THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Press, Volume L, Issue 15111, 29 October 1914, Page 9

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

THE ELLES3IERE SEAT.

JIH FREE AT LITTLE HIVEK-

I 3lr J. C. Free. Opposition candidate ! for Eliesffitre, opened bis carapuiyu at Little Ri"£r lasr, uight. The attendance was moderate. Mr George Barclay presided. yir Free, in opening, admitted iha: he had a very hard row to hot , , far as ho kaev.- the contest would bo :< straight-one one becwc&a Mr Rhodes and hinu-clf. His opponoui, \ns a i.' f -"- --t'einan tor v.-haai he had iho greatest respert- Tha.ligJij. b«7re<>u thorn would bo a clean and straight one. :!i:d turnip n he v.'ouid l>o criticisiiig 3!r Uhouoi s party pretty severely Jio would have urt-iilni; to say :i~;:in.>i *'i:o man. r l i:c: Government had r.evtT !>oe:i pnt o» *•"- benches by the- pecjjlc's vote; that vrave his patty 'lho party bad besn pui in uificc by : ; '"•''.-'-'■ breakers. During iw f.vency year:,' term cf o'liee the Liberal lAirty l:;u: necessarily made >i ceiciiin nuiiitin , c: eii'JtniO;; throughout, the country, bi-. two oi the mam iu-ais that "ad turned lhe people oi the couraiy auainst tr.o Ward (.I'o'/orrtmert; was its £itc of tha Dreadnought and Sir Ward's :ieccpUnca of n htwoncc-.y. Ho (the speaker) h\l always tV't that 'More was eoniethi'ug behind -Sir Joseph V. aid in prompting him to ?,"' v c that, Drta.laouiiht to the Homeland, i>ud it u;o present t-icJo everyone runi; rt'<;u.*ni.v -isafc he fdt at the time the urjier.t umi! of presenting the 'ihe very loaal the l J :irty should do now was to admit that it- '•nd made a mistake in critici. i:. Sir Joseph Wγ.rd Uf: presenting the iireadnougtit, but. no. one *.vord had been said. Why did Air Massey not K"'e Sir Joseph Ward credit for his action, when honour }■> whom honour is duo in iii:. Ac i''-- :- farewell to t!i« Canterbury trr.on:-; i ; tho King Edn-jird jjurraok.s? Was j: surprising that the Liberal criticiiod, sucii ii Government r flow would wo be ■etting on if the German Navy .tvev.? oor. bottled up in tie North Sea? Hoy u'ere our ;zoin;i to £et «" * ' we should be practically rilitied if vo did not have an opcr.iiu: for our commerce. Mr Free criticised so much n:on:-y being spent on home dofe;:co in Nov.' Zealand; it should be ilov.oicd to siib.sidies iomirds tho British Navy. H.s was opposed to a local navy. Loo* at the trouble the une cruiser, the Eindcn. had caused. Look at tho number of shi;>s she had sunk, r.pid Mr Free, in advocating the of ships io bottle up the Germans in the North bea. Tho Massoy Government had £ot to the pkeon-hoies. but had found noi-hiry. there, a»d alMheir charts seemed to have fallen to the ground. H took them twenty years to find out that it '.v; 1 . .•-, the Liberal* Party the people vanted. and not the- Masscy Party, ■ bp-j&uso when they got into power they adopted tho Liberal" Party's programme". Ho took it that that was not the party i)v? people- wanted. Ho chimed thn-i tho Reform Party had not mad;: a sm-ce.