HUTT BYELECTION

Dominion, Volume 23, Issue 57, 30 November 1929, Page 12

HUTT BYELECTION

REFORM CAMPAIGN MR. JOHNSTON AT DAY’S BAY GOVERNMENT’S BROKEN PROMISES The legislative inability o£ the Government was roundly condemned last night oy Mr, H. F. Johnston, Reform candidate for the Hutt, when addressing a largelyattended public meeting at the Day s Bay pavilion. Mr. C. S. Skelly presided, and the candidate was accorded a fine reception, his utterances being frequently applauded. , . Mr. Johnston, who spoke in- the main along the lines of his previous addresses, spiritedly replied to recent criticisms ot the Reform Party, and converted defence into attack in examing the record ot the United administration. Results of Reform’s sixteen year’s administration, he said, were the placing on the Statute Book of such social legislation and the giving of such help to the workers and every’ other section of the community that no country in the world could claim to have been better served in that respect than New Zealand was served by the Reform Party. These services had only been possible by reason of careful and prudent administration. If the finances of the country were not prudently managed, those services would be ill supplied, and electors must be careful not to hand over their affairs to a spendthrift Government. A Misrepresentation. Renewing his attack on the financial policy of the United Party, the candidate declared that the Prime Minister’s extravagant election promise to loan at 4} per cent., without extra cost to the country, money costing more than that figure to raise, was impossible at its birth. .The whole thing was a misrepresentation at the start, and the party which put it forward should lose the confidence of the people of New Zealand. The United candidate had been lauding the record of the Government since it had been in power because it had spent money. Mr. Johnston admitted that the speed with which the Government was spending money was undoubtedly rapid, but it was borrowed money, and the party which spent money in that fashion was not the one wanted in New Zealand. (Applause.) “Dike a Jelly Fish.” Throughout the session the Government had been pushed this way and that by the Labour Party. It was supine and just like a jelly fish. If either candidate in the present contest was returned, the same condition of affairs in Parliament would remain until the next General Election. The Government’s legislative ability was of so poor a kind and the drive was so weak that it was quite incapable of passing any legislation of importance at all. “That is the party you are asked to keep in power,” said the candidate, “because it has the extreme ability to spend borrowed money at a high speed. . Keeping the Government in office is nullifying the effects of the prudent administration of the past and enabling a spendthrift Government to dissipate your savings as fast as they can and load you with debt for a very long time.” On the motion of C. W. Budd, seconded by Mr. J. Bright, a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. NEXT WEEK’S MEETINGS. Residents of Eastbourne are invited to attend the public meeting which Mr. Johnston will address in the Crown Theatre, Bona Bay, at 8 p.m. on Monday. The chair will be occupied by Mr. C.-H. Andrews, and arrangements have been made for an overflow meeting. On Tuesday night Mr. Johnston will speak at the Knox Church schoolroom, Blackbridge, on Wednesday evening at the Congregational Church hall, Alicetown, and on Thursday at 8 p.m. at the hall, Moera. The candidate will speak to employees of the Wellington Woollen Company at noon on Monday next, to railway work- ' shop employees at noon on Wednesday, and to employees of General Motors at noon on Thursday.

