CAMPAIGN NOTES

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 102, 27 October 1925, Page 9

CAMPAIGN NOTES

"Trust the Reform Party."

"Of the three parties you can trust Reform," said Mr.' Lysnar, M.P.-, at a somewhat rowdy meeting at Wairoa last week. A voice: "Aw, cut it out. Yon're an Independent." (Laughter.) Mr. Lysnar: "Because I'm an Independent that is no reason why I should not support Reform." A voice: "If Massey were alive you wouldn't be here." ■ Mr. Lysnar: "I wouldn't be here if the Labour Party were in power and some of you would soon be out of a job. No doubt I'd be put.up against a wall and shot by the-Bplshies." (Uproar.) ■ Continuing, Mr. Lysnar said the Reform Party had had a hard row'to hoe, but it had done very well. The Nationalists were an offshoot of the Liberals, who had died out and lost their identity. The only two Liberals now standing were Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. M'Callum, and they will soon be washed out. .■ A voice: "So will yon." Mr. Lysnar: "I'll be back after 4th November, don't you worry." Referring to the Labour/ Party, Mr. Lysnar said ho did not consider the extremists and agitators represented the rank and file of Labour. A voice: "You're an agitator." Mr. 'Lysnar: "Yes, I'm an agitator when it comes to working for this district." A voice: "Who is the head of extreme Labour in New Zealand?" Mr. Lysnar: "Mr. Holland, who is a disciple of Trotsky. That gentleman says that interest is something for nothing." ; A voice : "So it is." Mr. Lysnar (sarcastically): "There is one of Mr. Holland's scholars. That man who interjected has no money to lend or he wouldn't talk like that." A voice: "You would like to get the lot for nothing." Continuing, Mr. Lysnar said there should be machinery to bring about a better understanding ' between Labour and Capital. . : A voice: "Machine-guns?" ', Mr. Lysnar: "Yes, you Bolsheviks would like to use them, but we'll stop you having them. The extreme Labour Party was absolutely disloyal and dangerous." A voice: "They went to the war." Mr. Lysnar: "No, they didn't. They went to gaol instead. Some of you want ! to go to Russia and see what you would get there. Extreme Labour would turn the country over to Bolshevism, and good-bye to liberty." "An Unknown Quantity." "Mr. M'Grath (Nationalist) is an unknown quantity so- far as Parliament is concerned," stated Mr. Combs (Labour candidate for Wellington North) last night"; and I think ho will remain an unknown quantity. (Cheers and applause.) I don't' think that Mr. M'Grath knows where he stands politically, and, judging by the reports of his speeches, I don't think he has any programme to put before the electorate." (Applause.) A voice: "He is a ' Yes-No ' man."' Mr. Combs: "That just about sums him up. If he was not good enough for the electors of Wellington Central, I don't think he is good enough for those of Wellington North." (Cheers and applause.) ' • Dogs, Dingoes, and Wolves. Labour was Communism with its working clothes on. Bolshevism was Communism with the gloves off. Critics had told him that tho Reform 'Government was sending New Zealand to the clogs. His Teply was that it could safely go to the ilngs, provided the dogs of tho Dominion were not running with the dingoes at Australia iiiid Mip wolves of Russia.—Mr. S. Olilfield (Auckland West). Control of Money-lending. Mr. 11. 15. Combs (Labour candidate for Wellington North), advocating a State bank last night, said that the Labour Party wanted tho people to control the money-lending business, instead of the money-lending business controlling the people. (Applause.) Citing tho case of the Commonwealth Bank, Mr. Combs staled that a, State bank would save lo tho people of New Zenland 6i millions a year. Taxation could be reduced to that extent, and bow greatly would the position of tho people lie improved anrl tho purchasing power <■>' the wages increased if tho Customs taxes were reduced by 65 millions 3. year. He did not denj_ that the banks

