WELLINGTON CENTRAL BY-ELECTION

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 78, 28 September 1918, Page 10

WELLINGTON CENTRAL BY-ELECTION

POINTS FROM SPEECHES

"The man who lives in a country which'he won't, defend is simply a coward if he takes, refuge in his conscience," was a reply of Mr.' Hildreth, to a question last'night.

, A' patient hearing was accorded Mr. Mack at the. Willis-streef'School last evening. The room proved -far too small to hold all those'who sought admission. There were about 150 people present, and Mr. J. R. Burley presided. The candidate justified his independency in, the Labour movement. Independence, as he interpreted it, meant freedom, arid he claimed the right to the freedom which he thought others should have. Ho criticised at some length the platform and constitution of the New Zealand' Labour Party, and warned the people of the.danger of allowing the extremists to secure-a. place hi Parliament. Mr. Mack eaid emphatically that' he was. a "win the war" candidate. On the subject of education he pleaded for higher salaries for school-teachers, and for more scientifically-constructed and better-equipped schools. The- Government Was niggardly, and if it would only tax the land values and raise more money that way, the children might have a chance of receiving "a fair deal.'' It was the duty of the State to 'see that every child was properly, for, and if parents were not able to rear their families properly, they should' bo subsidised. (Applause.) The candidate spoke strongly in favour of an elective executive, and then answered two questions which; he said, had been asked through the press. On the subject of banned literature, he said he did not agree .with the. circulation :of any literature reflecting on the immorality of anybody. He was not a member of the P.P.A., nor was any member of his family. He was not jn the confidence of the P.P.A.j arid could not account for any of its actions. On the motion of Mr. Badger, Mr. Mack was accorded a hearty votes of thanks, and cheers were^'grVen for him.; \ ■ ■ '■: ' •: '

About thirty people attended Mr. P. Fraeer's meeting at the Aro-street Mission Hall last evening. The candidate spoke almost exclusively on the questions of profiteering and the cost of living. He condemned the National Government for not dealing adequately with the latter subject/ nor had the problem of housing been taken up by them. A The meeting was a quiet one, the speaker was given an attentive hearing, and at the conclusion of his speech he was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. '

"I can speak feelingly on this subject," remarked. Mr. Hild^eth last night, when referring to the need of a Repatriation Department. . He was interrupted by various voices. "I can epeak feelingly," he repeated, "as I have three boys •way." ; Applause.) .... •,'.

"There should be no exportation from this country until the local requirements have been satisfied," was a statement received enthusiastically by Mr. M.' J. Mack's audience last evening^ !

Asked if he thought'the system proposed by Mr. Payne, M.P., would do away with' oiir national debt, Mr. P. Fraser, at his meeting at the Aro-street Mission Hall last evening, said: "Mr. Payne is a very erratic gentleman; and he is a man the Labour Party cannot take very much account of." -The candidate expressed the, opinioni that our war expenditure should be met out of taxation, or, at any rate, a great part of it should be. •.,>.■■

"I am going to quote Mr. Fraser again. I know he ie not popular just now," said Mr. Hildreth last evening. A section of the audience made much noise, and gave "three cheers for Fraser." The candidate smiled. He explained that the Fraser whom he was about to quote was the Government Statistician. ;

"When the Government commandeered the ships to take our troops to the front; they acted like a man who buys a gun and does not buy any ammunition," stated Mr. M. J. Mack at Willis-street last evening. "They had the ships but they had no coal. ,'The least they could have done was to have taken over complete., control of the mines, or at least of the coal at the mine-pit. That would have been the commonsense way of dealing with the problem. But no, we find the Government still going on in the same old way."

In reply to a question at the Aro-street Mission Hall last evening, Mr. P. Fraser said he was not in favour of conscription; that the Labour Party was against conscription: "Our argument," he added, "is this: conscription always has been' and will be used to suppress the working-class; consequently Labour in every country is opposed ,to conscription, and will continue to oppose it."

Mr. Sydney G. Smith, who, according to a Press Association message from New Plymouth, is backed 'by the local Labour organisations, in the Taranaki by-elec-tion, has declared himself to be an unequivocal supporter of "win the war." He added, "There can be no peace by negotiation; no peace until the German is'thoroughly beaten. I hope no peraon will make any mistake about my attitude on that matter." ' .