POLITICAL.

Hokitika Guardian, 23 October 1925, Page 1

POLITICAL.

MR SKI)DON AT KOKATAIIf. Mr T. K. V. Seddon visited Kanicri Lake district- yesterday forenoon, meeting the people where possible. In the afternoon he motored to l pper Koiterangi and saw a nuniher ol settlers, in their homes. Short Iv after S o'clock; last night. Mr Seddon addressed a good meeting at the Public Hall. Kokatahi. where he had a cordial reception and a good hearing. Mr das. TTeniiiig presided, and introduced the speaker in pleasing terms. lie said he had admired Mr f-eddon always. In the present election he was the right man and was worthy of their support. .Mr Seddon spoke for over an hour on subjects of interest to the fanning community, and dealt with local affairs also. There were a few questions, following which Mr 11. A. Boddington moved a vote of thanks and confidence. In doing so he said he had enjoyed the .speech hy the candidate and felt it was loyal and patriotic men like Mr Seddon xvho were needed at present in the government of the country. Mill. Smith seconded the motion, which was carried with much spirit and the meeting closed xvith a vote oi thanks to the chair. Mr Seddon speaks at Knnieri tonight and Ross to-morrow night. Owing to the death of a relative Mr Seddon will vary his southern tour, as lie returns to Greynmuth for the funeral on Sunday. Monday he will speak at Waiaroa, Tuesday at Waiho Gorge, and on Wednesday ai llarihari. Thursday of next v.leek wi)l he a very fill! day. visiting Kakapotalii, Waitnha Settlement, Fergusons and Buatapu.

WK1.1.1 NGTON PROSPECTS. (•• Lyttelton Times" Special.) WELLINGTON, October 'JO. Vote-splitting contests are not going to he so numerous in Wellington. An niTiingomont seems to have been made in the early stages between the Government and National Party officials with the object- of getting .straight-out lights in Wellington North and Wellington South. The entry of an Independent Nationalist, Mr .1. .1. M'Orath into Wellington North, however. has introduced a complication, and there will he a t hreo-coriiored eon test between (lie Reform sitting member, Sir John Luke, flic Labour candidate .Mr Combs (formerly secretary of the Post- and 'Telegraph Officers’ Association) who polled -1.2(10 votes in lasi election, and Mr M’Grath. who has not hitherto tried his fortunes in political contests. Tt is an open .secret that the Government supporters would ha tv preferred another candidate to Sir John Luke. However, the menace to Sir John Luke was relieved hy tlie arrangement for a clear contest. Then Mr M'Grath came, unannounced. though singularly enough his special appeal will he to section- ol the voters who would, it is thought, have given support otherwise to the Labour candidate. In less than a week the whole complexion of this light has changed, The Labour candidate is generally believed to he out of the running, and the vigorous campaigning of the Independent Nationalist, is causing the pro phots to predict that the tight lies between him and the silting member. Wellington North may provide one ol the surprises of the election.

Wollinglon ('('lit rnl s_c:i ;m overv. helming majority In Mr I'. I’rasi'i' mi l In- last occasion against hvn opponents. On. this occasion, Reform is represented by Till- Dimhar Sloan, an eslalc agent who is coot] on the platform. lull aim is credited with timlertahiny; valiantly a forlorn hope. Wei I i union Kasj has been held by Reform within recent times. There is a clear contest between .Mr Motileilh the Labour niemhor, and. Mr T. For-

s.vth. who iiolled within 400 of the winner last- election (a Liberal securing I'SOO votes). Mr l-’orsvlh has a very

id chance of net tiny; the honours

Another straight fight takes place in fsimtl l , where the L.-ihonr member. Mill. At" Keen. laces a vigorous Nationalist campaiyuer in Mr A. i.. Sievwriglii. a young lawyer who, as a nine promi-

nent, member of the Returned Soldiers' A,ssoeiat ion. is very well known. Mr M’Keen will he anxious riylit. up (n the last.

RtiiMing on the excellent polling of Mr C. (I. Chapman in the last \Yellingtim Mayoral elections, the Labour party expect to win Wellington Suburbs from, the Reform memher. Mill. A. Wright. Mayoral contests, however. are fought on an entirely different, licit!. Labour strength in all the constilueneies could he brought to hear in the municipal tight, hut Suburbs is a different proposition. Mr Chapman’s good platform work may carry him far. hut the present outlook i. that Mr Wright will “ scrape in.” An arrangement between the main parties to give Mr Wili'urd a walk-over in Mutt does not prevent the Labour I’arty from running its National secretary. Mr Nash, whose appeal "ill he to the “faithful.” with very little prospect of enlarging his influence by his platform work. There were “dOO Reform votes in t.h.is electorate on last necasion, and the Labour poll was L’filiO. On figures Air Wilford ha- the setit gnu ranteed.