LABOUR’S CAUSE MR. NASH’S CAMPAIGN ADDRESS AT PETONE Open-air addresses in furtherance of the candidature of Mr. W. Nash (Labour) were delivered by Messrs. T. Brindle, R. McKeon, and R. Semple at Bay Street, Petone, last night. Mr. Brindle said that the workers of the Hutt and the people generally had a glorious opportunity to advance the movement which would eventually result in a Labour Government in New Zealand. Whether one liked it or not, it had to be admitted that the day of a Labour Government was not far off. Experience had proved thta if the people wanted anything done they had to do it themselves. The Reform candiflute, Mr. Harold Johnston, had talked about capital and labour getting together—the lamb lying down with the lion —and that from a representative of a party which had made repeated attacks on the wages and conditions of the workers of New Zealand. Reform had been sent to the scarpheap and rightly so, in Mr. Brindle’s opinion. The United Party had' conje on the scene and had reaped where the Labour Party had sown. The workers of the Hutt had a wonderful chance. The district was progressing industrially, and he had no doubt that it would make just as rapid strides politically. A Century Old Saying. “We in the Labour movement,” said Mr. Bundle, “are never afraid of the man who thinks, but we are afraid of the man who does not think. . ... If you work for a salary the Labour movement is your movement. I believe the electors of the Hutt realise that the time has came for them to get together and send a Labour man to Parliament. We represent the working man and woman. We all know that both the Reform and United candidates say they do, but they have been saying that for almost a century. . . . The Labour Party carries with it the hopes and aspirations of the working man and woman; there is no doubt about that. We ask for a cleaner and better social system, which will give results to those who render the most useful service to the community Some people talk about a revolution. We don’t need a revolution. All we need is a revolution of the mind. We have tried Reform, we have tried United, but we have never tried Labour. Now is the time, and I believe that the young people with the new idea and the old people with the young idea will return Labour to power. Nobody can legislate for the workers lik? the workers themselves. No matter how much sympathy a Reform or a United man may have, he cannot represent the people like the people’s representative can. And we in the Labour movement claim that we are the peoples’ representatives. Had it not been for the trade unions and the labour organisations I venture to say that the position of the workers in New Zealand to-day would be one of abject slavery.” ’ , . Confident of Future.

Mr. R. McKeen, M.P. for Wellington South, said that the electors of the Hutt were indeed fortunate in securing the services of such a capable man as Mr. Nash. No man in the Labour movement was better loved than Mr. Nash. He was

one of the ablest business men in New Zealand and would make a name for himself in the history of politics. Mr; Nash had studied the trials and tribulations of the worker from his early youth and knew what he was talking about. Mr. McKeen said he had not the slightest doubt that Labour would be the next Government. The eyes of New Zealand were on the Hutt electorate, particularly those of the workers who were looking forward to a decisive Labour victory on December 18. Misplaced Credit. Mr. R. Semple, M.P. for Wellington East, said he had just came away from a meeting addressed by Mr. R. A. Wright, who had told his audience that the credit of New Zealand never stood higher in the eyes of the world than when Reform occupied the Treasury benches. Mr. Semple said he could almost imagine Mr. Coates, immaculately groomed, going to England, and saying: “I come from a barren desert. Give me some money.” It was not the Reform Party that had to be thanked for the Dominion’s financial standing; it was its man power and potentialities that counted. “We ask the people of the Hutt to vote for Nash,” said Mr. Semple. “It is only by voting for Labour that we ean lift New Zealand out of the chaos which Gordon. Coates and Co. landed it in.” Mr. Semple said that if there was a Christian in New Zealand it was Mr. Nash. A more tolerant, a more lovable and capable man one could not wish to meet. (Applause.) MR. NASH’S COMING MEETINGS. Mr. Nash will address electors in the King George Theatre Hall, Lower Hutt, on Monday at 8 p.m. The Mayor, Sir Alexander Roberts, will preside. On Tuesday night Mr. Nash will speak at Eastbourne, and on Wednesday night at Moera. MR. KERR’S MEETINGS On Monday night, at 8 o’clock, Mr. J. Kerr, United candidate, will deliver an address in the Pavilion, Day’s Bay. He will deal with railway policy and the financial position of the country, and also reply to criticisms by the Reform and Labour candidates. On Tuesday evening, at 8, Mr. Kerr will speak in King George Theatre, Lower Hutt. The Mayor (Sir Alexander Roberts) will be in the chair. Mr. Kerr will also speak as follows: —December 4, Koro Koro Schoolhouse; December 5, Waiwetu Methodist Hall; December 6, Moera Hall; December 9, Alicetown Church Hall; December 10, Petone Theatre. On Thursday afternoon a large number of ladies were present at Mr. Kerr’s residence. 95 Hutt Road, as the guests of Mrs. Kerr. Mrs. Bernard Wood and Mrs. Wilford were among those attending.

