POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 2059, 25 November 1919, Page 3

POLITICAL.

The strength of the extreme Labour section is waning. Labour is divided against itself. The extremists know that revolutionary methods will never find acceptance with young New Zealanders, who are loyal at heart. Holland, Semple, and Co, realise this fact, and their tactics and mouthings have been modified. Had these loaders put first tilings first the results of the coming election would have resulted in victory. But they have besmirched Labour. The smudge of disloyally and direct action, and the iniquitous methods of “go slow”' must be cleansed before Labour can hope to come into its own. We want no class-conscious war, for every .man who works with brain or bands has equal claim to the term Labour. The extreme revolutionary party is not the salt of the earth, and young New Zealand is not revolutionary. This will lie disclosed when the numbers go up. Sane Labour will in the meantime record its vole for the Independent candidate, and for the Liberal against Ibe Reform where no Independent is offering, because it cannot be convinced that the Reform Party has shed its Tory coat. Sane Labour at the back of its head knows that the spirit of Grey, Balhinee, Seddon and McKenzie has not vanished, and there is hope for the raising of a superstructure on the foundations well and truly laid by those departed statesmen.

Mr A. C. Ifillier, Labour candidate, will address a meeting of ladies in the Masonic Hall, at 3 o'clock to-morrow afternoon.

The Prime Minister (Eight Hon. W. F. Massey) made a statement on Saturday with reference to the suggestion that young men of territorial age should receive four months’ continuous training in camp (stales the Dominion). Home cities of the Government, he said, had been trying to manufacture a little political capital by representing that this four months’ training was a part of the policy of the Government, and also by twisting the suggestion into a form that did not belong to it. .Mr Massey said that he had been out of New Zealand when the matter was first mentioned. He understood that the Minister of Defence (Sir •lames Allen) had slated publicly that recommendations had been made by military experts for the improvement of the Delence system, and I hat one of the suggestions had been that recruits should receive four months" intensive training in camp when they reached Territorial age, instead of the present arrangement of day and night parades spread over a series of years. .1 lie four months’ training was to be given in the first year, and wa> to be followed by short refresher courses in subsequent years. “Tins proposal is not the policy of the Government.’’ added Mr Massey. - “it was pnl forward simply as a suggest ion made by the military experts. It has not been before Cabinet in any

Mm pe nr J'nnn. The 'Mini 'lor of Defence (ms slated definitely Mini no chang' - is briny made in Ihe t fit in in”’ system libs year. The Government will nut hr committed 1" any training system of (lie kind suggested when Parliament meets next year, 'flic manifesto which I issued recently on behalf of the Government emit ained I lie following plank: ‘Amending the system of military trainin” - to provide that it shall not interJen* unnecessarily with the industrial operations of the country.’ I do not think that the country will he misled hy the attempts that are being made o misrepresent the intentions of tiie Government regarding defence.”

The Reform Parly, said .Mr J. S. Dickson, at Auckland, was up against Extreme Labour. Sane Labour had made great sacrifices during the war, tint Extreme Labour Pad done its best to prevent men going in the front. Extreme Labour candidates, he continued, were all talking very nicely to Hm electors, but (hey speak very diffe.renlly on Ihe soap box on Sundays. (Hear, hear.) He quoted from a booklet by Air Scott Bennett to prove his contention that the Labour candidates were not appearing in their true colours before Ihe electors.

Mr Percy Lomax, the Independent candidate for the Motueka seat, on Saturday evening addre-;-cd the large.-l political meeting held in Murchison since the lime of the late Mr liichard John Scddmi. I lie candidate's criticism of tlie* Massey administration was very trenchant, and a unanimous vote of thanks ami eonthlenee was earned with cheers for the candidate. •T stand for more homes, more food, more clothing for the workers," announced Mr K. Semple (Labour candidate) at "Wellington. “And less work,” helpfully suggested an admirerpn the audience. “Yes, and less slavery," said Mr Semple. Mr Mae Phenon, the Liberal candidale for the Oamaru scat, in discussing the policies issued by Sir Joseph Ward and the Premier, said there was not a great difference between them. He favoured the Libera! leader because lie was hacked by a record of forty years. The land legislation showed tinkering by Kef oncers, who were responsible for aggregation on an alarming scale. The large combines and merchants were responsible, he said, for the cost of living, which would never he reduced until the.-e criminal monsters were done away with. Mr J, Vigor Brown, M.P. for X a pier, had a very rowdy meeting

last week, v.’hrn inlomlpticms were continually made. During one enforced halt in the course of his address Mr Brown “broke the crowd up” by opening a bottle of lemonade and having a drink.

“Are you a hullshcvikf” was a question asked au Auckland Parliamentary candidate. “No.’ was the response, “nor a cowshevik, cither! ’

Mr Fred Pirani had another boisterous meeting in'Wellington' last night, and was accorded another vote of no-confidence. Interjections included the “Eoxton frameup.” Mr Pirani can now quietly nr l minute over-his illegal proceeding at Eoxton when, in deiianee of the law, he became a law unto himself and defied fair play. He laughs best who laughs last!

Mr Hillier addressed a large openair meeting in Main Street at Saturday night, and was accorded a good hearing.

Mr T. Milford replied to the Prime Minister, at Eltham last night, and secured a splendid hearing. The meeting concluded with a vote of thanks to the speaker and confidence in the Liberal party, and hearty cheers as an expression of hope for the parly’s success al the coming polk*

Wo are informed t!mt the Independent Liberal-Labour candidate for Olaki (Mr E. MacDonald) is rapidly gaining- support, and that the final struggle will lie between this candidate and Mr Field, sitting ALP. The other candidates are Messrs Isherwood (Liberal) and McKenzie (Labour). Surely with such a splitting of votes Mr Field, as champion of the Reform Party, should have no difficulty in winning —unless he has fallen from grace!

Mr Newman spoke at Kongotea on Friday night to u large and appreciative audience. At the conclusion of (he meeting the following resolution was passed unanimously, on the motion of Mr H. 11. Hunt, seconded by Mr AY. Darragh: “That this meeting accords a hearty vole of thanks to Mr Newman for his address, and desires to express its appreciation of the capable and valuable services rendered by him during his term of office, and to express its continued confidence in him as (he representative of Manawatu in Parliament.” Air Darragh, in speaking, said that lie desired to mention Hie services Air Newman had rendered in connection with the butter-fat equalisation fund, and the inside of parliamentary life, which he had gained whilst in Wellington in conned ion with that mat lev, lie was satisfied dial Air Newman was a good tanners’ representative, lie Imped Mr Newman would again be returned with a large majority to represent the Manawatu district.

“Excuse me calling you Bill, but you’re nil rigid,” said a voice at Mr Aliissev’s Ellham meeting. Mr ALosev; You don’t need to apologise. Volt arc not the-first to call arc Unit by a long way. The Interrupter: Here have I been against you for 2o years, but I’m with you 10-nigbl." Air Massey welcomed his new convert, and said that lie bad heard of many such quite lately.

“This cry of ‘Lahour Parly,’ ‘Labour Party,’ from my interjeelors is a real I.W.W, stunt to cloud (he real issue. lam the hit of stall: to stand here and advocate my leader: my Keform opponent advocates his leader; hut are yon the hit of stuff to stand up and advocate Holland, Semple, Fraser, with perhaps a dash of Paddy Webb thrown it? I say ‘No!’ with a hiy N. And Pll tell you why. Away down in your heart you are ashamed of them, and I say without fear of contradiction that not :?0 per cent, of the workers of this country have ilie sliyhtest faith in them.”—-Mr Dunbar Sloano, Liberal candidate, at Kaiwarra.

From time immemorial polities and noise have been associated, says the Palmerston Times. There is always a more or less irresponsible section of the community which goes about making noises at election time. We can remember how the mobs in the cities used to emleavout —with indifferent success to shorn down the hue R. d. Seddon, and there are those who remember a diminutive .elector in this borough leading a demonstration agaiiHl that exuberant and overwhelming stalesman. Tina* brings its revenges, I he diminutive but very provocative elector has gone to Wellington to woo the suffrages of that ■ notorious storm-centre, Wellington Central, and the proceedings were apparently mutually vociferous and recriminatory from pistol to tape, Of course, the "Dominion wags its head over the occurrence in appropriate fashion, and declares that this kind of thing is indicative of Bolshevism. It is not. It is indicative of the mirthless stupidity provoked by the study by light-headed persons of the political piffle published in the party press. Theoretically, every candidate for Parliament is entitled to fair play and an attentive hearing, hut when the editors start out upon campaign* of mud-slinging and misrepresentation it is not to he wondered at that their readers take the cue. The campaign of organised interruptions of candidates opposing the extreme Labour nominees in the Wellington electorates will only help to widen the gap between sane and extreme Labour.

Mr Edward Newman, M.P., will address the electors of Eoxton in (he Town Hall to-night. While we fully expect that the candidate will have innumerable 'questions hurled at him, and possibly a few interjections, Ik? need not fear other than a fair hearing from a local audience. As wo have said previously, Mr Newman is anything but a magnetic platform speaker, hut he has the redeeming feature of steering clear of flights of fancy. The public will be a Horded an opportunity of hearing a plain, unvarnished tale of the Reform Party's policy.

Speaking at Normandale School on Saturday evening, Mr W. H. Field, M.P., read the following extract from the Morning Post, which he urged his hearers to weigh carefully at the present critical period of our history:—“Civil strife is a poor wreath to lay on the graves of the dead. Glass hatred is a sorry monument to erect to their memory. High tasks await us. We have titanic work to do. Each of us must play his part in the effort that is needed to build the commonwealth.” Mr Field answered a large number of questions, and was accorded a heartv vote of thanks.

]\lr Fnlrieau, Liberal candidate fi>r Auckland "West, was asked why the price of eggs rose from Is 5d to 2s (id The candidate: The hens have as much right, to strike as you. (Applause.) Mr Entrican said he started business 21 years ago in a shop which cost 10s a week, and without an employee. From this he had built up one of the largest businesses in the country. A voice: On Jt per cent. ( Laughter.) The Candidate: 2so! On giving a square deal to every one. if lie went to the House he would claim the right of private judgment. He contended that the Reform thirty wa.s the Conservative Party which conserved privileges for a certain class. Reform was a stolen term.