Otaki. with a three-cornered fight, seems to he settling down into a hard contest between Mr l-’ield. the Reform member, and the Labour nominee, Mr 11 1 iliei'i. Semple. Mr Semple, who is an ol ! campaigner, is malting the pace a good one. Mr Darkness, the Nationalist candidate, is campaigning well, but dees not get so milch limelight as his more experienced opponents. A LIYKLY MEETING. WF.LUNCTON. Oct. M. All- McGrath. Nationalist candidate for Wellington North, hail a crowded ami lively meeting last night. There was a running lire of interruptions, intellectual and otherwise, but the >pecstaeh- of two bully detectives who >at mt the edge of the platform with many others who could not, secure scats, had a stilling ell'cet upon wotildU- interrupters. Those who were- present. however, worn treated to a lair evening’s fun. That a certain section of the audience was manifestly out lor heckling purposes was demonstrated early in the meeting, when the candidate announced his intention of dealing with extreme Labour. “That is the main point.” came a voice. ‘•Yes.” replied Mr McGrath, “but remember what your boss. Rotor Fraser, told you last night—to listen to everyone and give them all a hearing.” Mr McGrath added that, he detested extreme Lal>otir because it was dishonest. This produced a storm ol protest from the opposition in the audience, and one red-faced man rose and shook his finger menacingly at the candidate, endeavouring to make himself heard. “It’s all right,” Mr McGrath went on . “Many of them will have a fiver

to spilt on the tote on Saturday. Those people have the usehold of the muons!” A voice: “Wlio are they?” Mr McGrath: “They are the socalled leaders of Labour. I know from my own experience that men have been frightened to do what they knew would bo right,, bet-use they were afraid of Ixung manhandled.” “The manifesto of the Labour Party seems to me to be the Utter gathered hv a succession of brain storms,” said Mr McGrath. “The policy, if one can call it a policy, of the extreme Labour Party, is machine made, and it would he all right and. quite workable if mankind could work and live like machines. The policy of extreme Labour is an impossible one.” .V voice: “How is is that it was such a success in Australia ?’’

Mr McGrath: “I will deal with Australia in a minute, and my friend will he sorry lie spoke. ’I lie polity L summed up in that terse maxim ol Hickey, the Labour nominee for lnvoreargill, ‘to hell with agreements.’ ” A voice: ‘'To hell with lavxots. Mr McGrath: “Yes, and in a minute I xx-i 11 tell you how they come crawling and cringing to a lawyer when they are in trouble.” A red-raced man was a persistent, objector, and an elector suggested they should send out and get him a saucer of milk. (Laughter.) A detective sih-iieeil ihe persistent- one. In a reference to Mr Ton, AY a sh m Australia, the speaker quoted inwards at- the Deportation Board, and s .,id- “They rush to the lawyers ami S ; !V ; For God’s sake save us from the just- deserts of what we have been doing.” Laughter ami protests. _ Mr McGrath concluded his address amid applause and laughter, some boisterous banter, and strenuous protests. He got. a vole ol confidence by a substantial majority oil a. show ol hands.

UV TKMJCHAPH —TO ESS ASSN., COI'YIUOIIT. CTIRTSTCIiriUTL Oct. 22So far the only local electoral district for which a Parliamentary nomination has been received, is ILccartoii. The nominee is .Mr A. LnngdaleI runt (Nationalist). GISBORNE. Oct. 22. [fold Mokena has been nominated for the Eastern Maori district. NELSON. Oct. 22. Mr A. Gilbert, standing as a straight, out supporter of the Government under the leadership of Mr Coates, addressed a good attendance of electors at the Theatre Royal. 'The candidate said a strong Government was needed at the present time, lie stressed the humanitarian legislation ot the Government, and the need for increased agricultural production. On the candidate's request, he was accorded a vote of (hanks only, which was carried hy ac-claniat ion. NELSON, Oct. 21. Mr Mark pagan, the Labour candidate for Molueka. addressed a crowded meet inc: at I'miikni'i last evening. The candidate bitterly resented an attack made upon him hy the “Nelson Evening Mail.” and the unfair methods

adopted by that Reform paper in reporting liis Molueka address. Mr Fagan declared that, because the Eeformor.s were unable any longer to keep up the bogey ihai he was a Communist. they now insisted that In- was departing from his platform. lie stal-

ed that 'three alleged planks had been manufactured for him hy his opponents, namely. Communism, “to hell with agreements.” and revohintionary Socialism. Those he had openly repudiate

od. and it seemed to annoy the "Nelson evening paper referred in. There was, said Mr Fagon. every eh.inei- tlmi the Mntiieka seat would go t" Labour, and that was why the guns were now directed towards him'"lf. lie i-er-ei-eil a splendid hearing, and was ar-eorded by tin- moeling a unanimous vote of I hanks. AUCKLAND, 0,4. -JR.

Regarding a reference In I lie late Mr Massey. \ ili-.-ilh (and the altiliide of other Reform members thereto’) made by him at a Reform i-andidale (Mr Dickson’s) meeting. "ii Monday, Mr Thomas Tiloodwotih writes: “I went to Ihe meeting as an elector of Darnel I. and 1 had no intention to interrupt'- Ihe meeting in any way. Had I been permit led to complete the statement I had in mind to make. I think if would have Keen clear to the auili-

enee that the meaning I wished to convey was by no means that which was taken from my half-finished statement. For tin' wrong impression given hy the words I used, f wish io express my sincere regret i<» the chairman of the meeting, to Mr Hickson, and to any whose personal feelings were hurt. A“ is well known I am an opponent of tinReform 'Party, and I suppose (hat when the chairman of the meeting told me 1 must go on to the platform to second I lie amendment which had been moved, he realised that 1 would attack that Partv and its candidate politically. Thar is what 1 intended In do and no more: and. insofar as the manner of my doing if has been deemed to he an olfem-e against, good taste and ordinary political usage. I ofi’er my apology."