GENERAL ELECTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 222, 12 June 1908, Page 8

GENERAL ELECTION.

; THE FIRST SHOT FIRED FOR.THE SUBURBS SEAT. ! MR.J.IVLUKE AT KILBIR.ME. • Mr. J. P; Liik6, a candidate at: the general elections for the Wellington Suburbs seat, addressed a gathering of about- thirty• people at-O'Donnell's Hall, ■ Kilbirme, last' evening, .in reference-to: his ■ candidature-- Mr. J. ;A. Higginbotham was elected chairman. The candidate opened his remarks by..saying: that he could consider; himself fairly well known" in Wellington and the suburbs. He had been ■ a City Councillor for ' ten yearfe, and. was chairman of tho Wellington Hospital Board arid of _ the Wellington Technical School' Board, besides. occupying other public' positions. : The Suburbs was; absolutely a' new seat; and no one was ear-marked for it. ■ He had therefore as much claim to the seat as' any candidate; He had not . hesitated about his candidature',-or left the' natter oyer for people, to . make' comparisons between 'him and.: other probable ' candidates. He had therefore . announced liiriiSelfarid. had invited the 'residents of Kilbirnie to hear his viCWS. ■ A'GOVERNMENT SUPPORTER. :■ ■'.

. ;He came - before them, as. s , Government supported He possbsed no'promise as to being' tho Government candidate,. and he had not that he :'niig!vt ;be.. Ho was; a supporter, of the present Administration, arid had been since it camb into power under the late Mr.' John Ballancb." :Ro fully believed the country could not do better than-retain that Administration. (Applause.) He did hot intend to make an elaborate speech'that night—merely to give them a few reasons as justification lor coming forward. The land settlement policy of the Government met- with his warn' support.. Since the time of the. late Sir John-M'Kerizie that policy had "been a most vigorous one,' and had benefited 1 both those "directly; interested, and coiri'mbrce : generally' The changes in. the tenure under the amending ! Act of. last session met with his warm approval. ,He quoted comparative" figures to 'showlVthe- general advance; in ten. years, 'pi)d' l 'o.ther: sets o^statistics ftp' indicate, tlie general - prosperityand -.dbyelopment'» of . -tho Dominion, and the values; and improvemeiits :iri the' sam'6' ;'.and said tli.it ;this progress iustificd.aii'yoiiQ -supporting .the -Administration: which it had taken' place. ... ~'■ ■' . •.■ : .NATIVE ;LANDS—DAIRY. -PRODIJCE.;

