deal with preliMi's (and to compel the production of bcoks and dot talents, whether incriminating or not) since August 10, 1914, yet nothing had been done. 1 In every instance where the Board of Trade had fixed prices, they had' ignored the true intent and meaning of the very Act they were created to administer. The Regulation of Trade end Commerce Act defined profiteering to be charging higher rate:! of profits 'linn tlioss ruling on August ■), 1914; vot in faeoi of this definite meaning the Board of Trade had allowed enormous increases in the prices of tho necessaries of lii'p because prices had been higher in 3ngiand and other countries. Air. Massey, since liis return from the Peace Conference, had stated that his administration had left the people prosperous. Who are prosperous?' asked -Mr. Croskery. .The "widows and dependants of our noblo dead? The 20,000 wounded and gassed returned soldiers, 1 all of whoso pensions were enormously depreciated by the war profiteers? The only people who had prospered wero the war profiteers, who aJor.e could pass their taxation on to the pfrpie. . Not Only had the community been plundered to the extent of over sixty million pounds during tho war, hut! in addition, they had been called t'pon to pay interest and principal for the war debt as well. The candidate received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.