ON THE PLATFORM.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1304, 6 December 1911, Page 8

ON THE PLATFORM.

WELLINGTON NORTH

MR. HERDMAN AT SYDNEY STREET.

Some feeble efforts were made to disturb the meeting addressed by Mr A. L Hordiuan in the Sydney Street Schoolroom last evening. In its early stages tho chairman, Mr. E. F. Hadfield/hadtb call several times for order, and for a tune interruptions increased in frequency. Ihe interjectors numbered only two or three, and their remarks became at length a little annoying. Mr. Herdnmn repeatedly warned one or two men that they would be ejected unless they mended their behaviour, and eventually asked his audience .whether they desired that one particularly npisy.-interrnpter should bo put out.; Tho answer was a loud chorus of ■Ayes,' and a few feeble "Noes." About halt-way through, the meeting a policeman came upon the scene, and he soon had occasion to caution a young man who had repeatedly interrupted. Ho was politely requested to leave, which he did forthwith, amid applause from the audience. Another man also left. The remarning part of the meeting was perfectly quiet, and orderly, and Mr. Herdinan had an uninterrupted hearing. In opening his address Mr. Herdman said he had contended in previous speeches that the Premier of this country and his colleagues of the Ministry had usurped tho powers of autocrats and despots. Not content with this, they had almost assumed sovereign rights. He had noticed in a press report that when the Premier and his .party entered a public building in Winton, the local band played God Save the Kin?." "So wo are getting on," said Mr. Herdman. (Laughter.) Mr. Herdman gave an emphatic denial to a statement made by Dr. Izard that the Opposition had opposed progressive legislation, and dealt with other statements which had fallen from his opponents. In the latter part of his address he dealt with the financial extravagances of the Ward Administration, and with the necessity of settling. Native lands. He was applauded when he declared that the freehold was the only tenure under which settlement could be satisfactorily fostered.

Mr. Henlman was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, one- voico bein» raised in dissent. "

DR. IZAKD AT KELBUR.NE. The Government candidate for Wellington North. Dr. Izard. addressed a mooting 01 between GO and 70 electors in the Kclburne ehurchroom last evening. The chair was occupied by Mr. T. N. Holmden. The candidate opened his address with ,i reforence to tho great Reform rally at the Town Hall on Monday evening. He.had not been at that meetin?, but he had read the reports in the, three papers, and friends of his who had been them bad told him what had taken piace. With this information, lie said the utterances wero uothiu.e but platitudes, and abuse of the Government. .There .was not one word of constructive policy. •■ Dr. Izard proceeded to outline tho measures placed on the Statute Bonkby the present Government, laying special stress on the Old Ago Pensions, and kindred Acts. As to tbe female franchise, he thouglit the public life was better now that women had a vote, and a great deal more interest was taken in public health and public morality than had been taken formerly. The candidate- said there wa.s undoubtedly a state of political unrest throughout New Zealand at present, but in his opiniou the Liberal Party would go back so strong that it would split up nmougst itself. The Opposition of the future would, he believed, come from the ultra progressive Liberals. It was true that our expenditure was increasing, but this was so because the business of the country was increasing. (Hear, henr.) Dr. Izard dealt at some lontfth with the difference between his policy and that outlined by his opiioncnt. He did not say that the Liberal Government was perfect, but it was much nearer perfection than its opponents. In exI)l;iiiii'ic'hi> altitude towards cnmnulsory military training, Dr. Izard said that tlio new scheme meant (hat instead of paying an army to fight our battles we wero eoinc to bo prepared to fialit our battles ourselves. (Applan.-.e.) The Government was rather vacillating over this matter. !It should not, hesitate, but should go right ahead with its scheme.

After the candidate- had answered a number of questions a vote of thanks and confidence, proposed, by Mr. Morris, and seconded by Mr. Sievers, was carried amidst applan.se.

MB. CABHY AT TTKAKORI ROAD. Mr. E. T. Carey, Labour candidate for Wellington North, addressed two open-air meetings in the vicinity of Tinakori ltaul last night. Ho said that the success of his campaign was mainly due to tho fact that lie had sound proposals to put forward on behnlf of tho Labour party. Also much of his success was due, ho thought, to tho clean and abovo-board manner in v.hkh he. had condttctsd his

campaign. lie had never trimmed catch u vote or departed from fho pr: eiples emhodied in the ]iliitf<iriu. I

opponent, Mr. llcrdmnn, was not same eimuglu-to stand liy his utterance;; in the House, nil.!, like most i>l , the candidates, was oiit alter llm workers' votes. Neither of the parties opposing Labour were talking politics nor attempting to prove defects in Labour's proposals The Mukuii transaction mid the Dreadnought gift, were tiio mainstay of iiio.-t of the .speeches of tho Opposition, but he claimed that the principle underlying the Moknu transaction was the same as that at the bottom of the Opposition land policy. On the defence question there was no difference, between the two orthodox parties. Mr. Carey then explained tho Labour pilicy in relation to land and naval defence. lie instanced the success which was attending the Federal policy of buildinj e.n independent local navy, and stated that Labour here approved of such a policy, in' contrast to presenting Dreadnoughts for foreign stations, lloth meeting* were well attended, and each concluded with e. unanimous voto of thanks nnd confidence and cheers for Labour.