THE HON. R. H. RHODES AT SOUTHBRIDGE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2309, 17 November 1914, Page 6

THE HON. R. H. RHODES AT SOUTHBRIDGE

REFERENCES TO THE STRIKE

IBy Meeraph-Preei AJaooie.tlon.l . Southbridge, November 16. The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Post-master-General, .. candidate for the Ellesmore seat, addressed the electors iu tlio Town Hall, Southbridge, tonight. • The- hall was filled, and the Minister ]iad a good reception. Mr. E. G. Hubbard, chairman of tho Southbridge Town Board, presided, and, in introducing the candidate, said it was unnecessary to bespeak for Mr. Bhodes an impartial hearing. Mr. Rhodes on rising was received with applause. Hβ said that when he first stood fifteen years ago he was told that nn important matter was to see that all his supporters were on tho roll. There was still a necessity for bo doing, and he believed that the present Government were doing more than any previous Administration to see that all qualified were enrolled. .Referring to a letter which appeared in one or the Christchurch papers that morning, m which the following paragraph occurred :— "l-roni information received by the writer from a person qualified to know it is estimated that fully 40,000 persons have been struck off the rolls who are qualified to vote," Mr. Rhodes said that he had received a report on the subject from the chief postmaster at Christchurch. which proved the statement to be absolutely contrary to fact. The report was as follows:—"I might state that. in the Canterbury Postal District the purging of the rolls has been very successfully carried out, and I have an absolute assurance from the majority of the registrars that they [are quite satisfied with tho methods adopted. As regards the claims for enrolment, the letter-carriers have been at : work for some considerable time in connection therewith. On October 27 six letter-carriers were hand-. Gil over to the various registrars for the purposes of enrolment; on November, 5 seven more letter-carriers were; handed over for the same purpose; on November 6 15 carriers, in addition to the 13, were employed between the hours of 5 p.m. ana 8 p.m. for a similar purpose, and from- November 9 to 12 the Whole of the letter-carriers' staff was employed' between the hours of 5 and 8 p.m. The"work has now beencompleted, and I have an absolute assurance and voluntary statements from the various registrars that the rolls will be more complete than they have ever been in the liistory of the Dominion. This is satisfactory, notwithstanding the fact'.of .tho various criticisms that have been hurled at the new system." The chief postmaster added: ''I might mention that in portions of the Kaiapoi and Riccarton electorates, not covered by the ordinary letter-carriers delivery officers of this department were specially employed on motor-cycles to canvass for enrolments,' and the registrars of the electorates mentioned have expressed their appreciation of the admirable work by the postal officers."

Continuing, the Minister said the' letter was signed by an ex-Reformer, who said that he would never again support Reform, but the other party was quite welcome to-one who apparently d,esired to have the work of enrolment managed in the interests of the Opposition. • ' False Prophets, Mr. Rhodes eaid .that aftor three years of office'-the Reform Party had disproved many of the prophecies made as to the result if Mr. Massey and his , party got into power. They had been told that wages would bo reduced, that there would be' again soup: kitchens, audeomo old ago pensioners were told that tie pensions' would bo taken from, them. All these prophecies had been disproved: He believed that the policy and administration of the Massey Government would redound to the credit of the- country, and make for its material' progress. He did not claim that Ministers had not made mistakes, but he held that they had committed fewer mistakes than their predecessors.

: ' The Minister briefly referred to the financial difficulties that the : Government had to face when they took office, and' showed that Mr. Allen had raised loans at a decreasing cost as compared with the increasing cost of -!his prede-. cessors. ■ ' ' The Strike. Mr. Rhodes then referred to the waterside workers' strike and the paralysing effect it had upon tho country Besides the direct loss of £93',000, there was. an indirect loss in railway revenue amounting to £170,000. Sir :■ Joseph Ward had said that he could settle this strike in. two daye. . (Hear, Hear and applause.) He asked those who said "Heir, Hear" to answer the question why Sir Joseph Ward did not settle the Waihi and Reefton strikes in two days. ' With some warmth, the Minister continued: "Why, if he could have settled tho strike in two days did he keep the secret to himself. Was-it loyal? ■■ Was it patriotic to bottle up that secret? Surely a loyal man,would have stood forth and said "I can settle that strike." (Warm applause.) A man should be ashamed of himself if he kept such a seoret to himself. (Applause.) Sir Joseph Ward could not have settled the strike except by giving in to the strikers. The Government decided to uphold law arid order, and was against anarchy and disorder. (A voice: "No.") Sir Joseph Ward said that he would have read the Riot Act. In Johannesburg the reading of that Act meant bloodshed, and in New Zealand we had none of that. Mr. Rhodes dealt with a number of other matters. : .Replying to questions, ho said he was prepared to submit the Bible-in-schools question to a referendum-(applause)— but was not going to agree to anything .'that would interfere with the present system: (Applause.) It would be rather a big matter for'the Government to undertake the ferry service betweon Lyttelton and Wellington, but-when the trunk -line was completed to Itoton.he would 'be in favour of a Government ferry service. ' Mr. John Storry moved, and_ Mr. Walter Loohhead seconded the followinc motion:—that this' meeting thanfcs the Hone. R. H. Rhodes for his addrese, and expresses its continued confidence in him, and in the Government of which he is a member. On a show of hands, the motion was agreed to by a large majority.

For. the first time since coming to this country I have been able to obtain real. English fruit and vegetables (writes Albert Dorriugtbn to the Auckland "Star" from London). Tncrainaaing thing is that the war should havo sent down the prices. For best apples and plums wo now pay a, penny a pound: Cause of this lies in the fact that Britain exports most of her choice things to tho Continent and imports tho common garden variety, of plum and tomato from places where tomato skins grow to the thickness of a Uerman s upper lip. A distressing accident, which might have proved eerious, occurred to Janfifs Griffen whilst unloading the Squall at Tokomaru Bay last week. Whilst waiting for the return of a surf bout with cargo, Griffen was standing several vards from a'workman, who was trimming a pile for the wharf extensions, when tho head of'the axe the latter was using flew off and struck Griffen heavily on tho .knee, inflicting a severe cut and apparently severing several sinews. The local hospital was unable to take the sufferer in, ami he was taken by tho Squall to Oisborne for medical attention. As a strange, coincidence, Griffen earlier in Iho day had a narrow oscajx; through tbo bunds on a bale of wool bursting, but luckily he escaped with a slight nu the Mlfk_. .