LIBERALS AND SOCIALISTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LV, Issue 116, 17 May 1924, Page 5

LIBERALS AND SOCIALISTS.

1 ■ GLASS-HOUSES AND STONES. HOW MR HOLLAND HAS VOTED. Commenting to-day upon the adverse vote that was carried at Napier, Mr. F. S. Morton, Secretary of the Auckland Provincial Council of the Liberal-Labour Federation, stated that this would show the electors just how the Marxian Socialists were disposed towards the Liberals, and would strengthen tbe Liberal party by the accession to their i ranks of those who on previous occasions voted against them, believing that they I were working in unison with the |' Marxianists. The Liberals, he said, I looked upon the leaders of the Marxian j movement in Parliament as being i hostile to everything that is British, j and knew that they .were part and parcel of a foreign - organisation whose one great aim was the dismemberment'! of the British Empire. These political j opportunists who have dropped in here from other countries complained about Liberals voting with Mr. Masscy on different occasions. It would be well to show a few instances of just how Mr. Holland had voted. On one occasion when Mr. Wilford, following the rule laid down by Mr. Seddon, moved that | preference be given to a New Zealander | for the position of Director of Educa- j tion, Mr. Holland walked into the lobby j with Mr. Massey, and voted against it. When Mr. Wilford moved that "the j system of giving wealthy insurance ; companies a rebate of 4/10 in the £ on income tax on local body investments be abolished," Mr. Holland voted against it with Mr. Massey, thereby letting ' them off with 2/6 as against*7/4 which they would have to pay upon income derived from mortgages upon land, thus ' preventing the flow of necessary capital to assist the small farmers. "It should be remembered," added Mr. Morton, "that these Marxian Socialists took the field in defence of the conscientious objectors during the war period, yet they take exception to the Liberals who voted according to the dictates of their ; conscience on proposals put forward by the Marxianists which were against the interests of the workers of this country. During the Patea by-election some years ago Mr. Holland declared that the Liberal party was an unburied corpse, but evidently he haß found that the ghost is haunting him for the manner in which he has been kicking it since that occasion." LIBERAL-LABOUR POLICY. MR. VEITCH EXPLAINS. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) GISBORNE, Friday. Mr. "Veitch, M.P., addressed about two hundred electors, dealing with the Liberal-Labour policy on agricultural ' and workers' banks, industrial development, the moratorium, and land settlement. ■ Mr. Veitch referred to tbe '• Napier meeting, at which a hostile demonstration had 'been made against the chairman and himself, and said that th Napier people were justified in feeling angry with him. He was past-presi- '. dent of the A.S.R.S., and, owing to false < information, people believed he had < voted against them. He explained that ! the Government introduced a Bill to reduce the salaries of all men in the ; Government service. His party agreed I to support the Bill to a certain extent, I f opposing any reduction under £320 a- |; year. The Labour party opposed the j, bill altogether. The Liberal-Labour j ; party therefore took a middle course, |, knowing that if their proposals were not ] i agreed to they had their remedy in the , third reading. It was untrue to say . that he voted for reduction of the | salaries of the lower paid men. In j ( regard to railway hours, he thought they 1 should be kept to forty-four a week. 1 He did not approve of the strike method, and never had done so. At the conclusion of the meeting, after Mr. Veitch had answered' a large. number of questions, a motion, of thanks and confidence in Mr. Veitch was carried ! amid prolonged applause.