WELLINGTON PAST.

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

WELLINGTON PAST.

MR, BRODIE AT NEW CENTURY HALL. ■ Mr. John Brodie, Independent Liberal candidate for Wellington East, addressed a well-attended meeting of electors in the New Century Hall, Kent Terrace, last evening, Mr. Hart Spear presiding. The candidate said that New Zealand needed industrial legislation, not pauper legislation. Tho Dominion had suffered a plethora of legislation which was vexatious to the people, and was one of the causes of so much discontent. Hr condemned the Government, for not having brought into effect a more progressive land measure last session. Ho contended that tho issue of State bank notes, and the control of the proposed 00-opcrative bank, should bo under tho guidance of a board of expert financiers. The system should be free from political influence. The land ballot should be abolished, and classification of applicants should supersede it. Many single men, strangers to tho country, had been successful at tho ballot, and married men with families who had lived all their lives in New Zealand had been left out in tho cold. That system did not encourage thrift and industry. He favoured compulsory military training. It must have a beneficial effect on the rising generation. He was in favour of an electivo Executive and and electivo Upper House. Tho Ministry should bo elected by the House, and tho Prime Minister by Hio Ministry. Under that system there would be a new Ministry and a new Prime Minister every three years and party feeling would almost bo extinguished. Ho favoured Imperial Federation, lle advocated the abolition of duty on the necessaries of life thus reducing the present high cost of living. At tho conclusion of the meeting Mr. Brodie was accorded a unanimous voto of thanks and confidence on tho motion of Mr. 0 Dea amidst loud applause.

ME, BOLTON'S CANDIDATURE. ~M r, - F. G. Bplton, the Government candidato for Wellington East, addressed two meetings last night, one at Hataitai (Captanl Light being in the chair), and the other at O'Donnell's Hall, Kilbirnie (Mr. A. A. George being chairman). The candidate dealt hilly with tho question of improving tho, purchasing 'power of tho salary or wage earned by the wage-earn-ing section of the community, and again emphasised the remedies for increasing same by reducing tho cost of living. It had boen said that his policy was one antagonistic to the policy of the present Government. To (his he desired to offer un emphatic contradiction, inasmuch as his policy was simply one of extension and improvement of the Liberal' policy. Ho had read with some amusement the scare headlines of The Domixiox, and the strained report of the.proceedings at the Opposition meeting the previous night. It was most unfortunate for that party that they had had to marshall all their candidates to help along the weak by-the object-lesson of the strong. Personally ho did not require the aid of any Ministor or of a mass meetiug of the Liberal party to win the election. He wa3 eon tent to rely upon tho policy which ho had enunciated, and to trust to tho good sense , of tho people of.the electorate. For tho last time lio , challonsed the Opposition ciiudidaU to give statistics as to tho extent ot Wellington-* back-countiy that required development, ami to admit his error re unoccupied Native land-. Cs to Public Works expenditure, he deprecated the proposed system of expenditure bv the Opposition through local bodies, and'considered that Parliament, should retain the control of tlie public purse. Personallv. he considered the only system worth adopting would be one wherein experts should report as to the co.sl and pavahilitv of any proposed public work and Parliament would then know something nbout the matter which it was. deciding. Votes of thanks and confidence were carried at both meetings, a-.id cheers were given for the candidate at the Kilbirnie meeting