POLITICAL.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXX, Issue 67, 14 November 1914, Page 6

POLITICAL.

PAHIATUA’S LIBERAL. Per Press '•Association. Pahiatua, November 14. Mr J. I). Matthews, official Liberal candidate, had a good hearing. He contended that the present Government had not done all they promised to help settlement along. Https should be taken to, force the breaking up of big estates. He_strpngly supported the present secular education. He advocated teachers being paid according to ability, not on attendance. Ho condemned “the Hiloy rrtilway appointment, and declared that the Civil Servants were discontented. He believed thaty if Sir Joseph Ward had been in power the Admiralty naval agreement would have been carried out. The Reform Government had not carried out \ts pledges. Settlers found difficulty in getting advances. The vote of thanks and confidence was unanimous.

Dr. MCNAB AT HASTINGS.

Hastings, November. 14

Dr. McNab, Liberal candidate for Hawke’s Bay, addressing a crowded meeting at the Princess Theatre last night, aproved the Legislative Council Bill providing for proportional representation. Hb- said that when thoroughly understood, a great deal of the opposition to that system would disappear from the Lower House. ■He severely criticised the Government for abolishing (the second balI6t without substituting a belter system ; also legislating to deprive seamen of the privilege of selecting the electorates in which to vote, to save the Hon. F. M. B. Fisher. He accused the Government of going on with railway construction in supporters’ electorates and stopping constl'iiction on the Hawke’s Bay-Gis. borne line. He urged the need for the country preserving intact the nine million acres of endowment lands, and pointed out that the McNab Land Bill included ’a clause giving holders of lease-in-perpetnity lands the right to convert to freehold. Therefore, Mr Massey was wrong in claiming to be the first to give this right. He said that as a means of breaking up largo estates trustees should be compelled to hand over to the State land equivalent ,in value to the apiount paid in deatli duties. He dealt at length with Mr Allen’s loan prospectus, saying that in one swoop Mr Allen abandoned twenty-one years’ contention regarding surpluses. In local option he favoured the 55 per cent majority. He! was against a, Bible-in. Schools referendum. Religious * instruction should not be the work of teachers. Referring to Huntly he said it was too serious a matter to suggest that any member of the Cabinet was guilty of manslaughter, but . be thanked God that all the faults of the Ward Government never resulted pi 43 men losing their lives. He claimed that the Liberal Party was the author of the present defence system } arid that he was the mat who enabled the Defence Act to be ■put on the Statute Book;- On resuming his seat, he was loudly applauded. The following resolution was carried, with a few dissentients, on the voices: “That this meeting accords a hearty vote of thanks to Dr. McNab for his able address, and expresses confidence in him and ‘ the Liberal Party.”

MR MINE’S CAMPAIGN. (From our Special Correspondent). : Mr J. B. Hine, the Government candidate, has put in heavy work during the past few days in the Whangamomotia district; and has undoubtedly greatly improved the favorable position', in which the settlers esteem him. At Tahora and The Tunnel his welcome was one of great satisfaction, and at G o’clock on Thursday he addressed the combined workers and settlers from the railway works and Tahora. A large number were present, and Mr Kenna was.voted to the chair. Mr Hine spoke for an hour and a-quarter, and received an attentive and sympathetic hearing, at the close of. which a hearty vote of thanks was unanimously accorded the speaker. . At Kohuratahi the same evening, at 8 o’clock, Mr Hine was greeted by all the representatives of his old stronghold in the Whanga district, and that the same good feeling? towards the . sitting member still exists requires no further mention. Mr Hine is Kohviratahi’s favourite, and they show their pride in their member in no uncertain' way. After speaking for an hour and a half a few questions were asked, the chief one being as to Mr Hine’s attitude towards aggregation of holdings, and Mr Hine very straightforwardly replied that he was not in favor of allowing any person" to buy up whole areas of land to the detriment and disappointment of others. At the conclusion, on the motion of Mr Hill, a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Hine was carried on the voices. On Friday Mr Hine journeyed to Te Wera, hut owing to most of the settlers being busy shearing and cropping the attendance at midday was meagre. The candidate addressed the few that were there, and at the conclusion was given a hearty vote of thanks for his address and of confidence in the Massey administration *on the motion of Mr Lawrence, seconded by Mr Warwick. Mr M. O’Neill kindly presided. The same evening a large meeting 1 was held in the Pohokura school, the building being packed. Mr Hine spoke . on lines similar to those already re--1 ported, and was given a very attentive hearing. Many questions were asked ; by Mr Robert McClnggage, hut nothing damaging was set forth. On the pro- ' posal of Mr McCluggage a hearty vote 1 of thanks was accorded the speaker. Mr Pitcaithly kindly filled the. office . of chairman. To-night Mr Hine speaks at Toko.