-s of their "administrative v.ork. V. hat had dono the Liberal Party harm was tho innuendoes made against the Ward Cabinet. Mr David Joues had said a;. a meeting of ladies that he had heard thincs in Invercargill about Sir Joseph Ward that ht> .would not dare roneat. Fortunately one woman had such _ a seuse of decency that she exposed what was said. If that were said at a meeting, what was sa-id beneath the surface V It was not British fair play. Look at what had been said about Sir Joseph Ward when he went Home t-u raise a loan. Contrast Sir Joseph's attitude when -Mr A'lon went Homo to rui>o a lean. He did everything to n&sist him by praisine; the buoyancy of tliie country. That was British fair P''">'.-. "AVith regard to the policy of the Liberal Party, they had Sir Joseph Ward's policy for twenty, years, and no doubt when* Parliament prorogued tho peonio would <?et it asahi. Sir Joseph Ward was tr.o shrewd t-o it out before! th<-n tn allow the other party to collar it, or that part, of it that united their purpose. Ho (Mr Free! was .still waiting to hear Mr Mar-sey's policy speech. In his speech at the Theatre Royal at, Christ church, Mr Jones was looking sick, and Mr Jlassey, instead of ignorinc; the. -Labour ir.tcr.iertions, took his time ansTrcring them. When lie sow tho peopla on the marc —Colle'-'-vb-^- , mcn —losing tbair manners, couia onowondor nt the Labour men losing theirs? He had'come t"« the conclusion after that night that if one wanted io lo>* one's manners one had to go to college Tn« liberal Party had always keen accused of reckiess borrowing. ••"" '•Nero" Berdinan had. ocioro ms pr.rty como into power, of tue Ward Government's "v.i.d rush ct extravagance," and baid that were was no need to borrow What did ono nnd now? The national debt had gone ap s-4 Q00,00(}, and it waj> tnat -"i Ma'ssev proposed vow to borrow £r\CGO,CHX). What about tho wi.a rush' of extravagance, now V He did ho.-, however, think Mr intended to borrow that amount. Ib «•«* J u , s W' l ,.V' bit for the electors. The Liberal Pai r y, however, borrowed f«r .reproductive purposes, and. no doubl. it tliey weio returned to office, would do so again. A great- deal of tho moaey they Iwd borrowed was to put the peopie on tho land. It was a great pi»- thafc only threo or four millions baa been borrowed to purchase land, when it was a reasonable tmire; it was a great p. ty "that- a ptroat deal racre money iiad nou borrowed for the now that land had -one vn to s»di a aguro that, it wac — •'"'■■' afc-a r«-—oductivo fisure. One to era i-ito tl— bn-K- to .icfjuire land for settlement pumnses. . Thb late strike, tr.e suppression ct which tho -Government took so much credit for, had cost iho Government ''500 000. The Goverament s action in trying to smash the feaeratjon or Labour had cosr the ccumry three-quart-er s o£ a million., and it was the farmur who had to loot tho bill, not mo casual workhis man. Money wa.s now .twins harrowed to S Wo the worsmg man emplovaonc ai Dyer's I'arf. (A \o:ce: ''And so it should!") in reply to mterieotions. ehk! the government were not prepared to lot the strike dispute bo settled by Mr Jnstice Williams. ~ . , A Voice: "They were m tho Mat place." , .. , , ~ Mr Free: "Vcs, but not, in the cad. Tho great misiaho was m Mr Massey beinc: Minister of Labour. }\ Ar FrasCT had been Miniver of Labour there would have been r.o- stride. --Ir Fra--»r was a real jrood friend oi the wortinp man. He Ofr i-r«> was scrry to say tnat none- of tae other members of tbe Mimstr?