THOSE ENTITLED TO VOTE THE OFFICIAL FIGURES For the Hutt by-election on December 18, 16,371 persons will be entitled to vote, that being the number of electors on the general and supplementary rolls. According to figures supplied to a “Dominion” representative yesterday by the Chief Electoral Officer (Mr. G. G. Hodgkins), the number of electors on the supplementary roll compiled for the byelection is 2156, the number of removals from the roll since the General Election 683, and the number of changes of address within the electorate since the General Election 500. WHICH COLOURS? THE POLITICAL TURF. Apt use was made of racing parlance by Mr. H. F. Johnston, Reform candidate for Hutt, in the course of a speech at Petone. “Whether the Labour and United Parties are one or not, I don’t know,” said the candidate. “They may be or they may not be. It may be that the horses running under the colours of United and Labour belong to a gentleman with the double-barrel name of United-Labour, i When the race starts, however, the colours will be disclosed. Mr. Nash’s colours are chosen for him by the trade unions, and when he takes his coat off and reveals his hidden programme you will find it is all red. Mr. Kerr’s will be found to be red, too, with a distinguishing blue cap. I don’t know which of these two horses the stable is backing to win.”

POST AND TELEGRAPH OFFICERS ATTITUDE OF LOCAL ASSOCIATION. Sir, —Under the' caption “Post and Telegraph Officers” “Not to Support Any Party,” there appears in your this morning’s issue the following paragraph:— "The Post and Telegraph Officers’ Association, at a meeting this week, decided that it would not support any political party, but would carry on in a constitutional way.” The ordinary monthly general meeting of the local section, over which I presided, was held on Wednesday night last, and it is presumed that this is the meeting to which you refer. The only resolution passed by that meeting was as follows:—“That this meeting recommends the Executive Committee to take all legitimate steps to have an arbitration system established.” By the establishment of an arbitration system it is hoped to remove the question of P. and T. salaries from all political control. . . _ ... •, As the membership of the Wellington section constitutes only a small percentage of the membership of our Dominion-wide organisation the inference in, your paragraph that the P. and T. Association had decided upon a certain line of action is entirely unfair and misleading. Your information has evidently been obtained from an unauthorised source in contravention of the rules of the organisation which specifically state that a report of any business transacted shall be handed to the Press only by the chairman and then only by the consent and authority of the meeting. , At the present time neither the Wellington section nor any other section is in a position to say what might or might not be done in the future, along the lines suggested. The Dominion Executive, which alone has authority to speak for the organisation as a whole, does not reassemble in Wellington till February next. ... One other matter reported m your this morning’s issue demands a correction. At a political meeting last evening, Mr. Kerr, the United Party candidate m the forthcoming Hutt election, quoted the Napier correspondent in the “Along the Line notes of our official journal, .The Latino,” and gives this as the official opinion of the P. and T. Employees’ Association. As Mr. Kerr is the present printer of our journal, he must be aware that the “Along the Line” notes are supplied by individual correspondents in the various sections, and that in no sense are they the official views of the organisation. I trust Mr. Kerr will publicly acknowledge his error at the earliest opportunity— I am, etc., C. J. DORRIAN.

Chairman. Wellington Section, N.Z. P. and T. Employees’ Association, November 29.

In the course of his speech at Petone Mr. Nash stated that on seven occasions the Labour Party had moved in Parliament that the salary and wages cuts of Public servants be restored, and he added: “These resolutions were mainly moved in conjunction with others, urging that no concessions should be made to income tax payers before the salary cuts had been restored. . . In our report the omission of the negative before concessions reversed the meaning, though the general tenor of the candidate’s remarks as reported indicated his line of argument. In the reference to the £lOO addition to members’ salaries Mr. Nash was reported as saying of the attitude of certain Opposition members: “It is a scurvy trick to assume the virtue of not taking the money when they had not the courage to record their voice against it.” In this case ‘voice” should have read “vote.”