POLITICAL.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 15463, 16 December 1915, Page 8

POLITICAL.

| -4 — ! MR J. McGOMBS, M.P.. AT WOOLSTON. In the Oddfellows' Hall, Woolston, last night, Mr J. McCombs, M.P. lor Lyttelton, delivered a post-sessional address. There was an attendance of hetween sixty and seventy, over which Mr J. J. Graham, 'Mayor of Woolston, presided. Mr McCombs spoke of the conditions existing at the opening of the session, which tiftimately led to the formation of the National Government. He hoped that uie two parties would remain joined logetner, ana that mere wouid ue no niwe liguts uetweeii sections tiiat nan no real uineiencos in polK-y. lne Labour l'aity wouio.ia.cn emerge as a distinct factor, unhampered by any alliances, lie next dealt with tno cost ot living, and said that the statement tn the uueiget that tile haivest would only yield 0i millions of oushels, and tuat tuero would be a

shortage, was unworthy ol the National Government's part when, two weeks beloro the JJudyet was biouyht down, the Government .Statistician liad issued liyures showing that tile yield would lie (>i millions. He feared that m removing the restrictions on the export of wneat, the Government had blundered, ana showed that it is not out specially to protect the ennsu/ncr. "the restrictions should not have. Ijceii removed till tjour>was at I*9 10s or £10 per ton. 'Jlie^manner In which tho war taxation problem had been faced was a disgrace to the National Government, which had failed most completely. No war profits tax had been imposed, though it had been imposed in almost every part of the British Empire. He thought a 'strong argument could be put up in favour of tno appropriation of the whole of such profits. Referring to tee legislation "' ing with the cost of living, he saii.V-rt the National Government, which was supposed to be composed of all the talents, had simply set up a. Board to find a policy for it, and to suggest what legislation should lie Tjrough+. in. Referring to war pensions, he detailed tho steps taken by tho Labour group to have certain allowances increased, and said that by doing so, they had done ntoro for reciuiting than many recruiters on the platform at present. It was to the credit cr' the Hon. Colonel Alien that he frankly admitted that the provision in the Pensions was not adequate, was not reasonable, aa far as tho dependents of tho Dominion's soldiers were concerned. When l£ came to dealing with the Bill, tho labour group had considerable sympathy from. Mr Allen. His own impression of him was that Mr Allen- was one of the strongest members of tho National Government, and one of the most sincere public men in the Dominwn. Ho (the speaker) was opposed to Mr Allen—he believed lie was a rank Tory—but 'he admired strong men, whether Tory. Liberal or Labour. (Hear, hear.) Jn respect to soldiers' pensions, he knew that it was a good thing that they hud Mr Allen to deal with, and not tho LiberaLs, some of whom, if they had been in chamc of it, would not have mado it as, liberal as it has been made. Referring to the question of conscription, Mr McCombs said that whilst the Yellow Pres3 in New Zealand howled "unpatriotic" when anyone spoke against conscription, the subject was being discussed in England without the patriotism of the opponents of conscription being questioned. Ho wished to tell those who had relatives at the front, and who might be feeling that others ought to go, that it was not in their, interests that others should be compelled to go. If there -was conscription the people would have no opportunity to insist on.adequate provision in tho way of pensions being made. He combated the contention of Eomo advocates that conscription would be cheaper, and paid it would bo only cheaper to the man who had the money and ought to provide the pensions. Conscription would cost just as much as voluntaryism, except that in the one case the cost would fall on the soldiers' dependents, whilst in tho other it would fall on the whole community. Whilst single men should bear their portion of service, ho did not believe that the -whole burden should fall on them, and it need not if the State makes adequate provision for married men's dependents. The cry that only singlo men should be sent was not fair; in every single man killed at the front was destroved the potentialities of the future population. The man who urged others to go should himself bo in khaki, home private employers—whose political equal the working man was—if asked for a job arrogated to themselves the right to decide whether or not tho applicant should be at the front. Such a system of recruiting was monstrous. Referring to the statement that the Hillsido railway workshop workers had expressed themselves definitely in favour of conscription, he quoted from the official organ of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants to tho effect that the Hillsido workers told tho Minister of Defence that they desired the nationalisation of the necessaries of life, and then conscription of men. (Applause.) Leading public men were emphatic that the conscription of wealth must precede the nationalisation of flesh and blood. (Applause.) In view of tho Railway Department's notice to its permanent men that they must not go . to tho front, and to its casuals that if they went their jobs would not be kept for them, was it any wonder, ho asked, ' that the Hillside workers wanted conscription rather than the present sys- > tem? He hoped the conference to be held in January would bo just as emphatic as the labour conferences in 1 Great Britain in saying: "We will not 1 have conscription." Ho concluded : with a reference to what he said was an attempt made during last session to interfere with factory legislation. Mr McCombs answered several questions, and a vote of thanks and con- ' fidence was carried without dissent. i A vote of thanks waß accorded tno chairman.