POLITICAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1922, Page 4

POLITICAL.

MR JAMES O’BRIEN

VBOUR’R CANDIDATE AT OPERA HOtJSE.

Air James O’Brien (Labour candi- j date for addressed the elec- j tors at tlio Westland Opera House last ! evening. There was a large attendance,* and the candidate met with a good reception. Mr W. Jeffries (County Chairman) presided, and introduced th« Labour candidate, Mr James O’Brien. He referred to the coming election, and the prerogative of the electors to decide whom they should elect. The Labor programme had a great deal of his sympathy, but that did not say he agreed' with all that programme, or all that of the Liberal or Reform party. He had very much pleasure in asking -Hr O’Bien to address them and place before them the programme of the Labor Party.

Mr James O’Brien, who was received with applause, said he felt highly honored at being selected as the Labor candidate again. He thought it was a great honor to be selected as their candidate. He wished to call their attention to the position of NewNew Zealand as they knew it now and what it was 14 or IS years ago. •Howmuch of their freedom have they lost in the last 15 years. They had practically a Tory press, who told them that it was the true supporter of the workers. He wished to refer to the attacks made on him by the Grcymouth “Star” They stated he was going to retire. That was first stated by one of the candidates though lie had been told by himself (Mr O’Brien) that he intended positively to go to the poll. The paragraph written by the Grey “Star” last evening was lull of political poison. There was also a suggestion that he was ashamed of the Labor platform. Those in the hall knowhow untrue that was, as he had often stated the platform in the hall lie was speaking in that night. He assured them that he was going to the poll absolutely. A further reference was made to the Greymoutli evening paper in connection with the present watoifront trouble. There was not one word whether the workers were right or wrong. But he did know that the sailors were* at the call of the captain for the whole 24 hours to enable them to work their days’ work. The workers had his sympathy and he would give them every support against their employers. The sailors had his sympathy and he would do his best to give them faff- play in spite of the opposition of the Tory employers. Referring to the Grey “Star’’ criticism he said that paper had stated his Greymoutli meeting was a good me. but it was the largest audience he had ever, addressed in Greymou.th, and far ku-ger lie was told than that addiess (1 by Mr Soddon.

He quoted from a speech in Hansard at the time of the 1890 strike, made by the late R. -T. Sodden, who was a great Liberal. Tf R. J. Soddon had been alive to-day they would have him as Socialistic as any of the Labor party. The workers received no protection from the Liberals of to-da.v. They received no assistance from the capitalistic press, and he proceeded to read further extracts from speeches by the late R. J. Soddon. in which he attacked the capitalistic press. Someone at the hack interjected—

“Cut out the reading, and give us an address.”

Mr O’Brien replied lie would give as mueli address as was wanted. There was not much more of the quotation. but what there was did not suit the interjeetor apparently. Concluding his quotation lie said he wanted to call the peoples’ attention to the extracts to show how their rights had drifted. The Arbitration Act of lo years ago had been so amended that now it was made so that it could crush the workers to the advantage of the employers. They had been told by the Liberals and Reformers that there was nothing between them, but they voted together always when the purpose was to crush the workers. He hoped this election would he contested as cleanly as the last one had been. Any criticism would not be personal in any way against the candidates but against the policy they espoused. As far as the farsightedness of the late Air Seddon was concerned he wished to read in extract of nil 1890 speech, where he urged the taking over of the Union Coy’s fleet. At that tine this fleet could have been purchased for £500,000. When the war came, the Government gave the Union Coy £161,000 for the hire of one boat that was not worth £60,000. The Union Coy received upwards of five millions for the hire of a few boats, and when the Company handed hack a quarter of a million they called that high class patriotism. This Union Cov., had continued to spread its tentacles until every man, woman and child had to pay toll to the Company. It costs more to-day to get goods from Wellington to Grcymouth thap it did to bring the goods from Montreal (in Canada) to Wellington. There was the talk that the miners were going slow, but lately they had been only getting two or three shifts a week. When a man was on contract why should he work any harder than he desired? As the late Mr Seddon had said, the solid good sense of the workers must have its way if, they worked together as they should for mutual advantage. He would not he contesting this election if he thought the heart of the people was as hard ns the capitalists would have them, believe. TTe knew the hearts of the people of this district wore good, and he was standing to urge them to work in the interests of one another and not in the interests of the capitalists only. The philosophy of the Labour movement was to keep on briniging out the better side of the people, and squeezing out the had side of the people.