- was. Uhfn the L:>>era! Party was in Pjwer. trljen .flere were strikes in Wn.'>:.. other places, the Minster o; Labair went into I!'* thick oi th»',- s and secured a settle Tens. was only one wav of solans the Labour cuiikn!tv_bT alloxrins labours to no his own master by ?ottmp: on the land. T-v Govflrnnent st }jad ? iTcn tr , e CountT Councils power_ to put people on the'land, but was it m t*™* l ? ' - 1 © Sprint County ConncU tad recopmendod a piec* of land, but u:e Go veninient bad refused to jwirchaw 15 That showed tfc»'t die Government was not sincere. Witn land at present fk-ure it wonld cot bo *afe pci-i-v for the Govensocnt u> iwrchflse land near tbe cities, and eonrw, peonle wH not iw <""■ '"f, b - C;< r-blo-ks. Ihinmr the b*: IJi " ■ -"'J' ,, " years money had teen berrewcu to ,^

the poor man on the land. __but the big mr..".' Jiad secured the otseut. Tiia candidate devoted soino time to a denunciation cf tne Cor:--c:va:;vcs and praiso of the Libera.s. lie s3id lie w.is a Liberal by inheritance— Ho father Lad been v Liberal. Coming back to practical politics, £Q 6cid ho was total iv opr:c3cd to tae grantiiip; of r. refeiendiini on the Bibse-iu-schocls question. He wondered why (a pariv -.viiich -a? in a majority of • tare* to one on tho question should allow :ho mauor to tro into Parliament M.-ci bring into dilcus-sion a question dratted irom the Dark Ages. It i.b«» people who advo'-sied the Bible-ia-scriGois vanted :t. v-hv not teseh tho Hili'n in church r' 'i'Lcy warned the State 10 do the work for which they were besnc; r-sid. With regard to the iuorsirrj: "iastio. h* na» in'javour of Staio control. ' 'ihis vt,<=. he considered, the culy wav u> ov::Io the iiqvvrr quest icf>. "' He I-ov.ld v.ot njire-? ""ith liio Prohibit ion. : sU ;•) wan;-in\: to go av.-sv with !:co::s-;-v T!a J y c-ould nor. it-oj) a ias:i ilO'-iii'-S drunk: iu> would rij;'.:;i:f;v:l ■.:!•.•>. i-quor himself if ht-. co'il'i r>m cot it any oi'uc-r wiiy. Ho •Mr- Fri.-c-) h-.ij -;.t- iar wor>o ovilsjn no-li,;e:.=(. towns tn;in in licenced di»trivts. If ;i:o Sica*> c-ofitvcl i-.s-if were not •-.'.-ken tip, he would vot'j for tho o">i-j nir.irriiy. tlioucii he bclioved lh-i tiirev-fifuU j;i;ij«jr:iy v.-;t.< n rrorc tjial.lr? ccKitivi;. He favoured projwrtioii..] , roprciC'iiUiiio!!. ConinulMiry inilitnry iiMiuin^ < niignt b" all *riEhc'. but h« 'did no: think it t):c to follov.- iip_Gara!&ny, wi;o owe her u-3wnt';;il to com-Dtil.-o/y militaj-y iruininir. Ho bdicved in'the tru!-iii::p oi youths and ihe teaching of riile sho.itins. <il thc-u oiicoui'ajis voluniroviny:.. but oppose ooiniv.ilsory iai!i-:«ry training, tuour?!i lio a'du-.. : i:c:! iliv.i it had nec-o.iyry during tho pnst ycr.r or i""« ovviny J-O t!-c 0"-LT:aan'sr.oii;'i'-e. As soon ;js t">.c way v;:-. over they iniis.t drop eonjpulrory luiliiury irainii:;: in Now Zealand liko ii. hot potato. Matcrr.uy homes wore ■ vautccl the conn try dutricti. and in thlri the Government, h.id res duty. lr thy Public Serrkv find Uaihray Corn-mis.-.io!i«rj, wei'G api'Kjinved to do the v:ovk -Oi' 3iinir'.crs,' xha ftaliirits or tho lr.tt:.-r should bo reduced. Hofaiiod to >-.:o uhe m-rrssity for tho Public '6or-vi-o br>:-i;as,e. ti;e n:o*nh->:-'-. of -he Cov.irumcn'.s had nd-nini. c :-rrtxl th«-.