THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXVI, Issue 13526, 7 November 1911, Page 6

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

THE WANGANUI SEAT. Mr. Hogan in the Opera House To-night. This evening, Mr. Hogan, the sitting member for Wanganui,' will open his campaign with a speech in the Opera House; which is likely to'he packed, as the .'address is being looked forward to with great■■•interest;' -Mr. Hogan is still feeling the effects of the strenuous work of tile recent session,- but may be depended upon .to give a very interesting account of his stewardship, and to expound his views on all the most important political subjects of the day. The dress'.circle will be reserved for ladies and their escorts. \ Mr. Veltch at Ccnville. Mr W. A. Veitch, Labour candidate) addressed a good meeting in the Gonville Town Hall, last evening, and received an attentive hearing. Mr Hastings Moore occupied the, chair. . Mr Veitch, in the course of his address,-dealt especially With landiaud commercial monopolies, in connection .with which he strongly condemned the Government's administration., Wliiloadmitting that soihe of the Government’s legislation was good, lie said that it could :be of no use unless sympathetically administered, and, this was where the Government had utterly failed. It had no land’ policy, and no, clear-out programme worth speaking: of. The Labour Party had a definite, democratic programme, particularly on the land question, one aspect of which was to secure to the public, by taxation all values created by public money, and this applied to Maori ! lands as well as to those privately owned. He condemned commercial monopolies as the chief cause of the increased-cost of living, and advocated an extension of the Arbitration Courtis powers, to deal with them. Several questions were answered, and: a hearty vote of thanks was;--passed to Mr ■Veitch, on the motion of Mr J. H. Bowater. A strong loqa-1 committee was formed, with Mr j. Berriman as chairman. Mr Vcitch.’s. executive meets in . the Druids’ Hair at 7 o’clock this evening, and .his general committee at 8 p.in-to-morrow. The ladies’, .committee;,-will, meet at 2.30 on Thursday afternoon, at the Druids’ Hall. A Mr. Candidature. A; big muster attended Mr Mackay’s committee!, meeting, held in. the Druids’ Hall last eyeuingf when good progress was reported by the snh’-committceo. All arrangements for the forthcoming, election were reported as .well in, hand, and the support so far accorded in all districts very encouraging., . . . Mr Mackay speaks atlGonville in the Tojp Hall oil i Friday; the Wth lust, , - - - THE PATE A SEAT. » Mr. p’Dsa at Mosstown: There‘w-as a large meeting at Mosstown last night to hear Mr. O’Dea. Mr. J, Dempsey presided. The candidate at the conclusion was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence on the .'.motion. of Ml. Robinsoli, A strong committee has subsequently formed, witli ;Mr. Dempsey chairman, and Air'. McNeil secretary. •In answer to questions, Hie candidate stated lie was ill favour of full civil and political rights to civil servants, and was also in favour of the 'Wanganui Harbour Bill. Mr. C. V. Pearce at Hawera. (Per United Press Association.) ' HAWERA. November 7. Mr. ,G. V. Pearce, M.Jh, th|. Opposition candidate .for the Eatba seat, addressed flic electors last night and adversely criticised the Government’s land, public /works,, ' and borrowing policy. ■ He received a cordial reception from 1 a' crowded'audience and a vote of: confidence. THE WAIMARINO SEAT. Mr. smith’s Candidature. Mr E. W. 'Smith has, owing to the alterations to Mars Hill School not having been completed, had'to abandon'his politi-, cal meeting,which was to.have 1 been held there to-morrow (Wednesday) evening, and; invites, the electors of Waimarinb to meet .■them: at, the l|aitpke' Hall 1 at 8 o’clock' tomorrow '(Wednesday) evening. THE TARANAKI SEAT. INGLEWOOD, November 7. . Mr Forbes, an Independent Opposition' candidate for Taranaki, opened .his campaign last night, and'had a good meeting. Ho expressed himself as a supporter of. the freehold, and more, progressive land setHe was against local option, and in favour of Dominion prohibition on a hare majority. He also spoke against compulsory, training-in every form, and was in favour of 'the Civil Service being removed from' political control. He was in favour of public works by contract, against co-operative-works, against the Government's; extravagant' finance and)mefficient administration. Hie candidate asked for a vote of thanks only, which 1 was passed; accordingly.

THE PREMIER; IN THE ISOUTH. WARMLY WELCOME! AT ‘ INVERCARGILL. ‘‘Will Be On Top In The End.” (Per United Press Association.) INVER CAR-GILL, November 6. 'Hie Premier arrived to-night and received a cordial reception from a large crowd at the,, railway station. The; Mayor, made, a suitable .speech of welcome,,and the. Southland' Pipe Band played Scottish airs. ' ;Sit- Joseph Ward , made a . short speech from the. carriage -platform, in'which he acknowledged the , warmth of the reception. He said some; people had tried to represent that coolness had grown in the electorate that he had represented for 24) years. He would. 'undertake to , make it jxretty warm when he went there, tljore Would he no. more coolness' after* .that. (Applause). He also believed it was impossible,. that ;: 'lnvofca.rgill would retrogress to the side of the reactionary Tories of the old days. For. violent and misrepresentation, he had 1 Rover heard anything to equal what had been, circulated in his. electorate during his absence, lie was '"'satisfied, that Whim the other side of the question was heard, ho would be on top in the end. (Applause).-' Sir Josenh Ward then took it. motor car to his hotel, preceded 'by "the Hibernian ■ Band. Addresses' and bouquets for Lady Ward were' presented at Gole and Mataura on the way down and the train wag considerably delayed. SIR JAMES CARROLL. Crowded Meeting at Levin. Defence of Native Administration. More About the Mokau. 0 . ' LEVIN, November 6. , oir James, ..Cairo)!,, Native, Minister, addpssed_a . crowded , meeting at Levin toHe dealt largely with native affairs, ajjd defended his departmental administration. In 1891 whcii.Jiis party took office.. Maori lands .aggregated,,,.10,829,456 acres. .Co-day it was down to .7,137,205, and only 190,7.92. acres were-,without.a title, .though ih 1892 there were 2)- millions untitled. ; Ip all the Maori had parted,with the freeh°ld of four million acres, leased three. ,millions, and hpd at/out three million remaining. This included a lot of useless mountain tops and lake areas, and there, were 40,000 .Maoris to iise it. Ho-favoured tpe transference., to . Europeans of the , poorer native lands, as he,admitted, that ’Europeans could work'these . better than , tjhe natives-could. He believed the- time Was now at hand when the native could enter the race'at “weight for age,” though in the past he .had neede.d protection. ,In a lengthy, summary'of the position regarding, the Mokan, he said the position to-day was that the native owners (who used to get ,£2OO per annum)-for the leases) now had ,£25,000 .purchase.,money, which was equal to £I2OO per annum. „As the leaseholds would have run; for .30 ..years wore the reversions would have been worth nothing to the present owners. He was sure they; all would see that; the' company which held the land to-day 'was bound to throw it open .for settlement within three years, arid.the Government' had; escaped a treble set of lawsuits' which' it would have been liable' to had it. dealt directly, with the block. ■- A vote of thanks to the' speaker and ' confidence-in the 'Goveriiirieiit was carried without' dissent; ' Mr. O’Dea’S; CahtSi&atufe, > Mr O’Dea expects to 1 finish*., his tour of the Patea . electorafue.-dm about tern days'. He speaks at;'. Ngamataponri -.and thc: country behind Waitotara -next.,'week, and after thaifc in the Abu Alin Block behind Kai Iwi., He will speak a ssocond -time at - Aramoho in about a fortnight from date.