WELLINGTON SOUTH

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 138, 9 December 1919, Page 3

WELLINGTON SOUTH

LIEUT.-COLONEL MITCHELL AT

BROOKLYN

Lieutenant-Colonel Mitchell, the Independent, candidate for the. Wellington South seat, addressed a very satisfactory gathering of women in the Masonic Hall, Brooklyn. Mr. M. AY. Thew presided.

The speaker; who was given an en-couraging-reception, spoke first of the problems of reconstruction, and the necessity of ending the present social and industrial unrest and strife. Much of that unrest was no doubt Sue to the high cost of living: other countries. were suffering more severely in that respect than was New Zealand, but that was no reason why the cost of goods and necessities, should be allowed to continue as they were at present, while steps yet remained to be taken. Much of the profiteering was out of the reach of the New Zealand Government, and in this respect he instanced the operations of the great English cotton trust. Still there was much that the Government could do, and he was not going to say that the Government had done everything possible.

As another panacea for the present ills of unrest, the candidate advocated settlement on the lahd; that, he said, would result in greater contentment, greater prosperity, and real home life. "Thousands of men aire looking for land, and thousands of acres are looking for men, and we must embark on a- scheme of land settlement far more ambitious and extensive than any policy aimed at in the past." Colonel Mitchell warmly advocated tha full development of hydro-electric power, for electricity was the poor man's light and the poor man's power. At present, he said, 40,000,000 h.p. were running to waste, whereas were that power harnessed manufactures would be spurred on, greater scope would be offered labour, a coal shortage would have no threat to the householder, and home life would be more comfortable and more economical.

The next point, dealt with was that of national superannuation. Charity was an unpleasant word to many, but superannuation wae to be looked upon as a right- and not as charity. He did not agree fully with the principle of the Old Age Pensions, for many persons who had every right to the pension were deprived of its benefits. Special provision under the national scheme should be made to meet cases of sickness and the death or disablement of the breadwinner. 'Any such scheme, he considered, should make provision for any man who was genuinely out of employment and was unable to obtain employment, but not for ma.ny years would New Zealand be faced with that problem. , Thriftlessness was a characteristic ever found, and the antidote was education. Girls should first of all be taught more of domestic science and less of office accomplishments, and, he believed, home life would be happier and the world so much the richer. (Applause.) Returning to the craestion of superannuation, Colonel Mitchell said that a flat rate must be paid. " Superannuation is to keep a man in his old age, not in a motor-car," but the contributions must..be made according to the salary of the contributor. . As a man's responsibilities increased his contributions would decrease in inverse proportion. The bachelor would be called upon to pay a heavier contribution than the married man, who, had he a family of, say, four, would no longer be called upon to contribute. Such a scheme would be a tax oh bachelors—(laughter)—and a reasonable tax upon the wealthy to make provision for the poor in their old age. Taxation of large incomes was essential to the success of the scheme, and the payment of death duties on large estates, must also be considered. Provision would also be made under the scheme for free medical and nursing attendance at confinements.

Dealing with education, the speaker advocated a general uplifting of the whole system, better environments for the schools, better buildings, free books and school supplies, and better payment for teachers. He also considered that free dental and medical treatment should be gived all children—as much in the interests of the State as of the children themselves.

Housing difficulties were next dealt with, and, he said, he looked forward to the day when every man would own his own home, but that, he warned his hearers, was not to be accomplished in a day. In' conclusion, the speaker appealed to all to do their, part in ending the present general unrest and in bringing about a new era of contentment, good accord, and increased prosperity. At the conclusion of the address, a number of written questions were handed up and were answered by the candidate. They dealt with all subjects, from theories of higher economics to maternity bonuses. • A vote of thanks and confidence was carried by very hearty a-cclamation, and the National Anthem was sung, all standing with the exception of some half. dozen women.

There were occasional half-hearted interruptions during the address, but Colonel Mitchell had cause to be well pleased with the general reception given him.