DUNEDIN CENTRAL SEAT

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2369, 27 January 1915, Page 6

DUNEDIN CENTRAL SEAT

! SPEECH BY MR. STATHAM ; PREMIER'S STAND FOR THE TROOPS SAFETY OF THE MEN OR HIS RESIGNATION. r. . , (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Du'rtodln, January 26. Mr. C. E. Statham opened his paign in the by-election for Dunedin Central by addressing a 'large meeting in the Princess Theatre to-night. He .referred to the mistake on the part of the official as- a oonsequence of Which he had resigned in order to have a straight-out fight. If he did not regain' the seat the Government and tho combined paitieß in. ' Opposition would stand equal. A dissolution m\ist ioWow, ,He ' ai, maliciously false the allegation that he was against children being taught religion in anyi shape or form. Though he opposed the particular scheme contained in the Referendum Bill he had alUpug supported the Nelson'system of religious instruction. His opponent had not commended the Government for , what it had. done for the advancement of the- people as a, whole. He had appealed ■ to the prejudice of lie electors and stirred up class hatred. Speaking of taxation, Mr. Statham said he would defy anyone to prove that the present Government had. increased it. It had increased the Graduated Land ■ Tax. Ht> refuted statements made by Mr. Munro.as to there being intention by the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act to cause the workers to work .for less wages, and quoted what Mr. had said anent the matter in the' House. '.

He denied that the Government was respfousible for the Huntly disaster, and pointed out that Mr. R. Bollard, who represented the district where the mine was situated, had been-, returned by a substantial majority. Surely, the ■people in that electorate were fit to judge whether the Government had been responsible or not for the disaster. . 1

Speaking of tho price of food-stuffs, he said that the people in New Zealand "were abetter off than almost any other people in'the British Empire. As to wheat, he did not believe any of the farmers /held stocks. The millers might, but -they had- to in order to meet existing: contracts. Mr. Statham .proceeded to show that the - present Government had been active in the inof the worker's in . spite of all the trials and difficulties it had met with during its term of office.. He instanced the Workers Compensation Act, where employees of the State, who were most unfairly handicapped under the old administration, were now placed upon tho 6ame footing as other workers. He ■ quoted the increase of wages given in the various Government Departments and drejsr attention to the establishment of a minimum wage, activity in the erection of workers' homes, improvements and extensions to the Pensions Act, and the passing of the Labour Disputes. Investigation Act and Mortgages Extension Act. Above all,' the Government had put its finances on such a strong foundation that it: had! been able to command the respect and j .confidence of British investors and of the Imperial Government itself. . He mentioned an incident in connection with the departure of our troops which he "had not been at liberty to make public before. When the ports were about to leave under orders from the Admiralty, Mr. Massey, was so convinced that the convoy arranged/ for them was., altogether inadequate that he made the strongest protest to the Governor. He had private information about the movements of the German cruisers and he informed the Admiralty through the Governor that if the troopships were compelled to leave without adequate escort he would resign his position as Prime The reasonableness of his protest was feoognised and the troops were delayed til] a proper escort was found. Mr. Statham referred to Mr. Munro'e boast that he was a "Red Fed.," and defined ''Red Fedism" as a revolutionary_ Socialism which believed in direct action by means of Eighteen months ago a section of.the'community had set out to stir up industrial strife with the avowed intention of paralysing the industry of the Dominion from the North Cape to the Bluff. Mr. Munro had aided and abetted them in their wild revolutionary plan.'; In reply to a question, Mr. Statham said he would not pledge himself to do what he could to form a coalition Ministry. Be would want to know who were going to be in it. He would do | his best' to avoid a dissolution.

At the oonclusion of the meeting tho candidate received a hearty vote of thanks and confidence, two amendments being refused by the chairman on the ground that they were direct negatives.