CAMPAIGN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 35, 5 November 1928, Page 12

CAMPAIGN NOTES

Pension Increases. "There is a constant request that certain of the .pensions introduced by the Reform Government should be increased and, in my opinion, they must be increased as soon ns finance permits. The Jirst. in my opinion, should be to miners, 'llwre is no doubt that the times call lor an increase all round, and I have no doubt I hut an increase will lie made in tlie near future. As soon as finance can be found. I would ho one of the first to advocate it. In fact, I would go so far as to advocate the cutting down of other necessary works in order to make a start.” —Mr. N. J. Lewis, Reform candidate for Wanganui.

Another Challenge. Mr. John Burns. United Party candidate for Wellington South, wishes to give an emphatic denial to the statement contained in a circular distributed in the electorate on Saturday last by Air. MeKeen. which states: “Mr. Burns says he will vote for the Reform Govern incut in a no-confidence motion.” Mr Burns challenges Mr. McKeon either to provc the allegation or make a publie withdrawal of the allegation, which ho says is entirely without foundation. Mr Burns comments that “The object of iho statement is obviously intended, to adversely influence the right-thinking seclion of I .about which is supporting mo in the election."

“Nonshts and Noughts, and . . .” The numeral “nought" fairly danced before the eves of the United candidalo for Haskill. Mr G. C. M’inns. as he addressed an audience on Friday, says an Auckland paper. Air. Alnnns inadvertent Iv referred to land worth £9O an acre, instead of £9. and graining the significance of the following Inurhter. explained the siit> of the tongue by saving: “I have been looking at seventy millions t long that I see noughts, and noughts, and non-hts." (Laughter. 1 At a later stage ho balanced matters bv referring to the nronosod United £OO 000.000 loan as £OO 000. but explained Hint in that case be had missed three “noughts” printed “ovor the linn.”

Busting Filibusters.” “The Government's’ policy is sound. The country is being brought back to a period of prosperity. The exports have almost doubled and the value of the wool exports alone have increased from f(>.500.000 to £10.500.000. The Reform cannot, of course, claim all f he credit that, but we also cannot be bb’Died fop skimps may opcur. I believe flu* Reform Party will see us through. AVe shall see what farm security is worth mid put to farmers on a sound bus’s. Tl»e Refoym Government is made of sound financier®:, not busting filibusters. a n d given a ehmicn will see us through. That whv I .wish (o support it.”—Mr. S. AT. AlacnOster. Tndo"«ndont Reform candidate for Inverr»nr<r’ll . i / • 1

Government by Caucus. "The Labour Party has levelled a good deal of criticism at the Reform Government on account of its doing so much business by Orders-in-Council,” said Air. J. IV. Beanland, Reform candidate for Lyttelton, at a recent meeting. "I have had a good deal of experience on lhe Christchurch City Council, where Labour members are in a majority, but I have never known a city council conducted in such an unbusinesslike manner as the present council. All questions for consideration by the council are settled prior to the council meeting by the Labour caucus, and their decisions are simply carried by the steam-roller method which they adopt. The result is that tlie opposition members have no chance of conducting the business on recognised municipal lines. When we realise that questions coming before the council for consideration have already been decided, and in some cases work lias actually been carried out before tenders have been accepted. it makes one lose faith in the honesty of mtrpose of Labour leaders. lam in a position to know these things, and I say that without hesitation that if the Labour Party captured the Government of Hiis country the same state of affairs would exist in regard to our national government as exists on the Christchurch City Council to-day.” Hone Heke’s Grandson. Air. Hone Heke. who is an Independent Reform candidate for the Northern Maori seat, is a grandson of the famous chief who was the first to sign the Treaty of Waitangi and who eut down the flagpole at Russell. He is a nephew of the late Air. Hone Heke, M.P. He was an X-day expert in tlie Public Health Department before he became a fa rmer at Knikohe.

“The Soft Pedal.” “The Labour Party is keeping a foot on the soft pedal, nowadays/’ remarked Air. 11. S. S Kyle. M.P., the Reform candidate for Riccarton. “You do hear of them in the House to-day speaking of the Empire. Three years ago. they would barely admit tlie existence of the Empire.'' Why Those Tears?

"A week or two ago, this country was astonished by a proposal of Sir Joseph Ward to borrow £70,000,000 for railways and advances to settlers ant] workers. At. a most enthusiastic meeting in Auckland this proposal was haile.i with delight, ami in many cases, so it was reported, many of the audience were almost moved to tears. Were those tears of delight, delight at the prospect of obtaining a share of that sum, tears engendered by the glitter of gold, or were they tears for a man who was acknowledged once as a great financier, or were they tears for the prospects of this country if this borrow, boom mid burst policy came into effect. Then? is no single act in recent politics which has excited as much discussion. The situation is almost the same as in 1919 when Sir Joseph came before the country with a remarkable programme which put him into retirement with most of his party. And everything points to history repeating itself.” —Air. N. J. Lewis, Reform candidate for Wanganui.

