THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 9120, 20 June 1908, Page 5

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

DR. FINDLAY'S SPEECH,

DISCUSSION BY WELLINGTON TRADES AND LABOUR COUNCIL. WELLINGTON, June .19. The matter of Dr. Findlay's speech was discussed at the weekly m?eting of the Wellington Trades and Labour Council. A resolution was carried authorising the Parliamentary Committee to go into the whole subject and to report to the next meeting of the' Council. From the tone of the debate on the question, it appears that the delegates on the Council are very chary of the "speeding up" proposals of Dr. Findlay. The competition amongst workers was keen enough as it is, said the delegates, and it was not wise to set men at each other's throats for the sake of a few extra shillings per week. The "cutting in" by employers could not be averted, and in the opinion of tiie Council any system of classification or "speeding up" was against the well being of the workers.

HON. J. A. MILLAR ON THE LABOUR LAWS.

SPEECH-AT NAPIER

BY TSLEiXiPH —PIIESS ASSOCIATION . NAPIER, June 19. The Hon. J. A. Millar, Minister of Labour, addressed a largely attended meeting in the Theatre Royal this evening. The Mayor (Mr J. Vigor Brown) occupied the chair. The Minister dealt chiefly with labour matters, defending the Industrial, Arbitration and Conciliation Act, which he declared was the best Act that had been passed in New Zealand. He defended the Arbitration Court, which he said was not at the prestnt time in such favour with workers as it might be. The Court had to deil with the condition of things as they found them, and when they had found the country prosperous they had had taken that into consideration, and wages had been raised. But the're was a limit beyond which they could not go without increasing the cost of production to such an extent thr.t inJustries must cease. The increased cost of living, the Minister said, was due move to the prices ruling for our exports in outside markets, which affected the price of land here and also of our products, than ti Ihe insrease in wages. He orijfd ths wurkc-s to loyally observe' the provisions of the Act it they wished employers to do so, because tha Act had to be administered fairly to both sides.' He advocated amendments to the Act, and also in the Employers' Liability and Work* ers' Compensation for Accident Acts, so that sufferers under tho?e Acts might receive the full amounts to th»y were enu'tlel without having to disburse large surr.s to ascertain their legal claims. Mr A. L. D. Fraser, M.P., also spoke, advocating a second ballot at elections and the abolition of special Maori representation in Parliament. A vote of thanks and continued confidence in the Government was passed.

The town v. comtry question \?, according to Mr T. Mackenzie, M.P., involved in the system of redistribution of seats on a population basis. He pointed out, in a recent speech, that the ratio at which the town population is inc.easing over the country population wis shown oy the last census namely, 25 per cent, increase for town againit 10 .per cent, for country. Unless the present condition be altered it is within measurable period. when the whole influence of the Dominion will comefrom towns, and whilst of course there should be no conflict between town and country interests in theory, yet in practice, owing to the circumstance that one. set of people live in town and another in the country, a different idea of the perspective of things is given, and town views are apt to be voiced against the permanent interests of the community. It is necessary, therefore, he concluded, that the present condition be altered, and the alteration take place as soon as possible.

Mr A. H. Atkinson announces his candidature for the Oroua seat at the general elections. He will "tand as an opponent ot the present Government. Another candidate, in the person of Mr John Yarr, is out for the Masterton seat at the general election. Mr Ynrr was approached yesterday and asked to stand, and it is understood that he replied definitely in the affirmative. Tuipeka, which has just been the scene of a by-election, is one of the three seat.* to disappear at the general election. It will be merged into surrounding constituencies, and the dominant political question in the district at present is the seat which Dr Chappie will woo. Questioned as to whether he will be found at the hustings of Bruce or Mount Ida, Dr Chappie diplomatically refuaeJ to be drawn. Mr S. W. Fitzherbert, who intends to be a candidate for the Oroua scat, has decided to stand down in favour of Mr 0. C. Pleasants, the Government nominee. Another Liberal candidate, Mr Crabbe, is also ' expected to withdraw. Mr R. E. Hornblow (Independent) has expressed his determination to go to the poll. Mr Guthrie, a Rangitilcei farmer, and Mr Atkinson, a Feilding auctioneer and chairman of the Folding Chamber of Commerce, are standing in the Opposition interests. The Auckland "Herald" understands that the Hon. E. Mitchelson was approached with a view to his becoming a cpndidate for the Waitemata seat at the general election, and that he intimated that private and other reasons would prevent his acceptance of nomination.