' •.Regarding' the/Native land; policy, while Expressing approval'.in • so'ni© . ; rc6pects, lie thought tho: Government 'should>npt sell amy of.'tho land' acquired'-from -the/Natives ■ undor ' la'st: session s Act. '. Air land- 1 should'.'be jield ,in trust' for .the. pebple.; .The Government, could acquire-the-Native lands . either by leasehold'or'.freehold, 1 and Hold them. in trust for the Natives.' vlri-; a- .young• country like'-New"' Zealand with j itsdeveloping con r ditioris/tlie, Government: shpuM ;hpld:■ their jail.4 ;\they • should •; not 'part .with , it.'-"(Hear, hear'.)_ , Good •; returns V had /been'' shown /by the Government for the millions, borrowed jn -conriectibn; with .its land'policy. _ ; Hfe. applauded-the value of the; Dairy Act. 110 remembered in:the' early'days how -the settlers /of! ■ the; Hutt .'district.' /had • brought their' -.butter: to ' Wellingtori and - had; sold ;it jit .frpm:6d. ; 't6' Bd.:,per-lb;,; and.could. hardly pay , their way-with , the Returns. ' Now, .tho Now • Zealand .'.butter,; through . the." work-, of: the :th6' operation/of: the; Act generally, "obtained' a.' price Homo 1 .: Only 'ona/sM^ .than .that, of/the Danish; article.;,.,. J".' '.'/■' ;', .He recognised fully, the value oftheWorkcrs' Hoiries '.legislation, but . thought • it. could be improved; The -homes should' not.bo: lujnped together.--in';-;one;.;p\ace.;.TheTe:ishquld. be .iio invidious distinctions as to ,who were •, occupants of - worker?'' home's:and: who in- a' coiriniunity/'.- The Government •: should also assist the thrifty. to.; take,:up:,a ihbirie;by allowing a botise ;t».'W : oiccupial ..without-ask-: to ,p'n commencing right hwa'y'td;pay^tho/necessafy.'interest':as JPliis would benefit' 'the.'proper, .class.'•' ;(Applause.) ■ ■'V:/:y'T -. : CtINCILIATION; AND' ARBITRATION ; ; Ho.believed in tho'principlo of arbitration and/did not defend strikes." With, compara-tively'.new'legislation.liko'-.the. New: Zealand Coriciliatign' and''Arbitration -Aict .there- were bbund;to' bo. periods" when', it would';have .to stand a' severo 'tost, 'lately: the Act had betn -subjected to a,' very;' severo test indeed. Y4t' .they ■ could not; condemn it» altogether, for recent experiences. ;He had no sympathy ..with '.the'/recent,, cry;,-in Auckland ' regarding , the'impjisonmehf''of 'MrDixon" for - the'.lipit' payment or a, finejuoder' bHe.Act,: and he allutlfed; to ; the: circumstances of-the case. Mr. Dixon, as :an employer,,.should, have paid the fine;':/ :Th'e . candidate,''.'' however,'.contended that''fines for "back" pay'/shpuld go-into the Consolidated Revenue. : He did-not consider tile Conciliation Board had been of much uso in-settling'difficulties, though it had opened . the way, to; reg\dations. >. The Board' should. .be reorganised. .. The' chairman. should be" a ; nianv'o!''tbe'.Mgheßt'inti^--rity, of groat common.-sense, 7 ' and a. num who. appealed naturally, to every one"with whofli he-oame in .contact.'Such.men they sometimes 'found in' their;. community,andthey should 'ha ve, no 'difficuliy in * obtajiung oiie.'of 'thisrclass/'j'The' 7 Board should'.consist of two .men' on each' side,' 'ain'd: the ; oliairnian. But -he -'wages ''boards.' Through' tliomj difficulties %oluld bp thrasjied out withoiit; heart-buriiings, 'and he {ridiculed .any siig-. gestiohs'on- tho part' of employees ofvictiniisin§;.'': Tliia findings' '■' :6ff- i- / t-ho wages boards' - could"' go '■ y to'"-; - tho Arbitratibii ' .Court .to' bo 'mddp - into awards.' He.' said:'tHat bther.i''cquntn9S..Ji?ore*'fpllbwingo\ir. labour' legislation,' satisfied' that .it , was good. •' He '.would' riot;'.be oiie to'abolish-the Act v "in favpur of. striked. ! '/Ho', did riot think tliat'anyorio wotild favour seniling the Blackball'.'strikers to. gaol' for 'tlie jiion-piiyment of fines.;' Thero \yere 'many' 'difficulties in' the way,,: arid,' many ''tilings "to ' be" found' out. With' Mr; .Millar,, however, he .believed that wages...shoiild .be sum dup .was paid. ■ ; ;v -.V' .' .' •• • EDUCATION AND TEMPERANCE. - ■ , /As'to Education, He favoured .bringing'the system ;right-. up-to-date., 'Ho.rathpr favpu're'd tho single desk. ;He had: been, a life-long total. abstainer, -.arid ho was largely in sympathy: with that .policy; . Ho,'would , not say that : local option should .bp .settled by a ha;ro majority.' Hp wanted-; to'go into 'figures first, and 'discover, .which-form., the threefifths .or vbare., majority people .of the Dominion favoured; Colonial ■ ontion would be the best. ■ It,:.had been ~s?.id'.: that , colonial, option could "not", be ob'tained without first ,having local obtion. • In : several places,f in 'New -Zealand now, local option, existed,and the time was coining .when there would: be coloriial.:option. : THE'TARIFF. ,The manufacturers had asked for a higher protective tariff 'than'.2s; nor cent., but he folt'.that.those manufacturers who, had antipated a " good'time.'' ; .from the operation, of, the. new : tariff • were too -(optimistic... •He read/statistics from/the: Government' Gaz-ette-to show . that the .. had not. benefitted, to the . extent^.they; had: anticipated, .'.though',they had ; ,had a degree, of advantage. , . Tho matter,, however, was' not a cry of free trade and protection, but the development of oji'r industries.': ■ . Other Government measures approved .were detailed.ln technical. education the . candidate; .thought.more could be done;-.; As.;to G ovcrnnient proposals he,- would approvd a system ■ of- national annuities and a' .supcraiihuation. scheme for. local ;body .employees. ■' In conclusion .'he snoko with : confidence' of tho future * of; Kilhirnie. If' returned lie would' sunnbrt- thp:;oxteusion of. the -railway to'.Mirariiar. (Applauso;) ..... . ~ . On the ,motion; of Mr. AV. Brannigan, ; seconded ;.bv. Mr. ,G;,; Frpst;;.n:;vote 0 f 'thanks and - confidence was accorded" the. candidate.