ON THE PLATFORM

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 132, 1 December 1914, Page 8

ON THE PLATFORM

CANDIDATES' MEETINGS TO-NIGHT. Hon. A. L. Herdman — Wadestown, 8 o'clock. Mr. R. A. Wright— lsland Bay, 8 o'clock. Mr. W. H. Field— Paraparaumu, 8 o'clock. Mr. F. T. Moore— Tawa Flat, 7.30 o'clock, and Porirua 8.30 o'clock. Labour Committee — Tram terminus, Lyall Bay, 8 o'clock, and corner Austin and Elizabeth-streets, Wellington, 7.30 o'clock. Dr. Newman— Victoria Hall, Adelaideroad, 8 o'clock. Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald— Plimmerton, 8 o'clock. * Mr. T. M. Wilford— Trentham, 7.30 o'clock. Mr. R. B. Williams— St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, 8 o'clock. Mr;. H. E. Holland— Korthland, 8 o'clock. ■ TO-MORROW. Hon. F. M. B. Fisher— Mission Hall, Aro-street, 8 o'clock. Mr. W. H. Turnbull— Northland, 8 o'clock. Mr. A. M. Samuel— Trentham, 8 o'clock. Mr. J. A. Nash— Palmerston North, 8 o'clock. Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald — Berhampore, 8 o'clock. Mr. R. A. Wright — Wadestown, 8 o'clock. Mr. Robert Fletcher's committee will meet in Te Aro School to-morrow night, at 8 o'clock, the usual place of meeting having been previously engaged. LABOUR RALLY. A "Labour Rally" will be held in the Concert Chamber of the Town Hall this evening. Mr. D. Moriarty, who has retired from the contest for Wellington Central, will be amongst the speakers. Mr. Wilford's meeting at Trentham tonight, will begin at 7.30 o'clock, not 8 o'clock, as stated yesterday. Mr. A. Aislabie, late candidate for the Suburbs seat, writes, stating that he withdrew from the contest to avoid splitting the democratic vote, and not in favour of Mr. Fitzgerald, as that candidate stated in an interview published in yesterday's Post. Mr. Fitzgerald had no authority, adds Mr. Aislabie, for the statement. THE WANGANUI SEAT. "Mr. Hogan's entry into the field has (says the Wanganui Herald) come as a surprise to the Liberal organisation here, as it has to the leader of the party, Sir Joseph Ward. Mr. Hogan admits that up till quite recently he had no intention of contesting the seat. There was, he said, much in politics that was distasteful to him ; but, acceding to extreme pressure, lie had, after much hesitation, decided to contest the seat. For party reasons we regret that Mr. Hogan did not announce his candidature earlier, so that efforts might have been made to prevent vote-splitting. As a matter of fact, Mr. Hogaa was interviewed some months ago by various representatives of the Liberal Party and asked to state his intentions. He was invited to attend meetings called in the interests of the local Liberal Party, but declined to teike any part, and ga.ve his interviewers to understand that he would not be a candidate. As a result of that decision, Mr. Hogan's name was not included in the ballot winch was subsequently taken by the combined Liberal and Labour parties, when Mr. Veitch was selected, both parties agreeing to stand by the selected candidate and do their best to secure his return." MR. FIELD'S CANDIDATURE Mr. Field addressed a full hall at Manakau last evening, and met with a cordial reception. Major Tatum was in the chair, and in introducing the candidate he drew attention to his -very excellent services for the district in the past. Mr. Field dealt with a number of the chief political subjects now before the electors, and drew pointed attention to a number of inaccuracies which had fallen from his opponent on the platform, in particular those relating to land settlement under the present Government, to the alleged ineffectiveness of the new graduated land tax, to exaggerated statements as to aggregation oi land in the district, to railage on beer, barley, and racehorses, and the action the Government had taken with respect to the price of foodstuffs. He also showed 1 -that far from it being true, as stated by his opponent, that during that gentleman's three years in Parliament he had obtained more Government grants for the district than in Mr. Field's previous three years, the truth was as shown, by official figures produced by him from the Public Works Department, that he had obtained three times the amount obtained by his op ponent. Mr. Field expressed astonishment at his opponents recent denial of any agreement between the Liberal Party and the Social Democrats, and quoted definite announcements on the subject made by his opponent at Otaki, Foxton, and elsewhere. It was futile, Mr. Field said, denying what everybody knew to be a fact. Mr. Fiekl quoted the minority report of Messrs. Veitch and Robertson indicating that they were opposed to importation of labour, but set up a specious plan, of land settlement whereby workers at present here were to be placed on the land, and make room for the admission of further industrial workers. It was clear, Mr. Field said, that these gentlemen desired to supplement the ranks of tneir supportera in this way. Mr. Fieldj pointed, out setae of the urgent needs of the district, for which he said there was much of an important character still remaining to be done. A unanimous vote of thanks, Mr. Field declining confidence, was passed, with, three cheers for the candidate. -Mr. Field takes strong exception to the report published in the New Zealand Times from a Levin correspondent of his meeting in Levin on Friday last. He alleges that the description given is entirely inaccurate, that the meeting in question was a record one, the hall being crowded in every part, and that ho Was most enthusiastically received. It was true, he said, that in accordance with the general practices of his opponent, a body of individuals assembled in a portion of the hall .to disturb his meeting, and so enable a report to be published that he was being heckled, but the plan utterly failed, and he obtained an excellent hearing.