« Jtffalr-i of the- country K'.icacTsful'y, and now tho Ov.iiniitsior.ers ran tho country. Minister seemed to ki ; ow novhiiiy:. In the Cviirso nt ftirtlier remarks, tho cnndic'a'if sni;l ho had had offers frrini of tho Liberal rarty to aive on his bohnlf in the elert'orale, Lin, !t- had !•■•!';) i-d them, b-il Sir .'ix.-?')]! YvV.rd ijivc a. 0:1 his b:'?li;!ij .-i: Ak.'iro,-). ' \ v/jfj' cf ti-:mk- and c-oriiidciico was acor.rdei] T-V...' <-n-Kiid;v •:■ -svii.br.nt dissent. utvvi vhr lv-VKM. <)f Mr M. Darclay. seconded by Mr H. Leo. T-O-XIOHT'S MEETCsJJS?,Ir F. I!. Goverumunt candidaco i'm- \..:ih*lcuiuvii ijoutn 3 will yivo UU 01-O;iiuy auiUKS ill tuO ilotilOUlSt 6.n0-Ja. j -ou), >>t-Jrt"V.a street. .Ur ii. J- • -Aciaavi, Uorornmcat canciuaie rer Avon, ;:t liioimcy tfofaoolruoiii. .Sir P. Joacs, Govei-iinient. candidate f,)! - Jimnnoi. ct- JiarsiiJan'J. Mr \» .* Jjuiiirs, Government oaudidato for .rltiruniii. at V,ai-i'i. 'A , ; .!. i;\'c. J.:o.:m( candidate for iCiievniivr. a', .s'uaiiu fjchool. KJICCAIiTGX. Mr 15. Bunn, Itciorn: candidate ior llic>":<:'tijii :i M-.u-ai iGiulou jin ■.-:.■ 1111 j.', Oi CiOut-Oib a I Lov.tr KiJCiirtoii \ a.:ii wiica i/ie ->uiyor (..u.r .). •'.t. : :-ovva; jtii'siaci. :»ir iiuna (lent at I icigUi iviih tiio fnticiiiina levelled -st ) Cao 1 in:i:i'-•:;;i po.ic-y of tnn liovornment, i uad rcuijou 10 -Sir -Joscim W'ara .3 ix>mpiiiij;:. Vco.:u-:in!;; the borrovings. 3lr ijiiiin t:.nt tiie projoctoil borriiMjiivr; Vifixi ; .o dp sprw.i ovyr a nuinuor of \vav«-. not in o;v? 7--'-'~, its .uixi.. bci::t in'ipiie:!, ;ir.d were an lor uctciSAi , .' -::jik'-. 0•.'■;)• i-Ui'fo rnfilions was ior* ruiiv.'av piiipose*;, t"-o niillioiis loi a vrar lour., ami ; 1 ~3. 7-50.000 for State advances and land settlement, and three millions for publio works. Tito autliy.-isations we-to obtained now in ordcv that tho money could be raised on the bo»t iyrms. »ol cs:c:ceding i-i per cent. Mr L'i.:;;n xho dealt trenchantly wil.li tho Legi.-ialivo. Council (iiiestiou. and nointcd'out that tiiote '.vuo were objecting to tho Gaveniinent-'a recent incasurc lvci-o the ones w.ho turned don-n Mr ?Jasscy : s iirst proi)oaai to mako Iho Council cioc.tiro for a. period of thri-o years. Mr Bunn's address w-.fi folto'.veii with close interest,- and at its c!o«, ;:::d whon he had replied to n big of questions, he was avoorded a hearty vocs of tluinU on mot ion of jEvans. scccuacd by Mr footer. , ... TO-nl3.hr, .Mr UuiHt v.v! speaa fli iv.rV,"CS. CHIIISTCHTJRCH XOSTJJ. Mr H. F. Toogood, the Goverument canaidavc for Cnristcnurcii iNortb, adUicsaeci v utee-.iiiii of cio.Tors in fc>t. siuttuew't. >Viioouooiiij <Jolo:ubo ttreet .Sori-n, !o*t evening. Or. A. Williams prtfiiued, ur/.l -tie iittc-vidance .small in consenucncc ut' tiic •- iuclpmeiicy oi the v.-catiter. TJie- candidate was nttentivclv listened to during JLis address, aad at the close an.>;veretl a number of questions. In reply to a question re- j tho Primo MinUters attitude towards old ago pensions, j Mr Toegood pointed cut that the ores-ftiit Government had iv soveraf liberalised tho old poDfcioi} sysU-ia. In iep]y to a question as to whether be in favour 01 reducing vhc protective duties he sai«i he was eortaiuly not in favour of doing so. as it would wreck local industries. He <ir«> stated that he would !ii;e. to see the evils of party Government oov.f av.