CONTEST IN WELLINGTON SOUTH

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 143, 15 December 1919, Page 9

CONTEST IN WELLINGTON SOUTH

COLONEL MITCHELL AT BERHAMPORE

Despite the wet, cold weather on Saturday evening, there was a large audience of. electors at the Masonic Hall, Berhampore, to hear Colonel Mitchell deliver an election address. Mr C. M. Luke, who presided, paid a compliment to the manly independence of the candidate, who from his character and reputation would satisfy either Reform or Liberal supporters.

The candidate said there was not much more to be said at meetings before the final run-home on Wednesday. This was the next-but-one to the last fence. He had been told it would be n, dirty contest he would have to face, but he had not found it so. (Applause.) The cost of livinehe attributed entirely to the aftermath of war. New Zealand was by no means the worst off of the counaries affected. It was very easy to inflame the minds of those already carrying the burden; it was very easy to fan the flames of class-hatred : but it was a hard thing indeed to remedy the troubles and the evils that faced the people. There was no panacea. The first necessity was undoubtedly closei settlement of the people on the land. There were thousands of men to-day looking for land, both soldiers and civilians, and the large landholder in spite of all lield to his vast'holdings. It was the small farms that were changing hands' at a greatly enhanced value, and Eoldiers and others who bought in at such prices stood to risk their all. These large estntes should be settled not at the warcreated values, but at a value that would pay the settler when prices came back to the normal. Similarly they should throw open at once all idle Native and Crown lands. Productive lands must increase their production, and idle lands must be made to produce. Moreover, they could not defend a country better than by settling people closely on it. The war had made the combatant countries realise they must manufacture for their own use what previously they had imported in a manufactured state. It was this fact that justified the cry for hydro-electric development to furnish power for industries to make New Zealand more self-supporting. Wellington could save probably over sixty thousand tons of coal a year if the city had hydroelectricity. The Christchurch figures showed that with the enormous saving in the running of the trams, and the cost o{ electric light. For competition in industry, New Zealand was no longer handicapped by the disparity of wages which existed before the war. England was paying something like the wages paid in New Zealand, and it was time for "New Zealand to do her own manufacturing.

Education and the housing problem were treated by the candidate with an expression of views on the lines of his earlier speeches. He believed in townplanning, and criticised the municipal authorities of Wellington for doing so little to beautify the city. He was in favour of proportional representation and of profit-sharing on the Whitley principle, of State control of the coalmines, and a free medical and dental service for children. He believed in encouraging the raising of families, by a system of general superannuation and assistance, and euitaUe pensions from the State. It would pay the State to enable the mother to bring up her children in her own home. (Applause.) The child was the greatest asset of the State. How could a man bring np a large family and make provision for sickness, old age, and-**wgj-ployment? He was not pre^ to ' Bay / It was a problem that needej th ; k . ing. But something shouw oe aunts by the State by way of helping a man who was helping the State. He might suggest a relief of contributions to the general superannuation scheme when the family rose to four or over. (Applause.) The only way they could provide a scheme that was financially sound was to come on the very wealthy people as trustees of their wealth and impose a stiff graduated tax on their incomes. Large incomes, large estates, and large fortunes made out of the war should be taxed and taxed again, while the burden should be lifted from' the necessities of life of the poor. (Applause.) A big united effort was required to cope with troubles and evils. All the legislation —all the revolutions—in the world would not do. Progress would be slow and they must be patient. The faults were not all on one side. There was greed and greed of men who would exploit anything for the sake of money, men who had profiteered out of the war, landspeculators, monopolists. They had to get rid of these men. Capital and Labour must join hands in the march of human progress. (Applause.) In conclusion. Colonel Mitchell urged his Labour friends to cut-out the 1.W.W., goslow, the Ked Flag, the extreme doctrine of robbery camouflaged under the name of nationalisation, and they would reinstate themselves in ' the regard and esteem of their countrymen.

Loud and prolonged applause followed the candidate's last words. »

Tn answer to questions the candidate said lie had nothing to do with the withdrawal of Mr. Bruce's candidature. ■

A hearty vote of thanlcs and confidence 'as carried with prolonged cheers.