WELLINGTON CENTRAL

Evening Post, Volume XCVIII, Issue 144, 16 December 1919, Page 11

WELLINGTON CENTRAL

MR. P. FRASER

Mr. P. Fraser, Labour candidate for Wellington Central, addressed a small meeting of electors at Alexandra Hall last evening. Mr. W. Dicker presided. The candidate devoted the early part of his speech to a reply to attacks by the Welfare League on the. Labour Party's attitude towards the war, conscription and gratuities. He contended that the National Government 'had embodied a most vicious principle into legislation by making punishment retrospective in the case of conscientious objectors, who in addition to serving a term of punishment were further disfranchised for a period of ten years. Personally he would vote again as.he had voted against the disfranchisement of the conscientious objector. In regard to pensions the Liberals and Tories had considered at first that 25s a week was sufficient for a permanently disabled soldier. The strongest protests came from the Labour Party The case of Mr. P Webb was that he was opposed to conscription, but had personally volunteered for the Tunnelling Corps, and had been dissuaded by Sir James Allen from going. Nobody could impute cowardise to Mr. Webb who knew him. A lady: "Why did not the people who voted 26s a week go and fight it themselves?" Mr Fraser remarked that Sir Joseph Ward had expressed his approval in Parliament of the proposal made by the Defence Minister. The Liberals and Tories had agreed also to a proposal to make the pensions of widows of officers gTeater than that of the widows of the rank and file. Thanks to the fight put up by the Labour Party the Bill went back and was reintroduced with a 10s increase—in appearance, because the allowance of 8s 4d for an attendant was withdrawn. The Labour Party again protested. Next, the candidate referred to the attitude of the party on conscription, and recounted the decisions o£ the Labour Congress in 1916 in favour of voluntaryservice. The manifesto of the party issued after the Congress emphasised that a proper trade union wage should be paid to soldiers and the coet borne by the people of New Zealand. The Labour

Party had asked for 4s gratuity in order to place the pay of the soldier on the fair union wage basis. Mr. Fraser contended that the Labour Party had always been alive to the need of the soldier. The people had a right to be considered on the question of conscription. Why not apply conscription to wealth, if to human life? The partiality to wealth was visible right through the story of the National Government, and so also was an absolute disregard for human life. The excess profits tax, which Sir Joseph Ward had declared a failure, had been an absolute success in England, where it brought in more than one-third of the entire revenue. And after abolishing the excess profits tax they put 3d a lb on the people's tea.

A lady: "And it's still going up. We'll soon have to drink water and then they'll put a tax on that." (Laughter.) "Our charge," said Mr. Eraser, "is that the Government has actually increased the cost of living by its fiscal and financial policy." The lady: "Why haven't we got a Food Controller here?"

Mr. Fraser: "We have the Board of Trade." He added that he did not think much of its operations. Enough had been paid the flourmillers almost to have bought all the mills and enough to the Union Steam Ship Company for the hire of ships to have bought the company's fleet before the war. The candidate compared the Welfare League to an ancient society in England, of which the Earl of Wemyss was president, for the protection of property. Mr. Eraser concluded with an eloquent peroration asking for support to Labour, and was loudly applauded.

In answer to quest-ions the -candidate said he would support the requests of the Home- Service Association.

A hearty vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously.