THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OPENS.

Shannon News, 2 October 1925, Page 3

THE POLITICAL CAMPAIGN OPENS.

MR HOLDINGS’ SPEAKS- IN SHANNON The political campaign, so far as Shannon is concerned, was opened last evening in the Mao.riland Theatre when Mr Rollings, standing in the National interests, addressed about 20 electors, lii the unavoidable absence of the Mayor, Mr Clayton, who presided briefly introduced the speaker. Mr Boilings said he came before them to ibe tested and tried and at, the conclusion. of his address they would have the -opportunity of pelting him with questions. He said personally he. had nothing to gain by coming into the contest. It had been said that lie had an axe to grind. He said that this was true, but it waf> the axe , of the electors of the Manawatu particularly that of Shannon. He said that was to cut down the obstructions that hurled to prevent the reconstruction of the Manawatu bridge, to secure the restitution of the express railway service taken from this district by the Minister for Railways and to object to the delay of starting the construction of the Main Highway through the district. He said he wanted to see established in Shannon a District High School, so that'opportunity of secondary education to the Children of the. district could be obtained by them without having to go away from home. He said he knew of nothing of more benefit and help than secondary school education to put (Children on the road to win their way to the universities. He had no personal feeling and; would conduct liis > campaign without personalities. Mr Linklater, he believed was quite a good fellow, but he was bound body and soul to the Reform 'Party and the mo-riey bags. He did not know Mr Roberts, the Labour candidate. 1 The former’s interests were at Palmerston North and Mr Roberts in the Wairarapa, whereas the-‘-speaker’s ■'were here in the Manawatu. Neither Mr Linklater nor Mr Roberts’ names were on the roll for this district and though that did not debar them from contesting this seat, it was a strange law that permitted such a thing. If the'. Liberal Party was to; be saved from the influence of tlie ( knights of Reform it must take' off the gloves and fight. They had on .one side money fighting ■lor selfishness. On the, other side

they had what was left .of 'the Liberi al Party' helped, he honed, by the , Labour Party, fighting lor the good of humanity. Which the nobler aim? Money could not \( r in this election lor if the forces of true Liberalism would only unite with sane Labour and fight lor ideals that would uplift humanity there was not enough money in New Zealand to beat them. ‘He was not an extremist.' They heard a lot- about file -extremes; Labour and some of them'-he admitted were ■dangerous. Then there was the ex:-

treirn; of selfishness typified in the ' Reform Party. He was neither of these extremes. He was not a Bolshevik, but where the ideals of the Labour Party were to uplift humanity, he \yas with them. He believed that the best ideals of the Labour Party could be reached by sane constitutional methods, and without revolution, confiscation or, violence. . If Socialism; meant that the poor should have a chance tot live hi decent comfort, that the honest worker should have proper housing, that all children should have equal opportunities of education; arid that the aged should spend the eventide of their days.without care and anxiety, then he was a Socialist and not ashamed of it, because it was the doctrine of the brotherhood of man, which would finally solve all problems, industrial, social and commercial; That doctrine would do for him as it taught one to bear each others burdens. Though a professional man he claimed to be a worker. There were those who did mental work who worked harder than any physical labourer. There were business men who carried burdens heavier than a sack of coal. He knew ' what it was to have a tired brain and aching heart and for that reason sympathised with all who l had to work • for , their livelihood. He -was not pledged to any party. He was fighting this election of! his own bat. No party funds were behind him. There was an 5 advantage In being free of party trammels, because, if elected lie could go to the Government and demand justice for his district. He did ll not believe in party government which had been the curse of this country. It had brought class legislation. He favoured a non-party Government bringing together the talents and brains of all parties. Such a Cabinet would see that justice was done to all classes of the people, but it would only come when they could eliminate selfishness and personal ambition. He was not pledged to any leader—certainly not pledged to Mr Coates, nor could he be after the at- ' titude of opposition he took up to this district in regard to the express trains and; the LeviiwVfartin deviation. He could not follow the Leader of the Labour. Party. The party he, believed ' had in its ranks sane and honest men, but they were led by men he could not follow. It was early to judge the National party—one was always' a little suspicious, of new najnes. If the National Party stood by the ideals and principles of the old Liberal Party he was with them, but if their idea was to Surrender those ideals to the Reform Party they need not count oil him. The voice he would respond to was that of Humanity and would follow the banner of true Liberalism that hM .been raised by Dick Seddon. He would stand by the old Liberal banner, If lia had. to stand alone. The

r ideals of Liberalism and sane Labour, were identical. Nothing was gained by fighting each other. The speaker said he was once a supporter of Reform, but he was misled and fooled. The word Reform meant to improve was adopted by the Party in order to get into office. They had reformed nothing only their own position by cutting out the second ballot. He severely criticised the Reform Party over tlieir treatment of civil servants, their attitude in refer ence to the Levin-Marton deviation, on taxation matters, and the increase of the National Debt which had increased from 84 millions in 1912 when they took office, to 227 millions at the present time. He concluded by attacking the Reform Government for its autocracy, incompetence and extravagance. Asked if he was a financial member of the Foxton Labour Party he replied yes, he believed in their ideals, but not their methods of attaining them, and to a further question he held that he was not violating his pledge to the party in coming out as a Liber-al-Labour candidate. He couild not remember approaching two members of the FOXton Labour Party requesting them to nominate him as the Party’s candidate for the Manawatu Seat. On Mr Downes’ motion a vote of thanks was accorded the candidate.