Referring to pensions he said if the Labour party went into power it would increase the widows' pensions to the standard now paid to the soldiers’ widows, and so enable the widow to Ining her family up in coinfort. Tt was said that the workers wives did not keep themselves tidy, but half their time was spent in keeping others tidy. Tf it were not for the woik of the poor women, then some of the aristocrats would not he as tidy as they worn now,

. . * *• I He fglt. disgusted when. Jje sapy .the \veo-k .going, to tlio. and iijdplcsifc receiving tlie advantage at the expense, of "the, workers. At present the civilian blind did not iccpivc a pension, and no assistante j whatever. ..If a blind .man in atfenip- ’ ting to earn his living used a tandem ( bicycle, and that was tbe only way he , | could travel by, then the. railway eiiarged inm fare and a half, whereas they should carry his machine..for nothing. He also favoured a fund for payment when , incapacitated through illnesss or accident. Labor also supported the best homes for the old people and pensions. They did not want the buildings like they had at Kuimara. Greymoutli and elsewhere. They sliould have the very best £or these ! pioneers who come to this country and ; | paved the way for those who were cranl , ing -after. i I When he spoke here three years ago . he told them about tbe Kumara Home , 'and-though it was denied at the time, i what he said was all true. Anyhow, . 1 now they had a doctor and the eon- , ditions at Kumara were now much im- [ I proved. He had told them that they (. wanted more doctors here. Then they s bad only one. Now they had several. 1 They should have hettet homes on the v Coast. They had a home at GrevI ' mouth that' was a disgrace. If the r making of a grant had been properly t made he felt the Government would find the money. Even the hard Tories t taund. money for the s-iek when the ne- ! i.-essity was brought strongly under , their notice. ) ' Referring to the wage cut lie said lie did not know how .it affected them j down, here, blit in some places they ] . bad been reduced by at least £JI.. per week. He bad .documentary evidence that tbe increased cost of living was ’ ,73% above pre-war prices, but the Government Statistician said it was only 43% about pre-war. prices, ami they were not allowed to go before • tlio Court with their figures. They , bad often beard of the pay made to , Labour’s agitators, but they did nut f know what wages were paid to the | capitalistic agitators. He had sat on , several conciliation councils, but had r never been able to come to an agreement with, these, capitalistic agitators , whose business was to '-t.t wages. The l Arbitration Court gave just what the , employers .representatives said. They , were, all hearing of the slump. The , reason w'qv was because tile people had not. the piouey to buy. if they [ only iookefl deep .enough, they would , find that the slump was caused h.V low

wagep. . . . ~ During the time of.the war the debt of jlu,’, coipftry, .increjiped ,by oyer J.OO Uiillipns. During tlio .po-jorl, the unimpj-oved values ,went uji 88 trillions and the private weajth, .inpj;-eased by 276 millions. The, workers hud. to pay fckS per head in interest pep,year, They, divided up (he, wealth in this way. .5,441 get 11 mi|jiojis per year. 05.Q00 workers . get 10 millions per year. When they asked, for, an equal distribution of the wealth,.among, tlio people, then they called, them Socialistic, and Bolshevistic. If these names mo,apt wi.pt they asked for. then they could apply them to him. It was said that if Labor , were successful at the poll the district would, ,suffer,, hut he strongly denied it. They had said that wiien Mr Harry Holland was elected for Buffer hut in the last three years Buffer had got more than at any period in its history. If he did not get sufficient for this district then he would battle hard till the demands of the district were acceded to, At the, present time the district was not getting its fair share of public money. There was a little place called Kopara. whore there was some fine land. They wen’ asking for a road 9 miles long for 20 years, but had not obtained it. Down in South , Westland they had farmers continually asking for roads and improvements to their biddings without much success. They wanted a bridge over the Wniho but had not got this though they could get a footbridge, for tourists. They had a bridge over the Wnikukupn hut no road to it. and that bridge had rotted and had to lie remade. Now he thought that the road had been made. Their back country in Westland should lie able to to curry thousands more people than it was doing. They should receive more attention than they were receiving. As far ns lie was concerned, if he was elected to Parliament, and he was sure of it, (applause), ho would see that ho got his shore for his district or he would make his voice hoard in no uncertain manner. They all knew where he stood. He was sailing under no lalse colors. Tic was standing for the working people all the time. He would no doubt be called a lot of names before the election day come round, by tbe Tory press. ],le asked them not to be misled by the stoiy that lie would nut go to tlio poll. There was no doubt about ho was going to the poll and going to win. Ho asked them to remember on election day that they were not voting for .Tim O’Brien. Jim O’Brien was only the representative of the Labor party oi Westland, and the Labor Party of New Zealand. Tinder the Tlabour Party’s policy there would lie no widow in want, no orphan ill want. The paitv was big and strong enough to work for all unable to do so. He know scores of fellows who had done thenextra, hit when a pal was unable to do all his work, so that ho should not suffer by bis illness at the time when pay day came round. He thanked them heartily for the hearing they had given and reminded the workers of Westland that they were the. onlyparty who advocated the power of recall, so that if they were not satisfied with his actions they could throw him out at any time. It was the Labor Party‘only- which suggested the initiate n the referendum and the. recall. It was the only- party which iteinanded the trusting of the people. He would ask them to remember this an election day. (Applause).

