LABOUR RALLY

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 101, 26 October 1925, Page 9

LABOUR RALLY

The Labour rally held at the Empress Theatre last night was well attended. Mr. J. M'Kenzic presided, and addresses were delivered by Mr. J. Roberts (secretary of the Alliance of Labour) and Mr. A. L. Montcith, the Wellington East candidate. ■

_ Mr. Roberts characterised the Wellington City Nationalist candidates as Reformers' in disguise, .who would support any party in opposition to Labour. Wages, he said, were in effect iixed by the Government of tho day, especially for unskilled workers, who, as- the result, had suffered a loss of at least £10,000,000 in the last few years. He spoke strongly on the action of the Arbitration Court in acting on mistaken premises in tho reduction of wages, and denounced the Labour Department for the issue of a report embracing the reduction of a weekly sum from the wages of a single man to provide for a married man's family. It was said this was not to be brought into effect, but he knew it had received twelve months' consideration by the Department, whoso leaders were averse to increased wages.

Mr. Montcith, criticising Mr. Coatcs 's policy, said that when it was stripped its political nakedness made him ashamed to contemplate. He also characterised the Government's land policy for immigrants as merely adequate for their .'interment, and generally accused the Government of unfulfilled promises.