GENERAL ELECTIONS. WELLINGTON EAST.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 108, 3 November 1908, Page 3

GENERAL ELECTIONS. WELLINGTON EAST.

SPEECH AT THE NEW CENTURY HALL. Mr. David M'Laren, a candidate for the Wellington E&st seat, addressed a meeting of over om hundred people in the New Cortury Hall *last evening. Mr. J. Brown presided. The candidate, at the outset, said that . Wherever the name of M'Laren was spoken up and down tho country it -vso associated with the Labour Tiowraant. All parties had their rise in class interest. The Conservative Party hud its rise in the interests of the landed proprietors and the eristocracy of the Old World. The Liberal Party came into existence to represent the manufacturing -or capitalistic classes. Now tbera had come into existence the new interest of the great mass of the wageesirners, who were seeking to set up a new party of their own. The workers of Australia had already been able to do a great deal, aud he believed New Zealand was on the verge of a change. ■While a party had its rise in class, it did not necessarily follow that it would serve only class interests. Labour stood for the benefit of the community as a 'whole. ;PAST HISTORY. It would be remembered that in 1891 Labour threw in its lot with the Lib- ' eral Party for the reason that 'the head &i the Government at that time was, if anything, a Labour man. The .party was at first Labour and Liberal, later Liberal and a. little Labour, and now it was pure Liberal. It had found that it could get enough support in the country, and it was done with the artisan. No party that had its interests with kbe great capitalistic classes could represent Labour, and, therefore, Labour had to represent itsslf. Labour included all classes of workers — the braincorker as well as the manual-worker. (Hear, jiear.) He held that he was the embodiment of both, because he was a biain-worker and a manual-worker. (Applause.) THE UNDERLYING PRINCIPLE. The principle that underlaid the Labour movement was this : That wealth should go to the wealth-maker, and that wealth should be distributed amongst the mass and not to the fattening of the exploiting classes. Labour had created the strength of the Liberal Party that now existed, and a party that could do that could stand by itself as a constructive force. (Applause.) ABOUT HIMSELF. He made no apology for standing as s Laboui man, because to do so would be an insult to the great majority of the people of the country. He was honoured in being selected as the Labour candidate, and he believed he would represent it in the House. (Applause. ) Referring to the personal fitness of candidates,' he said he would not present himself as the most fit — to do so ■would be an absurdity — but he would mfcke a reference, to his work in the past. In the city of Dunedin he had gone in for study for the 'purpose of improving his own mind. When he came to the city of Wellington many years ago he knew one man, the. present Public Trustee. Now, he ventured to say, he was known throughout the length and breadth of this country. He related how he had first addressed the •workers on the wharf, and how he had since occupied the secretaryship of the Wharf Labourers' Union for ten years. He also made reference to the part he had taken in promoting trades anion-ir-m He had n^ver fought r to benefit "~ himself bj the movement — rather had he raised the level of the movement^— and now he sought to serve Labour in a still higher capacity. In 1907 the citizens of Wellington elected him to the position of a city councillor (a position he has held ever since with renewed confidence). He also occupied a seat on the Technical Education Board and the Charitable Aid Board. Services euch as these should well fit him for carrying out the duties of a member of Parliament. No man or woman had ever raised a doubt as to the integrity of his motives. LABOUR'S NEED. For tho last ten years his position had been the affirmation of tho need of a distinct Labour party in this country. He had been tola over and over again that if he would come out and stand as a Liberal he would win. These offers le had refused. (Applause.) Instead of the shilly-shallying Liberal-Labour men of the past they wanted Labour representatives who would stand to the principles and the cause of Labour and Democracy. He was out to fight class principle and greed. The great mass of the people of this country had no Press — the organs which created public opinion were in the . hands of Labour opponents. ABOUT HIS OPPONENTS.He had been winning this election for more than three years. He was winning that night, and he was going to win on the 17th because of the soundness of the views he enunciated. 'j.ne candidate devoted some attention to the views of his opponents. After stating that he had nothing to say personally about the candidates, he referred to Mr. Winder, whom he described as a peculiar combination of politics and business. He fhould put out a placard offering cheap shovels and iron democracy to the people of Wellington East. (Applause.) Mr. M'Lean, one would imagine, had come out of tho Ark. He had a good deal to say about his political family tree, but he Cthe speaker) could truthfully say that it was nothing more than a burnt-out stump. (Laughter and applause.) As foi Mr. Atkinson, his politics were those of a set — an exclusive set of people on whom he depended foi political patronage. The 'worst and the best that could be said of him that he was a lawyer, the class who were seeking to monopolise Parliament. THE OPPOSITION. j "When I have the temerity to criticise the Government politics there are Borne people stupid enough to think I am. favouring the Opposition." He had only one use for the Opposition, and that was to put it out of sight. Mr. Massey, Leader of the Opposition, presented his policy to the country, and we had the curious