WELLINGTON SOUTH

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 104, 29 October 1925, Page 11

WELLINGTON SOUTH

MR. M'KEEN AT VICTORIA HALL

Messrs. R. M'Keen and A. L. Monteith addressed tho electors in, ■ Victoria Hall last evening. The hall was crowded (Mr. Monteitli's address is reported in another part of this issue).-

Mr. R. M'Keen, Labour candidate for Wellington South, said that one of the most shameful records of any party was the support given by the Liberal (now the National) Party to the Reform Government in transferring the \ burden of taxation from the shoulders of the squattocracy and placing it on the shoulders of tho masses of the people. He condemned the remission of land tax on the large landowners. If the Reformers were returned in large numbers the speaker said he believed an endeavour would be made to put the 7s 6d wage reduction, into operation. His'opponent had stated that, the Labour. Party's land policy stood for confiscation—that they would take a man's homo at.the Government's valuation. On the contrary, said Mr. M'Keen, tho policy of the Labour Party was to give homes to, the people who have not homes of their own: They wanted to provide homes for the people because they knew the enormous menace which the acute'housing short,age meant to the health of the.;people. The Government's land policy was not one to break up large estates. On the contrary, it had been one to encourage land aggregation and, to exclude the man who could work the soil. The speaker defended at length tho land policy of the Labour Party, and emphasised that that policy Would mean depriving the land agents and lawyers of their large fees, and that was the reason their policy was opposed in those quarters. The Labour Party's policy was to eliminate speculators in every sphere of life. Their policy was to lift 'tho burden from the working man and from,tho workingclass home, to raise the standard, of life, to enable the workers to give their children a proper education—to provide for free education from the kindergarten to the university, and to provide medical and dental treatment. He spoke of the difficulty of getting, from the Government a decent old-age pension paid to those in need. In reply to an interjection that "the human race comes second," Mr. M'Keen said, "Yes, with the party at present in power, it would appear that the human race comes second in such matters." The speaker said the Labour Party stood for Parliamentary democracy; they stood for constitutional government; and their aim, in order to bring about the great reconstruction of society, would be brought about by Parliamentary democracy. Anyone who said the Labour Party stood for communism was simply talking rubbish. The Labour Party's policy was to raise the standard of life from one end of this countov to the other.

A vote of thanks and confidence was passed to the candidate, amidst cheers.