POLITICAL SPEECH

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 78, 2 April 1914, Page 4

POLITICAL SPEECH

MR. P. C. WEBB AT BLAKETOWN. A MISUNDERSTANDING. (»I miOKAPH— FRISS ASSOCIATION.) GREYMOUTH, Ist April. Mr. P. C. Webb, M.P., addressed a large number of electors at Blaketowu. He spoke for the most part on the lines of his Greymouth address., but devoted considerable time to replying to Mr. Massey's ciilicisrn of his (Mi. Webb's) Greymouth address. He said that" 1 he was misunderstood from the abridged report of the address telegraphed by the Press Association in reference to Mr. Hickey. Mr. Massey in his Greymouth speech referred to the political corruption that followed in the trail of the second ballot, and Mr. Webb had said, in criticising that, that if it were et> the corruption was of the Reform Party's own making. In Otaki the Reform Party had every available motor-car engaged to carry to the poll supporters of Ketorm to vote for Mr. Robertson against the freehold Liberal, Mr. Field. Tho same tactics were employed at Wanganui, where Reformers were most enthusiastic for Mr. Veitch. Likewise at Grey Lynn. In fairness to the La-hour men, he (Mr. Webb) wished to say that the Labour candidates were in no way implicated, as the move emanated from the Reform side. Indeed, Reform agents in Waihi interviewed Mr. Hickey between the first and second ballots, and promised him their support if he, when elected, would support their party against the Ward Government in a no-confidence motion, but Mr. Hickey had absolutely refused. Mr. Massey, in a speech in Greymouth, had waxed eloquent regarding the .magnificent prosperity of the Dominion. He (Mr. Webb) retorted that the boasted prosperity did not extend beyond the wealthy class, and never yet had reached the greatmass of the wealth-producers. Last year had been a prosperous year for monopolies ana money-lending institutions, of which Mr. Massey is the political expression, and Mr. Webb quoted from the Year Book for 1913, which appeared under Mr. Massey's name as Minister of Labour. This slio^ed that up to 31st March, 1913, mortgages to the amount of £97,816,375 remained on the register, and on the other hand the mortgages were not all registered, many not being included in the figures: This, of course, meant a ■ boom for the money-lenders, who were receiving double the rates charged the previous yea.r. Referring to the statement by Mr. Maasey that no workers had been shot down during the strike, Mr. Webb said that this was incorrect, for he knew of al ca«e of one young man shot through the shoulder on the night of the riot in Haining-street, whilst two boys 'were shot, one in the foot, requiring meaical attendance,^ and the other in the knee. The ca-se of the young man would come before Parliament for compensation. The whole matter had , already been discussed 'in the House, and therefore Mr. Massey must have a very bad memory when he said no workers were shot down. In reference to his (Mr. Webb's) statement that many of the "specials" were criminals just out of gaol, he was prepared to prove his assertions vby means of trustworthy evidence were an opportunity given, but this had been refused by the Minister of Justice. A petition largely signed by residents and business people in Tarunaki and Hainmg Streets had been drawn up to the effect.^at a number of "specials" were to be found drinking in the hotels by day, riding about armed by night, and that fully fifteen shots were ' fired by these men. In reference/ to the attitude of the Social Democratic Party, Mr. Webb said that the party intended taking up an absolutely independent attitude to both the other parties. Progressive forces, he added, were greatly handicapped .oil account of the repeal of the second ballot, without a substitute being provided. The repeal of the second ballot by the Massey party, he urged, demonstrated beyond the shadow of a doubt that their motto was " ofiice at any price," irrespective of the democratic aspirations of the people. Mr. Webb contended that the Reform Government had made a dastardly attack on the rights and liberties of the electors, and the workers, he said, knew well that theC Massey party, when in Opposition, strenuously opposed every Act calculated to improve the conditions of the masses. In conclusion, Mr. Webb stated that it was the avowed object of Labour to put thp Massey Government out of office next election, and in the absence of Social Democrat workers, would roll up to_ vote solidly against the. Massey nominee and support the nominee of the Liberal Party.