rondered service to the community, out they were charging far too much for that, service,, and the competition of a State bank would reduce their, interest and other charges to a fair and reasonable rate. (Applause.) Of course, however, they could not expect, big newspapers, whose big owners, the Labour Party was slaying as big shareholders in the banks, to be too favourable to the State bank scheme. The Strike and Other Questions. Mr. W. D. Lysnar, M.P., Independent candidate for Gisborne, underwent a very lively heckling at his meeting at Wairoa last week. "It you take the speeches of the other candidates," said Mr. Lysnar in the course of his address, "there is nothing there in connection with the actions of the Government or myself. Neither has referred to the shipping strike which had been designed and engineered by the Soviet." (Booing from the back of the hall.) Mr. Lysnar: "It is very evident that there are .a few friends of the Bolsheviks here to-night." Voice: "Too right." Mr. Lysnar: "I'll give you something to chew over before long." Voice: "Cut it out. Who held up your wool?" Mr. Lysnar: "I gave-every bale of my wool during the war, "but when it was over I would not let the profiteers have it. That was the stand I took up." A voice: "Vestey's have got a hold of it now." Mr. Lysnar: "Yes, a bit of it." A voice: "They took it Home in your old boat." (Laughter.) Mr. Lysnar: "It was important to remember that the .strike, according to cables from Home, had been instigated by Soviet Russia." This statement caused an uproar at the back of the hall and cries of "What rot!" ' Mr. LysDar continued that the Russian Government' had engineered the strike. The Soviet recognised that the British Government was the one stumbling block to a world revolution. A voice: "Where did you read that?" Mr. Lysnar: "Where would you not read it? Why, it was in every paper." "Too Honest for Politics. ", "Mr. R. A. Wright, the member for a neighbouring constituency," said Mr. Combs (Labour candidate for Wellington North) last night, stated at the Town Hall meeting that Mr. Coates was too honest for a politician, but he was learning the ropes, and coming along very well. That, to his. mind, added Mr. Combs, was an insult to' Mr. Coates. His view was that a man could not be too honest in politics, or in anything else; and if Mr. Coates was too honest for a politician, but was learning the ropes and coming along very well, i that, logically, must mean that he was becoming less honest. Further, it Mr. Wright has been so many years in politics, and had thoroughly learnt the ropes, then by logical implication Mr. Wright was not honest. (Cheers and applause.) At the present time the electors had no opportunity of recalling members who were not honest politicians and did not carry out their political pledges; but all Labour members were subject to the recall. (Applause.) ' 'Would Humanise Arbitration Court." "I would not abolish the Arbitration Court," declared Mr. H. E. Combs last night; "I would humanise the Court. In niy opinion its method . of; fixing wages is not a humane method, but a machine system; and that ought to be altered." (Applause.) "State Capitalism." "When the Labour Party speaks of abolishing capitalism," says the Hon. Downie Stewart, ■''it merely substitutes State capitalism for private capitalism. The consumer is not benefited." "Agitator to be Hounded Out."" "Tell us something about the shipping strike," said a questioner at the Hon. R. F. Bollard's meeting at Raglan. "Right," .replied Mr, Bollard. "If I had my way the agitator would be hounded out of the country (juick and lively. It is not the men who caused the trouble, but the agitator who misled the men." "Too Many Strikes, Harry." Scientific investigation had proved that there was sufficient coal hero to last for 2000 years, with the possibility of enough existing to last eight to nine thousand years. Yet, declared Mr. E. E. Holland (Labour Socialist) at Invercargill, 20 per cent, of the coal at present being consumed in New Zealand was being brought into the country. A voice: "Too many strikes, Harry!" "Motherhood Endowment." . Dealing with motherhood endowment last night, Mr. H. E. Combs (Labouf candidate for Wellington North) said that the basic wage fixed by the Arbitration Court was fixed on the basis of a man with a wife and two children, and what under such a system was to become of families of more than two children ? If the Arbitration Court would not provide for the children in excess of two, then the State, he declared, should provide for them. (ApJ plausc.) It should do so out of general taxation, and should give maintenance to the extent of 10s a week for every child over two in each family, no matter how many children there might be. As against that system, tho Government proposed an absurd and unjustscheme of reducing by 7s 6d a week the wages of single men, of widowers, and of married men without families, paying tho amount into a central fund, and out of that fund allowing 7s 6d a week to the mother's for every child over two per family. The Reform Party, of course, now that they had been found cut, denied that that was their scheme. They said it was the scheme of Mr. P. Piddington, a well-known Australian economist, but it was a sheer travesty of his scheme. "Kinging In." "There are three, if not 1 more, parties offering themselves in the present election—the Reform Party, led by Mr. Coates, the Labour Party, and the Nationalists—the last-named really the remnants of the old Liberal Party. The Nationalists are really tho same old horse under another name—Willie Lincoln being rung in as All Smoke!"— Mr. 11. S. S. Kyle, Reform candidate for Riccarlou. Mr. Harris, M.P., and the "Reds." Inferences by Mr. A. Harris,' the Government candidate .for Wn'itemat:i, at his mooting in the Masonic -Ha.il, Northcote, on .Saturday evening, to l.lie lenders and policy oi the Labour Party, drew forth numerous interjections from a section of the audience. The-'Mayor, Mr. C. A. Dcuxberry, who presided, intervened on several occasions when the proceedings became rather animated. The candidate said that .Liberalism was ;i spent .force, and tho old Liberal Party had ceased to exist. There were two Liberals loft in New Zealand—Sir Joseph Ward (who refused 1o call himself a Nationalist), and Mr. Hall Skelton! (La.ughter). The policy of the Nationalist Party was similar to that of Eeformj though a

