WELLINGTON SOUTH

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1309, 12 December 1911, Page 6

WELLINGTON SOUTH

MR. WEIGHT'S CAMPAIGN. Mr. R. A. Wright, Reform party candidate for tho Wellington South Beat, held an open-air meeting at Palm Grove last evening. Thero was.a largo attendance, and Air. Wright was given an attentive hearing. At tho conclusion of the meeting he was accorded a voto of thanks and confidence.

Later Mr. Wright addressed a big openair meeting at Mansfield Street. Uβ again had an excellent reception, and his address was followed with evident interest. Mr. Wright said it seemed to him impossible to understand, what position his opponent would take in the event of a no-confidence motion against tho Government. His answer seemed to bo noncommittal and undecided. Of what use would a small group of members bo in the House if they were there simply to hold the balance of power between tho two big parties? It would cause considerablo embarrassment to both Bides, and tho people might see. tho curious position of a Government being in power for a few weeks and. then being replaced by another one no longer lived. Such a state of affairs, he contended, would be most unsatisfactory. The small group of members could do no good for themselves or anybody else. A new Government with a working majority could do something immediately; It could deal with the cost-of-living problem, with the audit of the country's accounts, and with the reduction of tho pension age, in the case of women, to GO. it could pursue a vigorous land policy, which would mean prosperity to the Dominion. In short, it lind the power of initiating legislation which could only rest with a party in a majority. It semed to him that it would be fatal to have a small body of four or five members practically controlling the destiny of the Dominion, but impotent to carry out any reforms. Mr. Wright answered a number of questions. Afterwards a vote of thanks and confidence was carried, and cheers were given for the Reform candidate.

ME. HINDMARSH AND "THE "DOMINION." There were about 130 people at Uγ. A. H. llimlmarsh's meeting at Brooklyn last night. The candidate said that things thai were' not true were being circulated against him. To show how easily wrong impressions could bo' conveyed, lie said that some time ago Tuk Dominion published a list of tho candidates who were standing throughout New Zealand, and whether by deliberation or not. his name was omitted. The secretary of the. Secular Education Defence League had sent out a certain question to all candidates, he taking The Dominion list to ascertain the candidates to whom to post the communications. As Mr. Hindmarsh did not receive the question, ho could not reply, and, therefore, he was supposed to be against the league's objects. However, he then wrote and explained the thing satisfactorily. The organisation of the No-License party had been' used against him'in a very skilful way. Tho No-License party was exploited by the Opposition party, and the people wcro not told that Mr. Wright belonged to a party that was at sixes and sevens on the question. The Opposition, confessedly, would not deal with the land question. Respecting the land question, Mr. Hindmarsh would bo in favour of .sending a man to Denmark, (where small holdings had been most successful) to report. Politicians should study literature on the subject, and, if necessary, Parliament should devote a whole session to the solution-of the problem. Until the question was tackled .with enthusiasm and determination, nothing would be accomplished. He would favour a graduated tax, so stiff that the big land owners would be forced to sell. They were keeping New Zealand back; driving people out of tho country; responsible (maybe) for the low marriage rate; and for the low birth-rate. Sir John Findlay, who was pretty observant, had said that a crisis had arrived.

The candidate was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.

[Tho name of Mr. Hindmar6h was accidentally omitted from tho list of "probable candidates" published in The Dominion' of November 15. Mr. Hindmarsh complained tho same day, and the omission was rectified by the insertion of a paragraph in the nest issue. He will find it in tho first column of page 8, Dominion, November 16.]