LOCAL ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3022, 8 March 1917, Page 7

LOCAL ELECTIONS

THE LABOUR CANDIDATES

OPENING OF CAMPAIGN

A meeting was held in tho Concert Chamber of tho Town Hall last night, under tho auspices of tho Wellington Labour Representation Committee It was organised, in the interests of the candidates seleoted by tho Labour bodies for tho forthcoming local elections, and several of tho candidates spoke at tho meeting. Mr. J. M'Kenzie, chairman of the committee, presided. JMr. A. H. HindmarrJi was tbo first speaker. He said that thoro was urgent necessity for Labour to get interested in the6O elections, in order that.it could securo some representation on tho City Council. At piosont it had nono. Thero had been no progress in municipal government in Wellington. In Auckland there had at least been soroo littlo progress, especially in regard to tho establishment of a fish market and a retail fish shop In the city; Tho effect had been to fchcapen fish to tho people Such projects as this i'oiina uo support from tho ■Wellington City Council as at prosent constituted. Ho appealed to the Labour pooplo to choose candidates who would bo directly representative of Labour.

■ Mr. K. Kennedy said that if there had been £300. a year attached to tho oJBco of city councillor tbo people of Wellington would not have had an opof selecting representatives of tho City Council. The elections would have been postponed. Ho hoped the workers would not any longqr tolerate a. Tory City Council, and ho asked,them , 'to take no notice of tho old cry about "business men" being the proper poople to control tho affairs of tho city. Those "business men" had not made a success of running tho "littlo'tuppeny ha'penny fish market,",, established some years ago. In two roars these business men had failed to keep their, promise to reform the Wellington milk supply. He appealed to tho workers to elect representatives of Labour.

• Mr. W. "Wiles spoke about foodstuffs, and especially about tho failure of the City Council to help the peoplo to get cheap fish. He dealt with tho subject exhaustively, showing that he had his facts in ordor, and he claimed that thoro was something very much wrong when, although supplies of fish in our coastal waters were abundantj the price of fish was so high that working peoplo could scarcely afford to buy it. The Labour candidates advocated the purchase by tho city of, a trawler, and the establishment of a cold store, and a number of retail shops. Mr. H. Holland said that tho Labour candidates did not come .bogging for votes, but claiming as of right tho votes of every man and woman of tho working class in Wellington. The real reason why Labour men were not elected always to the.City Council was that -working people black-legged on their class. Referring to tho milk problom, he said that the Labour peoplo were in favour of municipalising tho milk supply, whioh -would include the establishment of dairy herds. He did not think that a clearing-house would get over tho difficulty. Ho charged tho City Connoil with'having discriminated against the Labour class by refusing to let the Town Hall to them for the discussion of "the eonsoription issue. He appealed to the workers to vote' for tho Labour ticket and for no other candidates.

Mrs. S. Snow, a candidate for tlio Hospital and Chnritablo Aid Board, submitted tho' following resolution: "That this meeting endorses the Labour Eopresentation Committees municipal platform, and' pledges itself to work for the return of tho Labour candidates."

Mrs. S. Beck seconded tho resolution, which was carried unanimously. When the time camo for nuostions, Mr. Dowdall asked whether the candidates wore, iu favour of the removal of "the vexatious restrictions on free speech" now imposed by City Council by-laws. The chairman replied that he was sure ho could answer "Yes" to tho question on behalf of the candidates with confidence. . *•■

Mr. Agnow. asked a question of Mr. Holland. Ho wanted to know why tho Labour Representation Committee had waited until election time before protesting against tho' "gaoling" of certain men. Mr. Holland replied; with another question: "Does Mr. Agnew say that we should all havo gone out and . got gaoled ourselves ? Because ■that was all we could do at that time."

Mr. Dowdall asked whether Mr. Hihdmarsh, if elected to tho Harbour Board, would advocate ( thq complete control of employment of labour on the wharves, by the Harbour Board. Mr. Hindmarsh said he was in favour of .extending the powers of the Harbour Board to enable it to control labour. Ho had moved motions with this object in the Harbour Board. It was a shame, .he said, that a largo number of men should.be treated as many men were treated on the waterfront. It suited the employers to have a big surplus of labour , on the wharves to work ships quickly, and of course as ehippinq; was intermittent .many men stood idlo for much of the time. The present hap■hazard methods of dealing with waterside labour could not any' longer be tolerated. Something would have to be done. "Very few of us," ho said, "are fit''for'leisure. It is work that keops us all fairly, respectable" A vote of. thanks was accorded to .the speakers, on the motion of Councillor Bennett.