great gulf existed regarding administration. Tho third, party was ustreme, revolutionary; and socialistic, and, though a small handful, was noiay. An Interjector: "You're frightened of them I" Another Intorjecor; "They've got tho breozo up you!" Mr. Harris said it was not the strength of tho Labour Pary that was to bo feared, but the fact that their opponents, representing tho moder-.. ate thought of the country; wore splitting their votes in the constituencies by supporting rival candidates. Ho appealed to all people opposed to Labour policies to support Kefo cm candidates rather than the. Liberals, in order to keep out Labour. The Labour land policy, said the candidate, meant pure and simple confiscation. (Dissent.) Answering questions, Mr. Harris said that New Zealand would be a good deal better if the extreme "Reds" were sent back to tho country whence they came. An Elector: "Does Mr. Harris think the Labour Party so devoii of intelligence as to provide in its platform for■ confiscation of houses?'^ Mr.' Harris (emphatically): "I do think so!" . - . Parliament Like a Wool Sale. "During the first few days in the House it's like a wool sale. Every member is popping up to ask for a grant fpr something or other. But there is never a clamour against borrowing" until election time comes round," said Mr. H. S. S. Kyle, Reform candidate for Riccarton, to the Halswell electors last night. Liberals and the "Onions. "You never hear the Liberal Party say a word about unions to-day, and it was the unions that had helped place Liberalism in the proud position which it once occupied."—Mr. J. E. Mac-, Manus at Dunedin South. "With Clean Teet." When traversing the Awatere valley recently, Mr. R. M'Callum, the Liberal candidate for Wairau, had to wade across the Hodder stream, which was Bwollen with icy snowwater from Tapaenuku. The candidate found it necessary to remove his trousers in order to accomplish the crossing. . A week or two ago, in traversing a stream in the \Pelorus district, Mr. M'Callum had to remove his. boots, and he afterwards claimed facetiously that even though some people might say that he was not going into Parliament with clean hands, ho could promise the electors that he was going in with clean feet. It is to be presumed that after his more drastic experience in the Hodder, the area of his cleanliness will have been considerably extended!—"Marlborough Express." "A of: a Difference." "Why don|t the thirty-eight farmers in the Reform Party fight for the farmers' interests?" Mr. F. Colbeck, Country Party candidate for Rotorua, was asked at a recent meeting. "Because they are Reformers first and farmers afterwards," replied Mr. Golbeck. "We are farmers first and Reformers afterwards, and there is a,. -— of a difference." . • * "Like a Football on a Wet Day." Addressing a crowded meeting at Stratford Town•', Hall,. Mr. R. Masters, M P., National Party candidate, repudiated and criticised statements of an alleged personal nature made by his opponent (Mr. E. Walter) to tho effect that he (Mr. Masters) was like a football on a wet day—insincere, twisting, , and slippery in policy, voting sometimes with the right and sometimes with the- left. Tho latter part of the impeachment was acknowledged by Mr. Masters, who said he voted in Parliament according to tlie dictates of his own conscience, and if a measure was sound and appealed to his sense of propriety he would vote for it, n,o matter who introduced it. He also replied to Mr. Walter's statement about representation of a farmer by farmers, and. denied the allegation that some time ago the Liberal Party tried to link up with the Labour Party, but without success. Motor-cars and Shirt; Buttons. Mr. W. E. Parry' (Auckland' Central), it an address, remarked that the Government had developed a sudden passion for the needs of the working man, which seemed' in. the .nature of a triennial spasm. During his term in" Parliament— A voice: "You got a motor-car out cf it." • Mr. Parry denied this. He had not a motor-car, nor had he ever had one. A voice: "When you went into Parliament you never had a' button on your shirt." .5 Mr. Parry: "I hope I'will be able by agitation on behalf of the working class to get them enough money tjo buy motor-cars to run round in." ,' A voice: "And buttons to put on'their shirts." Not Consistent! Mr. J. W. Yarnall, Labour candidate for Eoskill, who gavo an address on Saturday evening, was asked whether he favoured patriotic exercises in schools, such as the singing of the National Anthem. "I believe the singing of the National Anthem is a good thing on occasions," Mr. Yarnall said. "However, I do not think children should sing it every time they meet. The whole thing becomes ridiculed then. (Applause.) lam not averse to singing the National Anthem." A vo^cc: "That is not consistent with Labour's platform." Bowled Out. At Mr. G. R. Sykes's meeting at Nireaha a questioner askod: Is it not a fact that your cobber, Air. , owns 3000 acres?" "Ho owns not a single acre," answered Mr. Sykcs. "Then his wife owns it," was tho retort. "He's single," said Mr. Pykes, and the audience enjoyed the joke. The Price of Jam. Mr. P. Bartram (Grey Lynn) in one of his addresses turned his attention to the combine, which he said was controlling groceries. Takes for example, jam. A voice: "That is cheap enough." Mr. Bartram: "Is it? In 3914 you could-get a pound tin of -jam "for ■Hil." ' A linbel of: voices then arose as tlic speaker declaimed about the pr.ieo of jam in 1914. Apparently .some people got their jam very cheaply before tho war. When silence was restored, Mr. Bartram said that the same jam now cost lOd, although tho price of sugar was lower, and other ingredients cost no more. Tax on Bachelors? In reply to a question whether ho was in favour of taxing bachelors, Mr. G. 11. Sykcs humorously stated at Masterton that if a bachelor could prove that ho had approached a young lady and had been rejected he should receive total exemption.