GENERAL ELECTION

Hokitika Guardian, 26 October 1928, Page 6

GENERAL ELECTION

WESTLAND SEAT.

MR. SEDDON AT BELL HILL.

Mr Seddon travelled into Bell Hill from liuru. yesterday by jigger, and in the evening had a good meeting, the majority of his audience being those connected with the sawmilling industry. Mr Beardsley occupied the chair at the address j whicl) was made specially topical by references to the timber industry find the /progress of the road-; ing scheme into the locality. General matters were touched upon, an interesting political address being given. On the motion of Mr Barton, seconded by Mr Bail'd a" vote of thanks was accoi'ded Mr Seddori, who expressed pleasure and gratification at the cordia of his reception. ..

To-day Mr Seddon crossed the Grey Valley by way of Nelson 1 Creek.

MR O’BRIEN NOMINATED

Mr Jas O’Brien, Labour candidate, vyas yesterday nominated for the Westland Electorate by the following: 'Chprles Fraser (President of the Greymouth Port Waterside Workers’ Union) ; Charles Evans (Tailor, Hokitika) James Goodall (Secretary of the Engine Drivers* Union, the Sh°P' Assistants’ Union, Westland Drivers’ Union, the Hotel Workers’ Union, and the Labour Representation Committee) ; Mary P. Anderson (Secretary of the Labour Party), Patrick Vincent , O’Neill (Secretary s£. the Tailors’ Union).

LABOUR LEADER. (By Telegraph—Press Association). ’WELLINGTON, Oct. 25. Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Oppdsjtion addressed an- enthusiastic meeting in the Town Hall to-night. He referred to the statement that the London Party had caused a breakdown in the Dairy Control. This charge, apparently was made after Mr Coates’ had .'.been? interviewed by certain persons. About this time the Radio Broadcasting Company, of which Mr W. Goodfellow was one of the heads,' secured a. loan of £15,000 from the Postal Department without the authority, of Parliament. Apparently there was some connecting link between Mr Gobdfellow’s article in the “Exporter” anti the Radio Broadcasting Company. An interesting coincidence was that the same man edited the' ■ ‘Exporter’? arid the “Radio Record,” . and that both papers were supporters arid defenders of the policy of the Government. The Secretary of the'. Alliance of Labour (Mr J. Roberts) moved the following resolution : “That this meet-ing-of’Wellington citizens, tenders its hearty thanks to Mr , Holland . for his address and expresses its confidence in-the : Labour Party, arid Mr Holland as Leader, and pledges itself to work for the triumph of Labour Party candidates oil election day.” The President of the Trades and Labour Council (Mr F. D. Cornwell) seconded the motion. • \

The Chairman put the resolution to al show of hands, and declared it carried, practically unanimously, with only two dissentients. No questions were invited. . At the call of Mr J. Roberts, three clieers were given for the Labour Party and Mr Holland.

PRIME MINISTER. WHANGAREI, iOct. 25. • Mr Coates delivered a policy speech here to-night to. an overflowing audience, long before 8 o’clock every possible seat in the Town Hall being taken, arid people standing round tlie walls, whilst a big number filled the vestibule. The Premier was given a great ovation on making his appearance,. accompanied by Mr Goodfellow, arid'tlife chair was talcefl by the Mayor, Mr L. J. Brake, but before introducing tlie Prime Minister, Mrs Coates was given three clieers by the assembly: - . ~ The Premier spoke at length on the lines of the policy speeches delivered by him on his southern tour. He traced some of the legislation introduced during the Government’s term' of office, and spoke of the beneficial effect it had-‘had. : „ ' . >j V -

Touching briefly cm’ post' office matters, principally in connection with the Post Office Savings Bank, he stated; that deposits for the six months ended -September 30th were £13,559,613, while the withdrawals totalled £14,406,236. There was thus an excess of withdrawals of £846.623. The interest payable to the depositors was ■■ £873,00!J. The depositors were withdrawing less than the- interest earned, and therefore the account was practically; balanced, which was a differont state of affairs to what obtained the’ previous years. He said .the Post Office Savings Bank was the best •barometer one could have as to the ::pfospefity of tile country. His hear<ers would see that matters had definitely taken a' turn- for the better:

CHALMERS 'SEAT

;%■ . DUNEDIN, Oct. 25. SWMr J. P. Walls, the Mayor of Mosgi'el, has) consequent on-the withdrawal of Mr J. Loudon, the United Party candidate for Chalmers seat, consented to stand in the United Party’s interests.

