ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1257, 12 October 1911, Page 7

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

WELLINGTON SOUTH.

■MR. HINDMARSH AT NEWTOWN. / THE GOVERNMENT'S SHOETCOMINGS. There wero about 100 people present at the Newtown Library last night, when Mr. A. H, Hindmarsh, the Labour candidate for Wellington South, delivered his first,address in tho campaign. Mr. T. W. Hislop presided. Mr. Ilindmarsh piefaced his address by briefly eulogising Mr. Hislop, to whom, if they knew Mr. Hislop as he did, the people would offer almost any seat in the Dominion, even Parnell itself. Mr. Hindnmrsh announced that he was a candidate in the Labour interest. Ho belonged, ho said, to neither of the present parties in Parliament. He did not intend to put forward a constructive policy on this occasidn, but to •indulge in a little criticism. He proposed to show why the Liberal party n.id not . justified its position. He did not use the word "Labour" in a narrow senseAnyone could bo a labour politician— baiiker, professional man, anyone. A number of the Labour men had stood by their party through thick and thin. They were not actuated by self interest, but by principle. .They looked upon man as an eiiil, not as a means. That was their view of politics. Things should be looked at in a-different way from which they were now. He believed in applying the humanitarian principles Sir John Findlay 'was always talking about—not wait-ing-till. election time, and then talking j about them. '

Education, and Liberal Failure,

Ho referred to the importance with /which he regarded education. Sir John Fihdlay had said the other day at Parnell that education must be free from the primary school to the university, and soine time ago Sir Joseph Ward had spoken of how much free education, a bright child could get. What fudge they were talking—election talk. People who had. been through the State schools and knew the system surely realised this. Education was most .. important to the workiug man's children. Sir Joseph Ward had said that if children were talented, they could win their v;ay to almost any position. The fact was that most children had to leave school early. ' School teachers should, be encouraged by being .given a higher soci.il standing. IS the., present Govern nent was sincere, it would 'long ago have taken up the education 'question properly, and got the best man obtainable even if they had to pay ■ him =£10,000 a year. Education was of vastly moie importance than defence. It -was essential that our children should be .'giver, the most enlightened and scientific education. they could be given. Jlow wore the sqliool "teachers treated? He ?uotod a roport faying that there wore 100 teachers' dwellings, of whicn 481 were without bathrooms and washhouses, and 388 of five rooms and less. Was it any wonder that, considering tho fai'uve of'the Government after 20 years of administration in this, important matter, the more enlightened were talking of a change of Government? Ho had no-t time to>go into tho question moTe fully, but hoped he had brought something under their, notice for tlwm.to think about.

Minister for Labour Criticised. Regarding labour, he wanted to ask ,-(vha.t sort of a fist Mr. Millai had mado of arbitration matters.' Mr. Millar 1 used to be very cocksure, but he got a littlo milder later on. Mr'. Millar used to talk about sending strikers to prison, but • what _ good was' it talking about sending, • say, coal miners to goal?, They no more cared about threats of gaol than about going without their breakfast.. He had pointed out at the ■ time the way Mr. Millar was handling the-matter would result in the formation of large federations. The failure of the Ait was duo to Mr. Millair's bungling. A competent man should be appointed to study, say, the carpentry trade at considerable length of timi?. ''. A Judge'' who presided' (it an arbitration case heard tno full dispute • in aVfew hours,"'And. got only "a'superficial knowledge pf the case; and it was not always bccatiso they did not get a riso in, wages,- but because they found that-the'Judge.did not.knotf a great den! about the case that tho men were dissatisfied with'-awards. They had no confidence in the Conrt. Mr. Millar had said 1 the ot'her day that lie. could not increase wages without increasing prices. Such a statement unfitted Mr. Millar in every way for the position of Minister for LabDur. There was a statement for a responsible Minister' to make. Such a statement was absolutely wrong. Let Mr- Millar read what political economists said, and he would see that his talk was utter npnsense. Yet, that was the Labour Minister who was absolutely ignoTant on these questions, and his ignorance ,was causing trouble. If there was ever need of .a Labour party such things as this. demanded its ' instant growth, and ho hoped the peoplo of Wellington- would send to -Parliament fifline poople who would protest against these remarks of the so-called Minister for.Labour. 'This democrat, too, was in favour of. taxing 'certain eatables. When one spoke of a Liberal- in New Zealand one could hardly say what it meant, because the New' i/ealand Literals had npt any allegiance to principles, but only :to a clique of men—tho Ministry. They called thomselvcs tho Liberal party, but immediately a 'difficult question arose Sir Joseph Ward said: "I absolve you'from party allegiance; yon can vote as £ou like." And thus tho Prime Minister kept his power. What good was party under such circumstances?

"Awtul Nonsense," ' The Government should not object, to the Labour party telling them the truth. But tho Liberal party did object to it. If anyone pointed out tho truth of the position in Now Zealand they were called traitors and accused of crying stinking fish. People who criticised tho Liberal party had to be wary of their position. The party would find some wov of getting at thorn.. And if anyoue in* the House had to refer to tho dead in the course of 'au.'attack (in the Government the Liberal, party cried "Shame! You are dragging in the name of the dead!" This wai awtul nonsense. No one would wish to refer disrespectfully to tho (lead, lie criticisel tho Government's land policy. What did anyone think of a partv wl'io would give laud away for a thousand Sears at a peppercorn rontal? What wero oc statesmanlike qualities of a partv ■who wnilrl deal with land in that way? It might fco said that) he had been attacking tho Government all tho time. Ho had said fit t.ho outsot Mat lie was going to'criticise—thiire was not timo just then to put forward their policy. Ho declared that after twenty years tho Government had absolutely failed to do anything for tne education of tho young. 'The Government, with all its years of office, had no land policy. Reads and bridges promises wero a doctrine which had obtained votes fur tho party in power. What hope had the'Labojr party? They had no Dominion, no "New Zealand Timcis," no "Evening Post" behind them. J hey had only the people to roly on. He did not appeal for himself, but for tha P a fty. They know, thoy could expect littlo fram the ■ Liberal partv, and ' le=s from the Opposition. The Labour party hftd not the power of the press, aiwl ha asked tho electors, therefore, to support this new party.. (Applause.) Labour had made 'Australia a prosperous country: Liberalism was driving people out of New Zealand, and soup kitchens had almost been opened to feed tho people. It redounded to the credit of the. Australian Labour men that thev had conducted themselves as they had at tho Imperial Conference, as compared with tho way New Zealand's delegates had Conducted themselves. It was to the credit of tho Australians, too, that thoy had not' accoptod any titles. Talking Imperialism for a title was becoming very eoinmaa. The.v simply had to cry "Empire! Empire! Empire!" and they would get a title. "Look at Sir John I'indla.v's career. Ho has managed to get hold of a title by yelping: Empire! Empire! Empire!"

Questions. Asked a question on defence, the candidate said lie did not objcct to some form of compulsory training. But he did object to tho accompaniments of military system—spurs, braids, making a fuss of rnilitary men. Why couldn't a man say, yight about faco"—that was about all thoy had to do, wasn't" it.?—in plain clothes, as well as in all this finery? A vote of thanks and confidence was moved by Mr. Morton, and seconded. A vote of thanks was then moved and sco-

onded. Tho seconder of the amendment said that he did "not think thev should carry a vote of confidence in 'Str. Hindmarsh after the speech ho had delivered— ho had given no platform; ho had merely torn the Government to pieces. -Mr. Hislop called for a show of hands, and declared the amendment IoM. Four voted for it. Tho motion wn? carried.