position that the Government criticised it. The position was instructive as to the muddled state of our politics at the present time. Mr. Massey s- programme consisted of a baker's dozen of what might be termed planks. There was one principle that stood out boldly in relief in Mr. Massey's platform, what was described by the Sydney Bulletin as " Anti-Sosh," or anti-Socialism. He did not think that Mr. Massey had . ever taken the trouble to study what/ Socialism was, or he would not present Mr. Fowlds as a Socialist. Mr. Fowlds was a singletaxer. The cry of anti-Socialism raised by the Opposition had become tiresome. At *ne of Mr. Atkinson's first meetings he was advised not to come out as an Oppositionist; that the thing wns played out; that he should Come out as an Independent. OPPOSITION CRITICISED. Mr. Massey's programme was criti'eieed by the candidate in detail. He raid that one contention was that there

should be proper control of the public finance. He (Mr. M'Laren) submitted that the best way to secure proper control of the public finance was to get a Labour party into the House; becanse if there was one thing that the Labour party fought for more than another it was to give the fullest publicity in regard to public questions, and the best check' upon the purse-strings was an educated democracy. . CIVIL SERVICE BOARD. Mr .* Massey's second plank v was a Civil Service Board. He (Mr. M'Laren) was not in .favour of the establishment of a Civil Service Board. To create such a body would only mean the setting up of a cast-iron bureaucracy to tyrannise the great body of civil servants. The propei- thing to do was to have appointments by fair examination. There should be some method of publicly announcing vacant positions. At the same time there would not be so much kowtowing for Government billets if the men whom the people sent to Parliament had a little more independence in their bearing. The same system of billethunting existed in municipal government, but no one came to him in order to secure influence because it was well known that he had an appreciation of how he should command himself. (Applause.) LOCAL BODIES. State grants for local works should b6 on the basis of proportional subsidy. This would be a fairer method than that existing at the present time. Special grants might be needed to meet special cases, and these should be under the review of Parliament at the earliest opportunity. Then .Mr. Massey had referred to the need for reforming the finance of local bodies. This was not a party question, and should be settled by consultation with the local bodies. LAND QUESTION". Ho declared himself a leaseholder, and agreed with the need for settling the native land question. The best method for preserving the native race was to educate the Maoris and teach them to use their own lands. He was opposed to anything that would tend to impoverish the natives. EDUCATION. The Labour Party wanted to improve the educational system, because without education the Labour Party could not get that which it was looking for. CUSTOMS. Mr. Massey also wanted a reduction of Customs duties on the necessaries of life and trade appliances, but he did not say where the revenue was to be made up. Mr. Massey was opposed to any increase in the land tax, and he would reduce Customs. The speaks? was in favour of reducing Customs dues and increasing the land tax. CO-OPERATIVE AND PUBLIC WORKS. Mr. M'Laren objected to private contracting in Public Works,_and gave the Government credit for what it had done, on co-operative working. At the same time he thought the co-operative system could be improved by the cheapening of store supplies to the men. MORE MASSEY PLANKS. Mr. 'Massey advocated immigration dfBritish settlers. 'He complained continually that the lands of the country were not being opened up speedily enough, and thaj/ there was no room i for settlement in this country. Yet at | the same time he wanted British workers { to come in here. Mr. Maesey wanted defence on the basis of universal service. j If the country were owned by the j whole people there would be no need for forced patriotism. Mr Massey also advocated the encouragement of private enterprise. That cry ] showed that the Tory spirit still lived in i the hearts of some people. The last plank of the Leader of the Opposition wais the return of honourable and capable .nen to Parliament. Under that- heart he (Mr. M'Laren) felt inclined to claim the support of that party. . ! THE GOVERNMENT. With respect to the Government Party, he might state that it had been absorbing some of the Opposition Conservatism — too much of it to suit him (Mr. MfLaren). When it was a question affecting the great mass of the workers, there existed a coalition, and she Government and Opposition Parties wero one. But notwithstanding that, the twoparty system was still to be carried out. SUGGESTED REFORMS. He congratulated the Government on the change which had been made by the passing of the 'Land Act of last year, ft had aboli&hed the 999 years abomination, and established the renewable lease. Ho objected to the policy of allowing the leaseholders to purchase. 