ON THE PLATFORM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1290, 20 November 1911, Page 6

ON THE PLATFORM.

WELLINGTON CENTRAL, MR, YOUNG ! S MEETINGS. Mr. W. T. Young, tho selected Labour candidate for Wellington Central, addressed largo moetiiigs of electors at tho corners of Jessie and Tory Streets and Ghuzneo and Marion Streets on Saturday night, Mr. W. H. Hampton presiding ou each occasion. In a contest such as this, said Mr. Young, it is essential and in tho interest of tlio country that the electors should consider, not tho personality of a caudidato nor the personal platform of tho candidato, but tho political party each candidate represented and the platform of the party ho belonged to. In Wellington Central thero were three candidates in tho field, one representing everything Tory in the Dominion, one representing the present Government, anil himself, representing the Labour party, with a platform based on humanitarian grounds to relioyo tho common people of the many burdens now resting upon their shoulders. This platform was the result of tho combined thought and, effort of tho best brains in the Labour movement in Now Zealand and other parts of the world. It was not of the revolutionary character,' but possessed tho' commonsenso evolutionary machinery to bring each plank into practical operation. The industrial unrest was indicative of the forward movement of tho tidal wavo of Labour. Education, followed with consequential enlightenment, was slowly and surely teaching the working class that the question involved was not one of mere wages and overtime, but that they wero confronted with a great economic problem that they alone could solve. It was useless to increase wages 10 per cent, if the prico of the necessaries of lifo went up 15 per cent, as a result. This was exactly what was happening in all parts of the universe, and tho working class were now commencing to realise that tho solution of the problem could only be brought about by electing men from their ranks. One of tho planks of tho party led br Mr. Massey was that the Crown leaseholders' should have tho right to secure tho freehold at the original value. On this ho would fight tho Massey party and its representatives in this contest right out to a finish. Tho candidato pointed out that in neatly every Department of State men in receipt of a salary of somo £200 or .£220 per annum were being displaced by women for a salary of .£BO or .£IOO. He was not against women being given tho same avenues for employment as men, bnt it was his fixed conviction that where women were doing the samo class of work as men they should be paid exactly tho same wages. After dealing with other planks of tho platform, including a Stato connecting link for the lines of railway of each island, Mr. Young was accorded a unanimous voto of thanks and confidence at each meeting.