POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2058, 22 November 1919, Page 2

POLITICAL.

Mv A. C. Hiilier, Labour for this electorate, will speak hr'' Main Street at 7 o'clock to-night. He will also address a meeting of ladies in the Masonic Hall on Wednesday afternoon' next, at 3 o’clock, All interested cordially invited to bo present.

Speaking at Feilding this week, (he Hon-. D. IT. Guthrie, Minister for Lands, referring to aggregation, said ineffectual attempts had been made in 1913, and again in 1918, but last session drastic proposals were passed which,, he hoped, would entirely stop aggregation. Dealing with the cost of living, he claimed that the Government had done something. Through (lie Board of Trade it had succeeded in keeping flown liie ’prices of necessary commodities. ■ lie quoted Ihe following increases in the cost of living: Great Britain, 110 per cent.; Canada, 75 per cent.; United States, 03.7; Australia, 40.(5; New Zealand 43.5.

Mr 'Newman's supporters in the northern part of this electorate are. confident of a large majority. In Fox I oji Mr Newman previously polled well, and it is anticipated that he will secure a majority locally. He is as yet personally unknown to Shannon aiuLTokomavu electors.

Airs F. E. Baume, the Opposition candidate for Parnell, advocates the endowment of motherhood.

At Brigadier Meldrum’s (Liberal) meeting at Marlon this week, a motion of no-conlidence in the Liberal Government was carried.

Ail supporters of Mr Edward Newman are invited to meet in (he Masonic Hull, at. 7.30 o'clock on Monday evening, for the purpose of forming a committee.

Mr Moses Ayrton,-Labour candidate for Palmerston North, advocates .Slate control of necessary commodities, land-holding on the basis of use, not speculation, electoral reform in (he direction of a' smaller number of Parliamentarians and enhanced remuneration, and nationalisation of shipping.

lie had nevor voted against his principles. If any person could prove that he had done so he would retire from the contest. That was a fair .challenge, said Mr Pirani, at his Wellington meeting. Thai’s a slippery statement, and worthy of the versatile Mr Pirani. Let's see, / he was first a Knight *d. Labour, (hen a Liberal, then an Independent, then a I?dormer, and once again a Liberal. His political principles have been wrapped up in many labels, inid for what reason ?

The Labour Party are'well satislied with (he prospects of (heir caudiato, Mr Hillier, in this electorate, They consider lie is gaining ground rapidly.

The so-called commandeer of our produce, said the Hon. I). H. Guthrie, at Bedding, was not a commandeer. It was a bargain si ruck between the Imperial authorities and the producers of Xew Zealand.

A visitor from 1 Wellington, who takes an active interest in politics, informed our representative yesterday that I’irani hasn't a hope of; winning Wellington Central —he is not taken seriously, and that Fraser will easily account for him, hut that Colonel Mitchell will defeat Semple for Wellington South.

Air XaHi's supporters are confident that he can retain the Palmerston seat against Air Ayrton, the Labour candidate.

AVairarapa is looked upon as a certainly for Air Hornsby, the Liberal Independent.

Air llillier, Labour candidate for Afanawalu, in conversation .with our representative this morning, said that ho is satisfied with the support that lie has received so far throughout the electorate. Air llillier has had good meetings and encouraging reports from his committees and supporters. Mr Hillier will address the electors in Alain Street this evening. ‘‘This is not, a time Wr you or me to be a Liberal or a Reformer,’* said Air D. Jones, Government candidate for Kaiapoi. “It is a time to think of what 1 will bo for. the best interests of the Dominion. 1 read Sir Joseph Ward’s Christchurch speech carefully, and what did 1 find in it ’ —Sir Joseph Ward right through. When you lind a man saying it would he dangerous for the country to leave him out of power—well, it would be dangerous to put such a man into power, whether he be Sir Joseph Ward, Air Alassejq or anybody else.”

“I know I am going in/’ said Mr Pirani to his rowdy Wellington Cen r tral audience. “You’re going to your dear old home in Dixie,” was the response. “"All the men who have rowdy meetings are going in at this election,” retorted Mr Pirani. “Those whose meetings are quiet are going to be retired to private life.” The rowdy section intimated that Mr Pirani would have both rowdy meetings and private life.

An emphatic “Xu” by Lieut.-Co-louel Mitchell, at Berhampore, when asked; “Are you in favour of removing the civil and political restrictions cm Mr Webb lo,allow him to contest a seat?” was greeted with enthusiastic applause. The candidate added; “Xo man has a right

to help to govern thi- country who is not prepared to fight and defend it.” (Applause.)

When asked at Westport how the Labour Party would vote on a noconfidence motion, Mr Holland said he hoped the Labour Party would come back from the elections as the constitutional Opposition, bjit if it did not, and Sir Joseph Ward moved a vote of no-confidence, the Labour Party would join with him in ousting Mr Massey, but it would not support Sir Joseph Ward unless he then enacted the legislation the Labour Party was fighting for.

The member for Hut t, Mr T. M. Wilford, will visit Eltham on Tuesday for the purpose of replying, on behalf of the Liberal Party, to the speech of the Prime Minister.

Dr. Thacker, M.P., who is seeking re-election for Christchurch East, urged that the State should take charge of all incurable disease cases, like cancer, etc., and should take charge of all defectives. He thought the rise in the cost of living had been due to the floating of big loans in New Zealand.

Mr W. U. Devereaux, Reform candidate for Riccarton, extolled Mr Massey’s endeavour to keep down the cost of living. Mr Massey was the real friend of the true workers, and though be might be Ihe best hated man in New Zealand amongst the workers just now there would be a. great many tears shed over him by the workers if he were to die.

Hr W. G, Paul, Labour candidate for Waitaki seat, paid a tribute to the old Liberal Party under Mr Ballanee and Mr Seddon, but wont on to contend that neither the Liberals nor the Reformers had produced anythin!? of a progressive nature since then.

A question regarding Mr Ayrton’s opinion of the “go-slow” policy was asked at his Palmerston meeting this week. The candidate replied that he could not defend the point in New Zealand on ethical grounds, but the workers had to Jind some solution of the difficulties caused by overhearing employers. The eighthour day for Scottish miners had come as a result of “go-slow.”

Mrs Lindsay Cooke, Independent woman candidate (soldiers’ platform) addressed one of the largest political meetings held at the Thames. She spoke trenchantly, and at the conclusion was accorded, a hearty vote of thanks and confidence.

There are a large body of; men in New Zealand who seemed to have the freehold printed on their brains as if the freehold was the only thing, and that there was a large number of men who slaved to gel the money for the freehold. It, however, instead of the freehold I hey had a good tenure on the basis of occupation and use, (be capital now locked up would be free for development purposes. Every farmer should have the right to the value of what he produced by his own labour, and on the other hand they had the values created by the community, and those belonged to the community.—Mr Ayrton at Palmerston.

Mr Edward Newman, M.P., will open his political campaign in the local Town Hall on Tuesday evening. The Mayor, Mr Clirysiall, will preside.

Air Isilt, ALP., said at Christchurch he was pledged to light for everything that made for the prosperity and happiness of the people, and he pledged himself, whether they returned him or not, to light hard, heart and soul, against Bolshevism, and to light those leaders of Labour who lie believed were the greatest foes this country ever had. There was only one way out of the difficulty which the country was now in, and that was by thrift and economy. He did not mean economy by starving industries or cutting down wages. If, however, we were going to pay high wages, that rotten, degenerate, and contemptible system, the “go slow” policy, had to be stopped.

The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, speaking at Southbridgc, advocated [he compulsory taking of estates for settlement purposes.- Both the Government and the Opposition bad an earnest desire to help the returned soldiers. With regard to military training, he believed a system would be introduced whereby men could take their training whenever they liked, so that their ordinary occupations would not be interfered with.

