WELLINGTON NORTH.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 112, 7 November 1908, Page 9

WELLINGTON NORTH.

MR. IZAED AS VINDICATOR. Mr. C. H. Izard, who is reconte&tirig the Wellington North seat, addressed 'a meeting of electors of the constituency at the Masonic Hall, Boulcott-street, last evening. Mr. O'Kane presided, and the hall was crowded to the doors. Mr. ( Izard, in his opening, took up the criticism of a morning paper upon the expenditure of the Government, and the need for economy and careful administration. He commended to all parties — Socialists, Labour, Conservatives, and Liberals — the fair, sober comment in the Evening Post of last night. It was true that the revenue was not so much as was hoped, and the expenditure had been more ; but yfas it fair to criticise the Government, as the morning paper referred to had done, without taking into account the great concessions that had been made to the people by the Government, concessions that more than counterbalanced any loss of revenue? (Applause.) The Evening Post supplied an ablo answer to what had appeared in the morning paper of that day. Mr. Izard then referred to his democratic .and independent opinions, from which he had never swerved since he had been in Parliament. Referring 10 his attitude as a City Councillor o\er the Featherston-street leases, he said his action in that matter had prevented these leases — dne of them, at any rate — passing to a firm of merchants, at a price much below its real value. He maintained that all Crown lands should be held for ever for national endowment. He had endeavoured to get this broj^ht about, but had been thwarted in the House because he had not armed himseU with the Governor's message. He mentioned this incident just to show how difficult it was for a private member to do anything. Had he his will the whole of tho Crown lands, should be set aside for national endowment, except such portions of them as would be required for Workers' Homes. (Applause.) H© contended that the reductions on the Customs tariff should not be allowed to go into the pockets of the merchants and importers. If Customs duties on tho necessaries of life were reduced, then the revenue so lost would have to bo made up, and he contended that it should be derived from increased graduated land tax. " Let it go on that tax," he said, "with a bang!" While there was the earth hunger, still there were five million acres of nativo land locked up. He realised that everyone had the utmost respect for the Maori and his rights, but it was a fair proposition that such land, if not worked by the Maoris themselves, should, at any rate, be employed and made productive for the natives themselves. Referring to the railway policy of the Government, Mr. Izard said the Manawatu line, which the Government of the day was advised not to construct, was an instance of what railways did for Wellington a3 a city. Mr. Izard criticised Mr. Bolton's proposals to purchase land for workers' homes near Wellington. Mr. Izard defended the Advances to Workers and the Seccnd Ballot Act. He had always fought for conciliation and not foi' arbitration. A voice : Why don't yon duchaf.;o Judge Sim? Mi". Izard . " When you return 'pc to Parliament next session, and I nm made Minister for Labour, I will carry out your suggestion. (Laughter.) But don't forget that 1 have been only one of eighty." Mr. Izard pleaded hard for conciliation between employer and onployed, and maintained that tho iabour laws had improved the conditions of work of the people ; but ihey should never forget that increased wages and increased cost of production meant hi-, creased cost of living.. Replying to questions, Mr. Izard said he would support a measure to compensate J. J. Meikie to tho extent of £5000. Ho was not in favour of the bare majority vote in licensing polls. He voted against the proposal of the Government tb "snavol" the Mental Hospital site, and the clause was struck out of the Bill. He was not in ' favour of the abolition of barmaids. A vote of thanks and confidence was accorded to the candidate and carried with acclamation. There wore also cheers and hoots for the candidate. MR. BOLTON'S CANDIDATURE. "What you have to judge a candidate on is not only on pasb services in local bodies, but on what he says and what he has efteoted," said Mr. I* 1 . G. Bolton, ' in addressing the Wellington North elect- : ors at Tinakori-road last evening. His ! opponent, Mr. Izard, he said, was a very _ use tul member on local bodies' in Wellington, but whether he yas a useiul member 01- Parliament was for the electors to judge. The candidate went on to say that he had a constructive policy, and would show that he was not a mere machine. His other opponent, Mr. Herdman, was an estimable man, but a politician of a reactionary type, whose policy did not make for the advancement of the country. The candidate said he would give the Government a general support on its present policy, because ho was in sympathy with it, but ho would reserve an open mmd 011 questions outside the general policy. Dealing with the question of borrowing, he said that we must go on borrowing for public works for the purpose of roading the backblocks; for the purpose of completing the existing main lines of railway, and carrying out such minor lines of railways as might be proved to us as likely to be profitable in the near future. But he did think that the time had come to put a brake on certain other items of public expenditure. And it was the duty of the city members to help the Government to resist the inordinate Jemands of country members. The system that would best get over that waste of money would be to have each line of railway and each public work reported on on its merits by the officers of the department. Parliament, he said, should be guided by the reports of its officers. If the reports were favourable, the work should be done as soon as finance permitted. But the work should not be done unless the district desiring the work guaranteed, in some way, interest and sinking fund, so as to make the work financial. Speaking on tFia question of the value of one's money, he said there were two things which had to be grappled with, viz., high rents and high prices for the necessaries ot life. He submitted a scheme whereby houses could be erected and let at a total cost to the worker, including transit, of 10s per week, by charging 5- jjer cent, on the value of the land, Is»nd 6 per cent, on the buildings, he advocated removing the duty am the necessaries of life, barring primary products which could be produced in the Dominion. It was alleged, ho said, that the Oregon pine trade was being exploited. He submitted that the duty should be removed, and that if necessary the Government should do its own importation and 'curtail the profits of the middleman until he got back to a reasonable instead of an inordinate profit. ''This system," he aaid, "is a form of State Socialism, which, like State coal, is profitable and a good thing for the community." (Applause.) He maintained that a system of afforestation should be presented, and submitted that the Parliamentary franchise should be extended to municipal elections. After answering a number of questions, the candidate was enthusiastically accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, on the motion of Mr. IT. J. Sutherland. The meeting, which numbered about 100 persons, was presided over by Mr. R. H. Dnyenporfe