The Best in Sight. There never has been and there never will be a perfect Government in this world, was one of the opinions expressed by Mr. H. Holland. Reform candidate for Christchurch North. He did not claim, he said, that the Reform Government was perfect, or nearly perfect. Tlie man or Government who set out to please everybody was notliing short of a fool: all that the best Government could do was to aim at “the greatest good of the greatest number.” and that had been the aim of the Reform Government. “There is no party in the House, or out of it, that can serve the country so well as the Reform Party.” he asserted. Not the “Prophet” Katana.

The x Katana who is contesting the Western Alaori seat against Sir Alaui Pomare is not Mr. W. T. Katana, the “prophet,” but his son. Mr. 11. T. Ratana, who contested the seat two elections ago (states an exchange). A number of Alaoris in the electorate brought strong pressure on Air. Ratana. sen., to contest the seat, but he declined, stating that his son. aged 34, was a more energetic man, and he relied on the force of the Ratana party to carry him through.

Stray Shots from the Hustings. “Strike me dead—l never did. . . I’ll take my solemn oath I never did. . Thus an Auckland candidate denying an accusation made by an interjector.

“You will lose your £10,” cried an interjector at an open-air meeting addressed by Airs. L. Paterson, Independent Labour, Grey Lynn. Never mind if I do,” said Mrs. Paterson. “You would think I had borrowed it to hear some people speak. They say: “I wonder where Mrs. Paterson got that tenner.” It is ridiculous. If lam prepared to lose it I do not think it is any affair of yours.

“I consider the three candidates standing are a poor lot, but Mr. is.the pick,” said a speaker at a southern political meeting. When the laughter had subsided, the speaker moved a motion of thanks, adding: “Mr. is not my ideal of a politician; neither are the other two.”

“Are you in favour of taxing bachelors?” seems to be a favourite question to put to candidates. This query was put to Mr. A. E. Ansell. Reform. Chalmers. “Yes.” replied Air. Ansell, “I have discussed the question with a bachelor friend of mine, and he seriously assured Ute that he would not object to a tax. as the privilege of being a bachelor was worth paying for.” • » •

“To me it is a remarkable thing that Sir Joseph Ward permitted himself to be used by a party for its own ends," said Air. W. E. Parry, in the Labour Hall, Auckland. “They have put . him up as their leader only because of his name and popularity in the country. I know members of the United Party who have no time for him.”

Air. AlcLachlan, United candidate for Riccarton, was telling Spreydon people what a sound statesman Mr. McCully (United candidate for Christchurch South) would make. “Like myself.” he said, “he was brought up with the plough —and the cow.” Later he told his hearers that while Air. McCully had been keenly sought for by the United Party, his own political aspirations were “nothing more orless than vaulting ambition.”

, “Arc you in favour of doing away with the upstroke of the pick or the heavy down stroke of the pen? Do you contend that it be made compulsory for Chinese to wear kilts? Would you be in favour of doing away with the water fountains in Queen Street and replacing them with ale taps? Is it true that you are the man who wrote ‘Yes. We Have No Bananas?’ ” These and many more questions.of the kind were asked at a lively meeting addressed by Air. J. Joiner. Independent candidate for Auckland Central.

“You have no idea of the pressure that has been brought to bear on me to try to persuade me *-0 vote for the bare majority.” said Air. J. P. Walls. United candidate for Chalmers. “I am told that everything else was of minor importance. It is not risffit that one question, such as that to which I have referred, should be placed above other important questions in a* young country such as New Zealand.” , * » “I am not going to be drawn into personalities." said Airs. Paterson. Independent. Grev Lvnn. decidedly, replying to an interjector. “The Bible says. ‘Judge not. lest ye be judged yourself.”’ (Applause.) * ♦ « Attacks on the political career of Sir Joseph Ward made by the Rev. J. I<. Archer. Labour, at a meeting in Papanui. aroused strong hostility among sections of the audience. The candidate asked if it was likely that n lender who had been rejected would again bo placed by the people nt the bend of affairs. (Cries of dissent.) \ voice: What about Ramsny MacDonald- ’ Air Archer: Sir Joseph Ward ns a politician is not fit to black Ramsny AlacDonald's boots. (Uproar.) HON. R. A. WRIGHT AT NELSON GOVERNMENT DEFENDED By Telegraph.—Press Association. Nelson, November 4. Tlie Alinistcr of Education (Hon. R. A. Wrio-ht), in a political address at Nelson, saiiUthat nothing but a political miracle could put the United Party in power. All their candidates, except seven (including Sir Joseph Ward nnd Air. H. Atmore) were new men and therefore at a big disadvantage. He criticised Sir Joseph Ward’s borrowing policy, and said that the loan proposed by him could not be floated without a loss. The Minister referred to New Zealand’s satisfactory position on the London money market as a proof of good government. He denied assertions that the Government had worked out the land boom and said it had merely carried out the comp '*- ments of the National Government. Air. Wright stated that the Reform Govern-

