AUCKLAND EAST ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XLI, Issue 134, 8 June 1910, Page 8

AUCKLAND EAST ELECTION.

&£R W. RICHARDSON AT NEWTON. An address to the electors of Auckland City East was delivered last evening in 4he Orange Hall, Karangahape-road, by ilr William ILiehardson. There was a fair attendance. Mr George Wakelin presided. iir Richardson, who was received with applause, said that while not carrying ihe ticket of a Labour candidate, he claimed to have a better right to that gosirion. He was not a No-license man, •but a Prohibitionist. Some of the labour leaders had asked him whether le would adopt .their platform or retire an favour of :i Lubour candidate. He declined, saying he had a better programme. He was half-inclined to think he would be sec-ond on the day of election, and at the second ballot he trusted and temperance people would fall in behind him in the a.ttempt to defeat Mr Myers. He had offered the Lal>our party that if he had to fall out ■when the numbers went up he would do his best to assist in the return of the second man. He recognised .the immense difference in the financial position of Mr Myers and himself. As, however, at the la-st election he (the speaker) had polled over 2262 votes, he thought he -was justified in again ofi'ering his services. Although a Prohibitionist and a Protectionist, he was also a Liberal, but not after the Ward type. He believed in one vote one vajue. Property should not be put first and The homes of the people last. He would not agree, in their efforts to prohibit the liquor traffic, to any i-andicap of CO to 40. He did not believe in taking the lesser of two evils, and ■would oppose the compromise recently made. Because of that he was rejected by the No-license party, the previous psrtv. About six years ago Mr Seddon offered that in all No-license areas there should be no liquor. The Rev. Isitt replied: "We have not asked for that." Mr Richardson said he agreed with Hγ Seddon when that offer was made. It ■was really what the Prohibition party •wanted, but they were afraid to accept. If returned, he 'would certainly do his ■best to <ret the Ward Government out, tut -would support Sir Joseph Ward if le brought in a measure for the good of the people. He had supported the initiative and referendum. He was also in M.v«ur of an annual Parliament and an elective Upper House. The second Chamter should certainly not be a nominated one. He was not sure an elective Executive would work, but was prepared to give it a trial. An election every year swould have a very beneficial effect on "the members. Mr Richardson then dealt ■with his protective policy on lines similar to those reported in last evening's issue. This country wouid carry 40 millions of peonle, and th-ere must be something -wrong in their methods of government -when there were people wanting work, when their population was only about one million.

Mr. Richardson said he believed in supporting the farming industry in every Sbranch, and in doing so would be also doing his best for the residents of the town. It was important' that town and country should be sensible enough to let each other live. People in the towns must remember that it ■was to the farmer they had to look to purchase their manufactured articles, for hostile tariffs would prevent exportation. There seemed to 'be no provision for the slump that must inevitably iollovr wieH the expenditure of borrowed money ended, as it' must some day. That their' tariff was not iugh enough was shown by the fact that they imported annually £700,000 worth CI woollen goods, £300,000 worth of Shoots, and £ 4,000,000 worth of iron [ goods. The industries they had now in Zealand were all protected, but he contended, that- 'the duty was not high enough to capture all the business, if wanted a 'big population in Xew ■Zealand, they must protect all industries. was no reason why they should mot have a sugar-beet industry in the a glass factory, and in the ■North a payable silk trade. He 'was sensible enough to realise that Labour and Capital must not be antagonistic Tne man with brain 3 always needed the man "with capital behind him. They could not get industries started even •when the country suited unless protection was given. An intelligent protectionist was not a taxer, 'but aimed at opening all the possible avenues of labour to the people.

in aasiver to questions, Mr. Richardson said henras not in favour of '"tied" houses, and if returned would do his best to get a bill through the' House which would absolutely block that. He was in favour of preference to trade imiorusus. He ivas an absolute friend of Laiour. but he would not be made a tool

of. He was in favour of Dominioa option by bare majority. He had denounced local option for 30 years. He Tvas not in favour of leasehold in land. He had worked in the bush, and held tha-t when a man felled the bush and made s. farm he was entitled to all the profit Tie could get. Why, if a farmer got trades -union wages £or the hours •he worked, there was not a farm in the Waikato that would pay wages. (Applause.) He "was not in favour of single tai, and lie looked upon it as single madness. Free trade was a st'u-

pend-ous folly from a Labour standpoint. His policy was live and let live. He was in favour of very heavy licenses for all aliens digging gum. (Applause.) If returned lie would never sanction the alienation of Government House. He <was ashamed of the Government's attempts to steal from Auckland. To save the baying of a site in Auckland for a post -office the railway station was taken, yet money was available to buy a site in Wellington. Then there was an attempt in steal a portion of the park for a courthouse. The University did not need to be in the centre of file town at all. As to the licyvett case, he attended the inquiry, and it was the 'biggest farce he ever witnessed. The officers never seemed to kcon- what they had to do. As

for Captain Rnyvett, his only offence seemed to be excess of zeal. He was against the totalisator and also the bookmaker. The Stock Exchange was not on the =ame basis; he did not know bow the mining industry would get on without the Exchange. He was also an antiChinese man. He was opposed fo the Bible in schools. A boy would not take Bible lessons well from a man who had given him "12 handers." (Laughter.) He did not want a secular schoobnastej to do what was the ministers , work. (Applause.) He would not sanction th« alienation ox any section of any park or reserve. (Applause.)

Mrs. Wakelin moved a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Richardson, and in doing so gave a temperance address, for whka siie was loudly'applauded: The motion was carried -unanimously.

LABOUR PARTY SPLIT.

CBy Telegraph—Own CorrespOnflentj

CHEKTCHUBCH, this day. There is- some difference, of opinion in ~ ifcaicair circles here-es-to whether Messrs. T. E- Taylor. Mcßnde,and McOsSouTh

are entitled to announce themselves as the official representatives of the Christchurch Labour party. It is known that comjQHinicatiorjs have parsed between Auckland labourites, and some local leaders of the Labour movemeri, but on the other hand it does notvseem that the party as a whole had any- say at all in the sending of the three delegates. One prominent Labour marc-xemarked to-day that the party would want to know exactly ■who had been responsible for what seemed to have been a -very ill-advised attempt to guide the Auckland Labour people. A reporter waited on .Mr. G. E. Whiting, a prominent member of the Labour party, "who, dn reply to questions, said the party was quite unqaiimous in sending the gentlemen named up to Auckland. A different complexion was put on the matter by the Hon. J. Borr, who stated that the allegation that some of the Labour leaders in Christchurch were opposed to Messrs. Taylor, llcCullough, Mcßride, and McLaren posing in Auckland as representatives of Labour opinion in Christchurch was quite correct. It might also be correct that the Labour party approved of the action of the gentlemen mentioned and were responsible for sending them to Auckland, but then it must be remenrbexed that this Labour party did not represent the opinion of Labour in Chrjstchurch, because the party is a mere handful of individuals; it is questionable whether they axe all trades unionists. "Labour politically," said Mr. Barr, "is not united in Ohristehnrch, and the McCuDough-cum-Whit-ing type is very much in the minority at the present - moment."