POLITICAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 October 1925, Page 1

POLITICAL.

MR SEDDON IX' ARAHURA DISTRICT.

Yesterday Mr Keddon's time was fully occupied in the Arahura district. In the forenoon lie visited Awatuna. Piper's Flat and Aralutra Sale Yards where a spring cattle sale was in progress. He was able to meet a large number of electors and had a- good welcome.

In the afternoon he toured Aralutra Valley, and in the early evening addressed the electors of Humphreys ai the school room. Mr T. .f. MoGuigan was in the chair and expressed pleasure ai seeing such a good meeting. Mr Mi'Cnignn was very eulogistic of the candidate, who delivered an address of an hour, making special reference to fanning and the land question. He dealt also with the Labor land policy and his address was followed very closely. At the close there were no questions, and Mr G. Lopas proposed and Mr 11. Wilson .seconded, a vote of thanks and eon ti donee which was carried, cementing the very cordial feeling which had been shown to the candidate throughout the day.

At half-past eight Mr Seddon reached the One Mile Hall. Arahura. where there was only a moderate attendance, due In the wet weather which had sol in in the evening. Mr 11. Yard provided : ,nd was very complimentary In Hu- candidate in his opening remarks, lie stated Mr Seddon had shown his patriotism amt Intel a real ami genuine l,,ve for the West Coa-t. As their member he had worked hard for the disli-|,.| and had been most successful in his efforts. Mr Seddon’s address was made of special interest to the farmers present dealing with the question of supplies of phosphates and fertilisers for the land, lie referred also to the polil ieal aspect now presenting itself, and dealt in an explanatory win with the policies of the parties. Mr A. Richards proposed a vote of thanks and cunfidence. lie explained lie was a supporter of Reform, hut; times had changed, and it was necessary to [iresent a united front to fight the common enemy. Tim motion was seconded I,v Mr R. Headley and earned. A complimentary vote io the Clinii man closed a vi i'e pleasant evening. nv TRMtctttArrr—rurss assn., corYnxnrr f'll RTKTCTI FRCTf. Oel. 21. Final figures of the Electoral Rolls for Ghrislehurch City electorates, and Avon and Riccarton. which were mad ■ available this afternoon, show an increase of 4827 over lliose of 1022. the respective totals being AO3BI and 01001. The "Nationalist leader. Air George Forbes, was in Christchurch to-day. Mr Fill-lies stated that lie would eoiielnd 1 his campaign for Vfiiriinui on Saturday :K Ambcrlcy. Tie intends to speak at Riccarton on Monday night, and will then go smith, speaking ai ’Riverton and Gore. fin his return north, he will speak at Ashburton. Mr Forties States ; ■■Reports ram getting from ihe Dominion electorates are very encouraging in regard in the prospects of the Nationalist candidates, particularly in the XTirih Inland. I am confident ilml there nil! he an addition io the numbers of ilm Party ns a result of the election. I regrej that- the tint) i- 100 Ill'll to enable me to visit the North Island: Air Veiti-h. however, will -peak in T.ii.inak' Kginoni Worarapa and Unit eleetorai.a, Mr A. F. I.angdale-lliint, Xational-i-t candidate for Riccarton. opened his campaign to-night, when lie addressed a meeting of liO electors at Fpper Riecarton. His speech was on the usual Nationalist lines. In reply to a question, lie said he would not, if cleeieil. vole with Labour if it-: aims wen- ('oinniuni-,(ie or Soeialislie. He w;e accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