90 p&r cent, of the value of their holdings,,, and to th© right given l.i.p. tenants to purchase the freEhold He was not sdtished with the present land tax — instead of being Id j in the pound, it should be 2d in the pound. Out of a population of one million only 26,553 people paid land tax, and 3973 only paid graduated tax. The Covernment had given away to the principles of the Opposition bit by bit. Last year land tax brought in £537,846, and Customs £3,216,538. The burden of indirect taxation was altogether too great, and while he gave the (Government credit for not increasing/Customs he said that further reduction^ could be made. y BORROWING. He condemned wholesale public borrowing. While he agreed with the pushing on of public works and congratulated the Government for what it had done in this respect, as well as the | purchase of the Manawatu Railway, ,he j wished to point oat that all this expenditure was enhancing the valuation ; of lands. The Main Trunk line had cost ; over two and a half millions, but the land through which it passed would increase in value by more than double that. amount. That was why he advocated i increased taxation of land. The interest ] charges on the public debt 'were be- j cqming ever heavier. Last year tv.o ! and a half millions sterling was paid away in interest. A check had to be put on public borrowing. referred to the concessions which had been made ! in railway charges, and said the 3 per cent, basis ot' running the railway was wrong. The Government was really m the position of manager for the for-, eign bondholder. The greater part of : the concessions went back into the hands of the landlord. He was not- satisfied that the workers in the railway service I were getting all their requirements attended to. j WORKERS' HOMES. j He criticised the dilatorine&s of Ihe Government in the matter of erecting workers' homes, and said the Advances to Workers Act could be extended. At the same tune the Act could only benefit a small section of the workeis. More pover should be given to municipalities to deal with -the housing problem. INDUSTRIAL LEGISLATION. The amendment to the Arbitration Act of last session was a fearful and wondrous piece of work. There was too much compulsion about the Act, while in some instances its provisions were very inequitable. An employer who "locked-out" one hundred men could be fined £200, while a worker could be fined up to £10, or in the case of a strike- of one hundred men £1000. This showed the repressive spirit of this legislation, and the need for a distinct Labour Party iD the House. OTHER ACTS RELATING TO WORKERS. The Workera' Compensation A.ct did

not go far enough. Tho English Act covered domestic servants, and it placed no limit on the amount of compensation an injured worker might receive. Mr. M'Laren said it was to be regretted that the Agricultural Labourers' Accommodation Act had not been put into force. Despite the fact that the agricultural labourers had been refused an award by the Arbitration Court, the Government was still bringing immigrants into New Zealand. The Government's policy was distinctly antilabour THAT "REST.* He ridiculed the Premier's references to "equality of opportunity." It was simply so much pretence and humbug. Tho Premier said the country wanted a legislative rest, but he (the' speaker) said there was so much radical reform still to be done that the country could not rest. If the Liberal Party wanted a rest it could take it. Reforms were wanted in the matter of local government, a more equitable system of taxation, charitable aid distribution, and also in regard to our education system. NO-LICENSE. The '~No-License question should be decided on a bare majority. He wished to stale this view candidly HIS PROGRAMME. The Drogramme he supported was as follows: — Limitation of public borrowing, increased taxation of land values, reduction of customs duties, local government reform, extension of the powers of popular control by the initiative and referendum, free education in all grades with uniformity of school books in the lower standards. THE BANK OF NEW ZEALAND. He thought the country should retain the shares it now held in the Bank of New Zealand, and ultimately convert it into a State Bank. With respect to private monopolies, trusts, and rings, he believed the only way to get at those trusts was to create State industries, and thus check private monopoly. LABOUR AND MINISTERIAL .AUTPIORITY. He favoured direct industrial legislation in place of Judge-made lav/, and advocated the limitation of Ministerial authority. The last Parliament had been extremely dilatory and careless in the matter of allowing Ministers too large authority, and too much power. So much power should not be granted to the Go vernor-in- Council. He condemned in the strongest terms the passing of the Public Works Act of last session, under which power was given to , Ministers to part with the waterrights of the country for all time — one of the most dangerous things that had ever been done by any Parliament in this country. (Applause.) OTHER REFORMS WANTED. He wanted to see State agricultural land settlement. Neither the freehold nor the leasehold system was going to settle the land question. The State should concentrate on the most scientific systems of agriculture. One thing that the Labour party would fight for was electoral law reform. -The changes made so far had been mostly in the direction of checking democracy. At the present' time there were not two distinctly defined parties in tho House ; it was a sort of two-one party. Government could not be carried on without the party system, but what would come about would be a coalition of the two parties, which for •so long had \he whole power in their hands, and then that party <md uhe Labour party would be those represented in Parliament. LABOUR'S AIM. The Labour party wanted to create a driving force m politics which would give a lead to greater activity in reform to the interests of the whole people of our country. His appeal was not to petty sectional interests, but on the broad grounds of patriotism, in ' the best sense of that much-abused term. He wanted to see a socialised democracy in this country. (Applause.) In reply to a question, he said he did not think borrowing could be entirely stopped at once. The check would have to be applied gradually, and the system of borrowing ultimately abolished altogether. The money required to carry on the affairs of the country when the check was applied, he proposed should come from increased land-tax. The candidate was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence.