FENDALTON SEAT

Press, Volume XCVI, Issue 28440, 21 November 1957, Page 16

FENDALTON SEAT

Combined Meeting Of Candidates

“Everyone here must consider in their hearts that we have absolutely no right to take any other person’s life by capital punishment,” said Mr L. G. White, Labour candidate for Fendalton, to a meeting in the St. Giles’ Presbyterian Church Hall last evening. Mr White, with the Minister of Finance. Mr J. T, Watts, National candidate for the electorate, and Mr A. E. Collins, Social Credit candidate, answered a series of questions put to him by the chairman, the Rev. W. M. Hendrie.

The meeting, which was held under the joint auspices of the upper Papanui Anglican. Methodist. and Presbyterian Churches, was attended by more than 200, who listened quietly and attentively to the candidates’ speeches.

The first question which each candidate discussed was that of capital punishment, and Mr White was the only speaker strongly to oppose its use. "There is only one power that gives us life, and who are we to take away that life?” he said.

Mr Collins, who spoke first, said that no matter what penalty was laid down for murder, it should be carried out to the full letter of the law. Mr Watts said that the responsibility for this matter should lie with those in authority, and was not a matter for a referendum. “A good deal of sympathy goes out to the convicted murderer, but very little to his victim,” he said. “I can not give my private opinion on this matter, as I am a member of the Government; but I can assure you that as a member of the Executive Council, which considers appeals. I have spent many sleepless nights on this question.” Licensing Hours

Messrs Collins and White agreed that some reallocation of the licensing hours was needed, to prevent the 6 o’clock “swill.”

“We must look to the interests ot all,” said Mr White, “and not just a small section of the community.”

“The stories about the condition of New Zealand bars between 5 and 6 o’clock are understated if anything,” said Mr Watts. “We have a major social problem here, but I would remind you that the people of New Zealand voted with a two to one majority to retain 6 o’clock closing. I would say that that was the vote of all the women, and some of the men. If the laws are amended, and there are strong grounds for amendment, they should be amended in the direction of less drinking.” “The energy these things release was given to us to do good in the world, and not to bring war and fear,” said Mr Watts, on the testing of nuclear weapons. “I oppose any further tests of these weapons, and believe we as a country should oppose them, too.” Mr Collins agreed that everything that could done-to prevent war should be done, but under our present system war was an economic necessity. “My views are that as far as possible, our young men on whom we will rely in certain types of war should have a chance in the first year or two of war that they did not have in the last war,” said Mr Watts. The production of nuclear weapons had been a great deterrent to war in the last three or four years, and the free nations would have no chance against the Communist forces in a conventional war. “We in New Zealand must be prepared to play our part in the defence of the free countries in South-east Asia; if another war comes there, it will be in Malaya, and we are pledged to play our part.”