Mi; rioi.i,amvs Torn. WKLLIXCTOX. Ortnber -M. Tlic I.;il,uni- I.ender. .Mr 11. L. 11.0 In in I, MIL, iv.ii given sin excepii.inally <-iit hii-in-i ie i .i•! 1 1in! 1 Imm :i t r-ivvtlt*.l meeting :: i Lin- Wellington Town Hull. L-1-11i■; 1 11. mill Win. ;afmill'll mi alnm-t iiiinnmious 11-nliilt-111 n vuli'. Mr 11 ol l:i in I opened liv statin.; ilia! I.ahniir’a •:>• jm ui• 11 i - Lad their backs to I hi- wall. lighting lor their lives. T InLiberal Party was gime. ami lie |> 11 ■- Rf]ll\i nfin Mr .McLeod's i-I in declared llial tin- Labour Pally :n----k 1 11 >\V Ifl Imi-ll every | M.- 1111 y 1-1)111 rilnit l-ll In il. Iln challenged tin- 11 1 -1 •11ii i Parly lo 1111 1 1 11 sl l tii«. lialanr.. tiln-rl "I tin'll" i 1 : 11 'I V funds. Ti n speaker i ! i :11 :n• 1 1 ■ r i... 1 1 INTnnii a . ■•till' (r111m• 111 .'| lunkcii 11111111Isi1si- s.’* an.l In- ilia-laini 1 liial not mu- of till' Labour iTaust-s of tin- Versailles Treaty signed by Mr Massey, bad bei'ii rarrieil mil. Hoplying in Mr Coates regarding bind aggregation. Mr Holland said s'). 1 Mil nut of the 700.000 adults in tinDniiiininti were laiiilbnlders. and one twelfth Ilf Lhi"-e people owned more than two third- of i lie rural lands. Labour’s remedy for t!ii~ sort of thi no was a steeply-graded land tax. to bri'ak iliese largo estates 11 ]>. Xu man. lie said, was a freeholder unless be la Id tlie lit It- to his land. Darin ; the nasi ten years, there had been twice.' a- many land transfers as there were lannei's. Labour wanted to abolish the land agents and in value the land, and then to transact business through the Land Transfer OlHre. The speaker went on to elaborate the laud policy of Labour. Touching on taxation. Mr Holland said that the Government bail given n--li. • f lot alii ii;; LM'iO.OOi). Imt of this fli'.l’t’S went to twenty-eight persons—to the bio men only. Similarly, the lneoiiit- tax rebel laid bench ted Id taxpayers in the extern el I', and to tlie Hank of Xew Zealand there had heoii remitted CiO.OOfl. The workers paid for tiiis through the excise and tim custom-s duties. Mr Ho!!and charged I’eforlii witli having done nothing in its LI years’ ic-riii to alleviate the housing congos-

Het’erring to the alleged proposal to me wages hv 7s ltd weekly. Mr Holland said that the Government had allowed this proposal to he brought before Parliament in a Depart mental report. The Labour loader continued that apparently there was no doubt that it was a carefully considered report, and it was signficant that the Labour Minister, Hon Mr Anderson was maintaining a loud silence. The Labour Party favoured a State Hank, which would be started with i! - backing of the State and administered on the policy of tlie Australian Con iin on wen 1 til Pan k. To-day. said Mr Holland, in concluding. we had a similar position to that in Xew Zealand in the year lf9o. with two great parties juxtaposed; namely. Labour, standing for Denioeraev and progress : and the reactionary Conservative Deform Party. The logical successors of Ballance and Seddon

ill,l not come pinvill;..; I'm- voles. I,'U 11,,-v stood by the Millie of Labour's orgnni.-ed hihoiir. ’flu- eh , lion ivoiihl |„. I !„. y I,■ :| el.I- ll 111 t lie H, :111111 i->ll ’ hisl nrv 11,. j, L the issue 1,1 ihe elerl ion was whether I. til,, nil- would capture the Treasury benches. or whether the people would have another reactionary Govern moilt. Url'erring to the seamen's strike, Mr Holland declared Hint the British shipowners had caused it. When the German shipowners reduced their wages, the British owners went to Germany for their ship, repairs. "I lion i hey turned around and stated that the British workers wages should he reduced. It would have paid Varliament to pay the C:t000 to send ships hack to Kurland.- The shipowners wanted the trouble to materialist, and to finalise in i his country. While the Bn hour I’artv were willing to do anything to settle this t rouble a final settlement of the difficulty was unlikely to occur until such Lime as New Zealand had its own shipping line, paying decent wages, and giving decent conditions to , i lie men.