-iiy with, but 'he Elective Executive wa? not a question of practical politics, as neither party would in.ikoit tiie subject of a Govcrnraont measure. On the motion of Mr G. Mason, seconded by Mr J. Prjnsep, a very hearty vot.? of thanks was passed to Mr Tor>;l;ood for his arHre-is, and the usual compliment to the chainnau clo'scl tho meeting. SELWYX. Mr Shoat had a good reception at Doric on uishi. where Mr Boyce presided. 31 r G. T. Smith "r.Topdcd, and Mr Dolan tei'ouded,* X vote of thanks for tie and interesting address." Mr Erirt ihon moved: —"That while this meeting thanks Mr Sheafc. it has no eonfiderrs in him -is a roproscntativo oi' tho Sc-lv.yn cloctorat<;." He failed, howtivpr, lα' find a seconder, and the liiotiou vo.h carried an:i;l applause. Mr Jo cjh Ili.rclcv, Hc-forni candidate for Se'.wyji. addressed a mectinc; at, Dar:ir-!d last 'oveaias. Mr V. Morri£jii piewdiur. Tht-ro wa.-- a fair_ attendance. At the ccneluiion of his speech. Mr HiUiilot was a vote oi thank--, the motion bems :iioved by Mr Kilgour. O;i Tucv'ijy e-x*ning Mr W. A. Banks, Beform Candida to for Hurunui. delivered an addrcs.; in the Drill Hailj Culve:dou. Mi- Dancan But her ford, of Leslie Hills, There ivas n £ocd attendauce, and Mr Banks received r» very attentive hearing, his remarks being frequently applauded. On the motion of Mr H. R. Davisou, seconded by 3lr W. H. Xicholson, the candidate wm accorded a very hearty voto of thanks amidst applause. VAITAKI. The Vaiir.aie '•AdverLiscr ,, ' states t-a."-•■- v!:o Waiiaki Liberal executive is j:n recef'it 01 Air John Kelly's consent ! ;.•■. sta'-d for y."air.aki. Mr Kelly, vrho 'is a 5/fothor cf "-he He:: Hugh Kelly. ■ iori:;frly cf Kncs Ciiurch,

Waiciate. is .it f-roseat headmaster of f the Wcsto;: School,' North ! KAIAPOI. I Advice has besa received at Kaiapci ! iliat the Hon. D. Bad do will rot be | able to take ;m active part in ifce 1 election campaign on Kccuunt of his severe iline-ss. Ko therefore places | himself unreservedly in ih-? hands of his committco. WELLINGTON SEAT^. (PEtSS ASSOCIATION TJXtGRAir.i WELLINGTON. October '27. Mr A. H. -ho s:tt:r.g | member, b&ii been ■se'oete.i u> the j Lalx>;ir for Wellinstcn Scts:h, | ►vncl Mr F. T. Mooro for th; Suburbs sect. WELLINGTON NORTH. C?ilEiS ASSOCIATION TfUTOXAU.* i Wi;LT.rXGTON.. October -JS. 1 Mr li. K. lloiltiud. the Sovial-Don-o- j orat c~Kt'iui! ; .o in opp<»siiiors to the Hon. A. L. HcrJiKa:: j'cr :l:t> Welliiigtoii Nofih .--oaf. opcnotl liis carupaipn ;o-!ii;;at. H;» dcii; iit I:;r.;r.h \vith tl'o j plr.-iorra of ti'.c p-irty j and co\"!rip mn^>: , . <.5»o Government- for tint ;.".ltii:;; n;vasuro« to i.irevoji;- putting v.p tho j of lie u'&o cd iho Oov-.'r;mie:it'< it'.tion in confio"ion M'ita ol.:ctovnl maticr.*. thoir <>b- ■ jocfc ho lo deprive the j seamen of their voics. I sir jA:»n'.s~\TmoLL at TAKAI'At". (rp.E-s as«ociatiq:t TEr.r.^RAi!.) DANNEVII-JKE. Oc'.ober 27. Sir Jits. Carroll dtilivcrcd a political address at T;;kapau on Mourby o\*cti; ing, t:«vctins himself k> a criticism oi tho Gov.H-nrnent i'or i:s i'uilure <q fulfil its clofiio!! plfdiJC.-. nud for shirking its ro'-poiK-ibiiivios. Tho incet;: , nc " corded "him a voto of tr.j'.nlis, and cs- i pro?*e<l its cor.ik'er.cr! in tho Liberal j Party. Th« ronclutlcd tvith cheers lor Sir Joseph Ward.