WELLINGTON EAST.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1303, 5 December 1911, Page 8

WELLINGTON EAST.

Mil. JiRODIM AT KILMRNIE. | Mr John Droilie, independent Liberal candidate for Wellington Jfest, addressed electors in O'UoiiiicH's Hall, Jwlliirnic, last evening. Mr. JJrodie laid particular fitrcss on tho value of Independents in I'arliamenl, and stated that every Government reouired severe criticism. Jlc would not lie surprisf.d to fiud that a new party would slart with a nucleus composed of Independents elected at tut; forthcoming election. Never before have mi many Independents announced their candidature, and this he regarded as a sign that the electors did not trust either tho Government or tho Opposition, l.iealing with industrial matters, the candidate em phasisod the importance of developing and maintaining our commercial supremacy. lie was a firm believer in a business Government. A? the commercial man practically created the wealth of a nation, so should the commercial man take a prominent part in the Government ot a nation. Mr. lirodie stated that lie strongly favoured military training. lie was a firm believer in the Elective Executive, and also in an elective tipper House. He expressed himself as in favour of the hydro-electric power scheme, providing that tho Lake Coleridgo experiment was fully tested iirst. Tn conclusion, Mr. Brodie stated that, he stood for clean, honest administration, and th<! running of the country on practical business lines for the people's good, lie was a Liberal and a democrat, and hoped to we the system of one man government' become a thing of the post, and the Elective Executive take its place. Alter answering several questions, the candidate received a vote of thanks and coniidence. ME. BOLTON'S CANDIDATURE. Mr. I l '. G. Bolton, the Government candidate for Wellington East, had a busy day yesterday. Ho spoko at the Past Office Square at midday to a large gathering, ami received a ver.v attentive hearing. In his. address ho dealt largely with the question of reducing the cost of living. In answer to.questions as to the effect upon the local sawmilling industry of removing tli-a duties upon imported timbers, ho pointed out that if the timber came in in log it would givo increased employment so far as converting it into sawn timber and subsequent buildifig -was concerned, and that it would probably only have the effect of reducing royalties charge*! by landowners, and the inordinate firofits made by tlie sawmillihg trust. He considered very little ; labour would be (l>.plaeed by the removal of the duty, and that the interests of '1,000,000 people weiu in any case paramount to thoso of a comparatively small number engaged in Ilia industry. A vote of thanks and coufidcuco was carried, and the candidate was heartily cheered. Tn the evening lie spoko first at the schoolroom Rosenoath, Mr. C. T. Midlaaie being in the chair, and subsequently at Ihe Victoria Hall, Adelaide Road, Mr. E. J. I'itzgibbon being chairman. Deal- . ing with t.lie Arbitration Act. Mr, Bolton stated that in his opinion the president should not bo a lawyer, but a layman of I tact _ and diplomacy.' Also, he "was of opinion that in all industrial disputes tho ■ assessors sitting with the'president should ! be selected from tho particular trade concerned. On the question of licensing lie did not favour the bnre majority, as lie thought that this would not effect a permanent settlement of this largt question. If the people liked to.voto it out, let them do so, but the majority should be such as to ensure some permanency of settlement, as otherwise the country would become tho shuttlecock of the two great parties to the dispute. Ho was of opinion that reform of tho liquor traffic was, perhaps, more essential than Prohibition, and regretted that there was no issue available to the moderate man but to vote either Continuance or No-License. I'lie reduction issue lie did not favour, but thought Some middle courso providing for automatic extinction of licenses where houses were improperly conducted might vj° i tlie c ? s0 " tlie candidate received unanimous votes of thanks awl conlklcace, and at Adelaide Road cheers were given for both Mr. and Mrs. Bolton, with musical honours. MR. M'LAREN AT ST. MARK'S. ■.Mi": 1); M'Laren, Labour candidate for Ucllington Last, addressed a meeting in St. Marks Schoolroom last evening. Mr. J. Simpson occupied the chair. The 'candidate opened by describing tho «attlo of to-day as a struggle between wealth, privately monopolised, and the interests of the masses Land monopoly held grdat sway in New Zealand, and he urged that tho largo tracts of country now out of use should be brought into cultivation by closer settlement. He had supported tho widening of tlie franchise in the cases of electing members of harbour boards, hospital boards, and other local bodies, and considered that tho county franchise should be amended on similar lines. As a means of oheefcing the growth of trusts and combines he did not consider the anti-trust legislation (so far passed) sufficient. The method which ho advocated was the nationalisation of concerns which otherwise beenmo controlled by syndicates or even foreign speculators. He submitted that his work in the llouso had been on tho lines of real practical benefit to the people. As a Labour candidate he was fighting ■to give the average man, woman and child better and higher opportunities in life, for only by this means could me make the country great. Touching on the recent Imperial Conference, ho eulogised the course taken by the Labour party of Australia, whose representatives had consulted tho people before they left tho Commonwealth for London. Ho then touched on the social legislation of last session, and pointed out that the widows' pension schetno had been a plaiik in the Labour party's programme before the Government had taken the mattor up. A motion of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. Mr. M'Laren also addressed a meeting of workmen at BalliugoT's workshop, Dixon Street, at lunch hour yesterday, most of tho men being residents of Wellington East. A motion of thanks and coniidence was carried.