THE OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN.

Press, Volume L, Issue 14918, 17 March 1914, Page 8

THE OPPOSITION CAMPAIGN.

. MR G. W. RUSSELL AT GORE. (abridged press association report.) • GORE, March 4(5. At a largely attended meeting held in the Princess Theatre to-night, under the auspices of the Goro branch of the Liberal Party, Mr G. \V. Russell, M.P. for Avon, replipd to Mr Herdman's addrees at Wyndham. Mr D. McD-ougail. Mayor of Gore, presided. Mr Russell said that during the twenty-one years the Liberals had governed the country a golden era of progress and prosperity continued throughout the country. At the election in 1911. he said, 182.000 votes were cast for Massey, 200,000 for the Liberal Party, and 97.300 for the Labour and Independent Parties, and yet the Reform Party was in power. The career of the Party in power was one of broken pledges, unfulrilled promises and mismanagement. The speaker then proceeded to deal with finance on the lines of his earlier speeches. He said that when Christmas time was approached last year, the Reform Government 'dismissed from every ono of tho railway workshops all tho casual workers employed in building engines, carriages, trucks, etc.— men who had probably been working every day for six months. They wore informed that it was no use their coming back for employment before March 31st next, although there was work enough for every one. This would! not have happened had the Liberal Partyremained in power. Mr Nerdman at Wyndham had attempted to explain the matter of the filched Public Trust report Ho (the speaker) did not know who had given the report to the "New Zealand i Times." Mr Herdman charged whoever, was responsible for the act as being disloyal to the State. If he ! (Mr Russeil) had done what Mr Herdman had done in connexion with this matter, he would go home and kneel down before his bed and pray to God for forgiveness. Regarding the strike, he said that whatever had been done by the Massey Government to settlo the trouble would have been done by the Ward Government. Had his party been in office he might have done exactly the same as the Massey Government had done, but if Mr Massey had introduced his legislation the first day of tho strike much trouble would have been obviated. Mr Russell concluded by stating that the moral was that Labour and the Liberal Party must sink their differences, select a candidate and go to Parliament representative of the progressive Liberal Party. The following motion was put to the meeting, and declared by the Mayor to be practically unanimously carried: —''This meeting desir«*s to "thank the speaker for his excellent and statesmanlike address, and hopes that at the forthcoming elections the electors will so express themselves tnat they will return once moro to power Sir J. G. Ward and tho Liberal Party." Cheers were given for Mr Russell, Sir J. G. Ward, and tho Liberal Party. _____