POLITICAL CAMPAIGN

Auckland Star, Volume XLV, Issue 70, 23 March 1914, Page 9

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN

FJ___P____l_.G FOR ELECTIONS. LIBERAL? AND THE TTRNCOATS. MR. MACDOXALD IX AUCKLAND. The approach of liie general flection is beralde'. by the many political campaigns which arc juet now being launched. In "the Auckland province. Mr. W. D. S. JfaeDonald iex .Minister of Public TVork'i, Mr. .. C. Thomson i M.P. for Wallace., and Mr. G. Witty ..M.T. for Biccartom, «i!l. during the next few _av>. tiddre.-s several pubiic meetings with the object of explaining the Liberal programme and it- attiliide towards the recent industrial troubles. An interestins and important feature of '.he campairi is the promised " -traight speaking" by Mr. MacDonaM. with reference to the action of tho-e members of Parliament who crossed the floor of the House after having been elected as Liberals, ilr. MacDonabl arrived in Auckland from <i_-boi.ic yesterday morning, and the fir-t mcetinsrs will be held at HelensviTlp an 1 iV>rt Arthur to-.lay.

- We are told by our opponents." said Mt. MacDonibl I" .i " Sur "' reporter. "that tiie Liberal party is dead, and that tbe pre-nit (lovernment are really the Liberals. Neverthole--. the facts stand out very clearly that at the last election there were 4_ representatives returned to support the Liberal party and progressive measures, as against 38 returned to support ibe present Government, and the reason of out opponents now beincr iv ofiice is the treachery of some members of the L.her.ii party who were returned ny Libera! constLtuencies. We ferl that there i- ..nfli. lent political morality left in these constituencies; tb_t .-were betrayed to deal nut po':ilif-nl death to those who broke ihe:r pledge-.. It is my fntentioii to do some plain speaking in _.v»o in order lo show Ihow the present politi.a! situation has been brought about.'' TUE STRIKE •SETTLEMENT." " 1 also want to explain our attitude in regard to the !a.te industrial troubles, and to the va.rious me_.suTe~ which we, as an Opposition, combated during tbe last session, and we also intend showing .people the retrograde legislation that has heen passed recently." Proceeding to explain the attitude of the party in relation to the late inrltis. rial troubles. Mr. AL-ioDonald said that lhe Liberals, from political motiv_>. had been acxllscd of assisting the strikers. While it was a we'll known fact that the Liberals and the Labour parly had worked sympathetically toe-ether for many years, when the r-trike occurred in Wellington, tbe caucus of the party m- called together, and they decided at that meotin;r to in no way embarrass the Government in the settlement of the dispute. "We never took any active part, in any shape or form, in hampering the settlement of the dispute."' declared Mr. MarDrroald.

" I was going to say in hampering the Government in settling the strike, but it. is a well known fact that, as far as the Government is concerned, it did very little to settle the. strike. i?ir Joseph "Ward has been accused of making symthetic speeches in regard to the strikers, but 1 would refc.r any per>on who wants to know the re-al facts of the case to Sir Joseph Ward's speeches as pnibrished in Hansard, which clearly sets ■out his statement iv rejrard to the matter. Although we did not interfere with the Government, we were confident at 1 he same time that conciliatory methods could have hern adopted which would have, largely prevented the present condition of things. It is quite clear that during the com_n<r winter. owm<; to the preference clauses in the industrial agreements, there i* _oin_ to h" a consider.i.Me amount nf hardship inflicted en the men who took part in the strike. Owing to the methods adopted in the so-called settlement of the strike, there is every prospect that it is going to inflict very great hardship upon large numbers of people throughout the different centres in Xew Zealand"