WELLINGTON SUBURBS

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1302, 4 December 1911, Page 8

WELLINGTON SUBURBS

AIR. BELL AT PORIRUA. . On Saturday afieruoon Air. W. H. D. Bell, Opposition candidate for Wellington Suburbs, paid a visit to Takapu and gave a short address to electors of the district al.tho residence of Air. Alexted. He was accorded a vote of thnnks and confidence. Airs. Alexted very kindly provided afternoon lea for all present, her hospitality being much appreciated. In tho evening Air. Bell addressed a well-altended meeting at l'orirua. Mr. P. Mungavin presided. With the exception of one or two at tho back of the hall, the audience, which included a large number of ladies, was quite evidently in full sympathy with tho candidate and followed his remarks with keen interest. He commenced by stating that people in all parts of the electorate had spoken to him of the urgent need for a change of Government, lie then proceeded to show why such a change was required in the interests of tho country. He referred to the extravagant borrowing and wasteful expenditure of the, present Administration, and its practice of injuring its enemies and favouring its friends. He dealt at soir.e length with various aspects of the laud question, his views on this matter being heartily applauded. Air. Bell condemned the present method of making appointments to the Legislative Council and declared himself in favour of the democratic principle that the Council should be elected by the people, to which the meeting signified its assent by ap-' plause. Referring to the extension of the suburban area on the llanawatu Railway, Air. Bell stated that this concession had been promised when the line was taken over by the Government, but notning had been done to give effect to the promise until a day or two ago. He did not believe that the electors would allow their votes to be influenced bv a concession refused for nearly four years and only wrung from the Government on the eve of an election. (Loud applause.) Atr. Bell also touched upon a number of other matters, and received a hearty round of applause at the conclusion of his speech. A number of questions were asked and answered. A motion of thanks and confidence in Mr Bell and of no-confidence in tho Govern-1 ment was proposed, an amendment of thanks only being also moved. On tho j amendment being put to the meeting' only two hands were held up for it, and the motion was carried by a great' majority amid loud applause. To-night at 7.30 (half an hour earlier than the usual time) Afr. Bell will address the electors at Johnsonvillc, and after the meeting will leave for Wellington, being mno of the speakers at. | to-night s Reform demonstration at tho Town Hall. AIR, J. E. FITZGERALD AT PAREMATA, PAHATTTANUI, AND BROOKLYN. Air. J. E. Fitzgerald addressed tho electors on Saturday at Paremata, Pahautanui, and Brooklyn. The candidate was given attentive hearings at: each place and votes of thanks and confidence were passed At Pahaulanui Air. Moore was on tho platform, and the two candidates addressed the same audience. Afr. Fitzgerald briefly summed up his views on the various political questions dealt with in his previous addresses. lie claimed to be Labour's best friend; he was in favour of bursting up large estates and increasing the graduated land tax. He strongly advocated an up-to-date sub-' urban railway service for the Manawatr line, a modification of tho Defence Act and the improvement of the condition and wages of the lower grades of tho Railway and Civil Service. The candidate made an attack on tha Opposition for what he said was their protence that they had supported the Old Age Pensions Bill aad the Advances to Settlers Bill. He ciaimod that the socalled Reform part? was the same old Tory r/irty that opposed these measures and that it would be an evil day when' the Oppositiou get to power. They had opposed these, measures, and probably they would not hesitate to repeal them o'r fefusj to vote supplies for (hem. If, as Afr. Buchanan said, the Old Age Pensions Bill was "the blackest piece of work ever carried through in tho House," pcrhans Mr. Buchanan would try to clear the Statute Book of the Act." But what guarantee was there that Air. Buchanan had changed his mind? Air. Fitzgciald also strongly advocated the medical inspection of schoolchildren the granting of pensions to all Afaori Wt r veterans, the classification of mental defectives, and the extension of accommodation at montal hospitals. AIR. LUKE AT JUDGEFORD. Afr. J. P. Luke addressed a meeting of electors in the State Schoolroom. Judgeford, on Saturday night. Afr. J. W. Jones was in the chair. In dealing with the question of finance Afr. Luke stated that to arrive at f'lir comparison with other and older countries as to national indebtedness, we must have regard to the services that have resulted from the expenditure. Wo must insist, however, that the further expenditure of loan money must be on reproductive works. The country 'cannot slop liorrowins entirely, as Hint would clog the wheels of progress.'. The exneuditure on the Alain Trunk railway in the South Island, for instance, to complete' the con-j noction l'ieton to Bluff- was highly important, Ths Government slmuld ".with.-.^

mil delay obtain n report as In llio advisability of establishing, »1 the time "I the completion nl' lliu railway, a ferry iiiTvici! from a point near I'liinmcrlon, whore 11 mile harbour could be eonstnicteil nl. ii Idw fjinl. I'icton would lie the other (oi'iuiiiiis, mill Die voyage would lie one hour noil „ hull' less hi duration than the ' present service, Dialing wiDi Iho advances to workers, Mr. Luke stated lint up In d/ile (here hml heen loaned X\,'iT!,ldli, niul ilnriip,' lust year 12i)G applicants hml received ,C1(17,7(W. The total iiiniiiiiil paid back sinc« Ihe commencement, of the scheme was JBfIS.HIM. The liilicrtil soiiliincnl of the people was manifested liv (jrenler opportunity both for Hie ,-etller on the liiml Die worker in Ihe eily. The enndiihite iilho staled Hint wo had to consider Ihe problem of 11 decline in the.birth rule of the Dominion, and funded figures. The decline, wns in iimrked eiinlra'-t with Cermnny and allied Slates, where (lie liirlli rale remained at I rum X' Ui ,'l7 \nr IWO of population. The deelino of Ihe liirlli rale in the liiilMi Ihnpire w fraught with crave, responsibility. A ln-iirly vole of thanks was tuianiiiiiiii'ily iicconled Ihe candidate, on flio motion iif Mr, (J, ,loncs, seconded liy Mr. T. A I,lml I, Mr. I l '. T. Moore, Laliour onndidoto for (he Suburbs Kent, nddreswd a crowded wieeljiii; of clcctorr, ;il, I'dlinuUinui on Saturday ni|;hl. f>>u iicilJur Galloway occupied the chair. The candidate Jiaid Iluil, Labour's propositi for Dm direct operation of Crown binds to provide the national food supply was the wny to Milvo the wist of living owl expand the wages I'niid. Tnder Labour Government taxn* lion would be roduc/vl and foreign borrowing immediately slopped, and the national revenues obtained trow Ktfitft land, and inercnnlili: mid financial ventures, which ventures would bo made Hint* monopolies, In order (o -/ : eiirc tho maximum of effi. ciency and profit. The millions of wealth now annually taken by private, enterpriso would then be earned by the State mid used by the nation in lieu of taxation. A vole of thanks and confidence, was carried with enthusiasm, on the motion of .Mr. Taylor, seconded by Mr. fJolton.