AN INDEPENDENT. WHANG AREL Oct. 25. Mr A. H. Curtis, Independent candidate for Marsden, addressed a meeting at the Town HaR last evening.

THE WRITS. WELLINGTON, Oct! 25. A., special Gazette to-night contains the writs for tho Parliamentary Election, both of European . and Native members, lists ’of Returning Officers and Registrars for each electorate, and the polling places. A change is made in the arrangement of the latter. Formerly they were given in geographical order but now they are published alphabetically.

QUERIES FOR PARTY LEADERS

WELLINGTON, Oct. 25

In his speech here to-night, • when referring to Mr Coates’ denunciations of socialisation, Mi’ Holland asked which one of the present socialised Institutions in the Dominion Mr Coates would abolish? Would it be the Railways, the Post and Telegraph, the Education Department, Health Department, the Public Trust, the State Advances, or the State* Coal Mines. He also asked the same question of Sir Joseph Ward.

WELLINGTON POLLS,

WELLINGTON, Oct. 25.

An increase of about 11,000 m the number of names on the electoral rolls for the Wellington urban electorates, as compared with the rolls for the last General Election, is disclosed by the figures made available by the Chief Electoral Officer. Substantial increases are recorded in respect of each electorate, the compai’ative figures being as follows: 1 1925. 1928.

Totals - - <58, 997 79 ’ 752 Of the total names registered for the coming General Election, 20,5/9 names appear on the Supplementary Rolls. DECLINED NOMINATION. NAPIER, October 26. Mi-J. Vigor-Brown declined nomination as United Party candidate for the Naoier seat, asserting that his mayoral duties occupied all his tiriie.

NELSON CANDIDATE. ■ > _ NELSON, October 26. Mr F. W. O. Smith (Reform) addressed a. good attendance at tli° Theatre Royal last evening. The candidate said Mr Coates’s administration had done more for every class of people in New Zealand than any other administration. He strongly criticised Sir TO. Wal’d?s loan proposals, believine it better to proceed steadily than t" attempt rash speculation, which would end in failure, and land the country in disaster. The candidate was accorded, a unanimous vote of thanks.

SIR JOSEPH WARD. REPLY i() CRITICS. WELLINGTON, October 26. Sir Joseph Ward,, in a. statement today, said he was greatly amused +" read olf the frantic efforts of the Reform Party and its press, to bring discredit upon his loan proposals. Apart from the varied contradictory charm” levelled' against the scheme, the must be aware that the criticism coming from men who had made such a hopeless mess of tlie country’s fir ances in the last few years, was of little worth. In regard to the Hon. W. D. Stewart, wliat value had been received for tlie thirty million he had added to the public debt in the last three years. Undoubtedly the result of his work would disappear in muddlement, wastage and the extravagant 'system raising loans, would vanish, not in one night but in one day—the fourteenth of November.

Sir Joseph Ward recalls that when be initiated the advances to settlers arid workers, there was the same cry olf “ extravagant borrowing, and it can’t be done,” raised by the party of Hon. Stewart.

C. A. WILKIN SON

ELTHAM, October 26

c. A. Wilkinson,'lndependent candidate for Egmont,. addressed a big meeting in the Town Hall mt Eltlmm. Nearly eight hundred people.were pre : sent. He severely criticised many planks of the Government policy. He had a most attentive hearing for his speech and was loudly cheered at the conclusion. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously.

Wellington i North .. . 12.558 1*4,059 'Wellington Central .. i 10,689 112,635 Wellington ' East .. .. .• 12,723 15,725 Wellington South . 11,505 13,257 Wellington Suburbs .. . 13,641 15,023 Otaki .. .> « •• . 7,791 9,053