It would be the duty of all .sensible members, in the event of the extreme Labour element securing enough support to sway the House, to combine together to form one strong party to combat that element, ■, said Mr R. A. Wright, M.P. He wished it to be understood that he was not opposed to sane Labour securing its just share in politics, but to revolutionary Labour he would always be opposed. Where all had a fair chance at the ballot box there was no need for revolutionary tac- , tics. The extremists of the Labour Party of New Zealand had adopted the I.W.W. policy, which would spell disaster to any country in which it secured a grip. His theory was that the I.W.W, had started in Germany, with the hope of injuring . the industries of other countries to enable Germany to secure control of the world's markets. In support of his contentions as to the attitude of the I.W.W. he quoted from a

leaflet circulated on the Wellington wharves, upholding the “go-slow” policy, which was advocated as the. means of bringing about Labour's emancipation.. Similar leaflets had been distributed throughout the world by the parent body of the I.W.W. He was not a man who believed in driving Labour at the point of the bayonet, but if men holding such views as those contained in the leaflet obtained control in the Parliament of New Zealand it would mean disaster for the country. He said that the “go-slow” policy was supposed to hit what was called by Labour the “fat man,” but examination showed that it was always the poorer classes that suffered. The intelligent and moderate workers of New Zealand would never adopt the I.W.W. methods, but would seek rather to bring about the desired changes by education and evolution.

The present policy of purchasing land at inflated prices is suicidal, as the process means still further increasing the inflation; and the policy must eventually break down under its own weight. The proposal by Sir Joseph Ward to subject the owners of large estates to increased graduated taxation in order to bring it into the mai’kct, is certainly a much more statesmanlike, one than the policy being adopted by Mr Massey. —Wanganui Herald.

Mr J. P. Luke, sitting member for Wellington North, had a lively meeting on Wednesday night. He was subjected to a running fire of interjections.

A warning as to the dangers New Zealand Ims to face during- the next few years was uttered by Mr T. M. Wilford, M.P., at Eastbourne. ‘■There will be no serious labour troubles until this election is over,” he said, “but I believe the next three years are fraught with peril and uncertainty. Troubles were 1 looming in 1914, when the war came and obscured them temporarily: since then the lire has been smouldering, .and unless there are elected strong men, willing and able to observe, and to act in time, there will be such a struggle as no one will be a.ble (o stop. . . . Co-operation on the old terms is impossible. . . . The

Government to be elec led must immediately call a national conference of employers, employees, and Goverumenl Departmeii ta 1 rejircsenta - lives to work out a national policy and find out what machinery is required to make it effective and helpful, whilst statesmen worth .Jim name in the future must see that we neither buttress old privileges nor establish new ones. I have no faith that the war will create a nowworld, so let us devote our best efforts to improving the old one. There are impossible uuwi in the tents of Capitalism and (he ranks of Labour, and we must lilt the bairier that has divided captains and privates, of industry iido hostile camps and hindered necessary production, and realise that a man works best when his work wins him comfort, personal recognition, respect, honour, and reasonable leisim.. . A national conference will not cure all ills, )mi if it cures some it will, leave less to light about afterwards.” “Are you not on the political fence?” asked an elector at Berhampore on Thursday night. Colonel Mitchell (the candidate): “I don’t know about that, hut, if I am, rest assured I won’t drop off into the paddock of Extreme Labour.”

The .boasted Land Bill brought down in all solemnity last session to kill aggregation would no more do as suggested than “a gas mask would stop a 12in. shell.'’ The marvellous aggregation-ending-clause had been suddenly dropped out, slaughtered, when the Bill was in Committee, and a page of new stuff, drawn in a few minutes, ho believed, had been putin to deal with this great question. Truly that measure was the “Bill of the gossamer touch.” —Mr Wilford.