QUKSTIONS. Questioner—Did the candidate knew how the Rrcmier voted on the old age pension hill and women’s franchise? Answer: Tic knew lie opposed : the old age pension bill and voted a! Last 81 times against it—may be mo-e. Mr Qiicenan-Would Jhe candidate support a policy to remove all politicians not elected by the p'orle. Answer—Qeytain.ly, .tjjcy did not want a .nominated Upper House, ,He was certainly, against having n.lyt of very very old representatives. He wr s

agiyinsti., all nominated Legislative Councillors. Mr Queenan—Did Mr O’Brien support a policy of recognition of New Zealand ns iy,.Soyeieign State. ! Answer: The Labor, Party was in I favour of a co-operative Commonwealth 'ef the World, that was their aim. j Question*—What were Mr O’Brien’s views on prohibition ? Answer: TTe was in favour of State Control! lie,was not a prohibitionist. Lilt tlie traffic .y'cquiied control. Mr 'Willetts—Should a police officer’s oath be of tbe same value as a civilian’s oath?. , . Answer : Yes;; the path should he of the same value, but many Magistrates * seemed to think a policeman’s oath . was worth that of six civilians. [ Mr Stow—Was tbe candidate in favour of a universal system of education ? • • , Answer: Yes; and would go further. , and say that, all school books should be ! printed by the government and lie dis- ’ i trilyuted free of cost to the children. ’ j They wanted the education system : taken out of the hands of politicians y j like Hon.. Parr, and , placed in the ~ I hands of professors such, as,Profs. ShclI ley and Hunter and the Teachers Tne I stj(iites. v _ j Question —Was a ninn sentenced nee 1 cotding to the law or according to the v j judge's liver?.,* I*l I Answer: Very often, Mr O’Brien was s sorry to say. it was according to the 1 state of the liver of the judge. He j. 'knew men to receive'l2 years for a d ime that another man would receive J cnly "12 lnftntlis for. During his own „ ' sojourn in Lyttelton he saw the injim- „ 1 tii-o of maiiv' of the sentences being r 1 served. w , , * p j Mr Houston—Was Mr O’Brien in ft>J your of an increased uunib.n- of tatalip sator permits? . ... ~ s I Answer: Plq was in favour of enI cpyu igi.ug spprt. To contend in sport 5 1 and iiiL’rlectiially, and lint in war. were the aims of* the Labor, Ratty., , | THANKS . AND CONFIDENCE. t Mr Queenan moved a .vote, of thanks and confidence in Mr O’Brien, and pro-

ceeded to. harangue the audience when the Chairman intervened and asked the speaker to move his motion and net deliver an. address to, the nudic-nce Mr G. Willetts seconded the motion which was carried unanimously, with loud applause. Mr O’.Rrien thanked them for their reception and vote, and trusted he wo.uld be woitby of their confidence on polling day. He moved a vote of thanks to the Chairman for presidium:, * which was carried by acclamation, and I a. good hu'moured meeting then concluded. j