ment had given considerable help to farmers and instanced the fruit guarantee, assistance for the honey producer, workers’ housing scheme, pensions increases, child welfare, subsidies in school dental and health services, and other matters ns an indication of what the Reform Government had achieved. COMING MEETINGS The Hon. R. A. Wright, Reform candidate for Wellington Suburbs, will address the electors at 8 p.m. to-morrow at the Kaiwarra Methodist Hall. .Air. Dunbar Sloane. Reform candidate for Wellington Central, will address women electors at the New Century Hall. Cambridge Terrace, this afternoon at 3 o'clock. He will speak at the Empire Hall, corner of Cuba and Arthur Streets, to-morrow night at 8 o’clock. Mrs. AL Young, Independent Labour candidate for Wellington Central, will sneak nt the New Century Hall to-night at 8 o’clock. / Owing to the rough weather last week interrupting meetings. Mr. J. J- Clark, Independent Reform candidate for. Wellington East, has arranged a. scries of meetings for this week in various parts of the electorate, particulars of which are advertised. . i Sir John Luke, Reform candidate for Wellington North, will sneak to-night at the Te Aro School. Willis Street: at the Parochial Hall. Tinnkori Road, on Wednesday: and on Alonday next at th Methodist Schoolroom. Alolesworth Street All meetings commence nt N

P ‘Mr Martin Luckie. Reform candidate for Wellington South, will sneak to-night at the .Congregational Church Hall. Concfablo Street, at 8 o clock, and at ta Masonic Hall. Berh.ampore, to-morrow niHit nt S o’clock also. Mr T Forsyth, official Reform candidate for’Wellington East. wiH speak tonight nt the Melrose Hall: nt the “Realm.” Hntaitai. on Tuesday, nnd on Wednesday nt the “Tma” Masonic Halt Kilbirnie. All meetings commence at b

P ’Mr J. Burns. United Party candidate fnr Wellington South, will speak at the Presbyterian Church, the Parade Island Bay to-morrow: at. the Tabernacle of the Church of God. Tasman Street (near Bond’s) on Wednesday, and on Thursday at the Congregational Church, Constable Street. Newtown. All meetings commence at S p.m. _ . , _ , Mr. A. B. Sievwright, United Party candidate for Otaki. will speak at Waikanae to-nijxht. nt 8. and at Stokes A alley tomorrow night. v , Mr. T. M. Wilford (Hutt) will speak to-night, at the Empire Theatre. Petone: nt the Moera Community Hall. Mocra, on Wednesday, nnd at the Koro Koro Schoolroom on Friday. All meetings commence at 8 p.m. , , x Mr. W. H. Field (Otaki) will speak at the Mnnnkau Hall to-night at 8! at the Khnndallah Hall. Tuesday, at 7.30 p.m: nn the samp day (Tuesday), at the N.train Hall at 8.30 p.m.: nnd on Wednesday, st Hip Flimm er ton Hall, at 8 p.m. Mr. N. .7. Lewis. Tipform- oandidAte for Wantrnnui. will speak at the Duchess Theatre. Aramoho, to-nfaht. at 8. Labour candidates will speak as under. Mr. R. Semple, to-night. Masonic Hall. Scntoun : Tuesday. Worser Bay boatshed : Wednesday. Catholic Hall. Miramar. , Mr R. McKeon. to-night, nt 8. Moore s Tea Rooms Hanny Valley: Tuesday, open air. Constable Street and Owen Street: WodnerUav. Newtown Library. Mr. T Brindle, to-night, at 8. Bantist Church. Mornington: Tuesday. St. Lukes. Wadestown: Wednesday, Raiwarra Mcßiorlwt School. Mr P. Fraser, to-night, nt 8. Oddfellows 1 Hall. R'vde Quay: Wednesday afternoon at 2.80. women’s meeting New Century H"H. Mr. nnd Mrs. P Fraser sneakers: Wednesday evening. Victoria Uni’. John Street. „ Mr C H Chapman. Tuesday, at b. Caledonian Hall. corner Ghuznee and Sfn*»dp» Stress. • Mr H E Holland. Bender of the OpposHion.’ will sneak in the Town Hnll. T>Fer Hutt, to-morrow evening. By special renuesf Mr. Holland, before the Bower Hutt mooting, will speak nt 7.80 in the Bnbour HnP Ppfonp. Mr. Wnlter Wlll cnpnV n t thp Lower Huff Town Hnll. nntil Mr. Mr. Holland arrives, commencing "Sir Walter Nash, to-night, at 8. Crown Theatre Eastbourne: to-morrow, at 2.30. women’s mooting at Community Hal . Moera: nnd Wednesday. Labour Hall. Mr il. Dyson, to-niglit. at Otaki; Tuesday Rarnpnrnnmu : Wednesday. Te Horo. ' Mr. J. H. Taylor, to-night, Moutoa; Tuesday. Shannon.