THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Evening Star, Issue 13092, 27 October 1908, Page 4

THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

.•if.:."'-: ;-: ; - : .: ""■'.v^:>V:- : .-- . : :r r - ;i:**~* TO-NIGHT;! The following meetings in< cqnnecifcra '(SVith. the" willvbe held tonight, at 'eight o'clock, except where specially r . Mr G. M. Thomson (Dimedin-Northf $t North-east Valley Council Chambers. '.- '■ Mr T. Mackenzie (Taieri) at'Oufaram. Mr E. G. Allen (Chalmers) at WaJkau'r aiti Hall. •'•■-• •; /.'.". ;"' Mr Johnson (Taiefi) at ,Hall. ... .: n ' ; •—•• Mr Munro (Dunedin West) meets.his .Ladies' Committee. Mr E. H. Clark (Chalmers) at Marten. Mr. A. R. Barclay (Dunedin North), main Committee meet at Prince Alfred iHall, King street. , x Mr J. M'Domald (Dunedin Central) at Alhambra Theatre. Mr T. K. Sidey-' (Dunedin South) at South Dunedin Town Hall. Mr W. Fleming (Dunedin South) at St. Clair Gymnasium HaU. Mr J. F. Arnold (Dunedin Central) will meet his committee and supporters at Walker Street Mission Hall, at 7.30. THE CITY ROLLS. . There were 7,100. names on the Dunedin Central roll as it stood before revision this year. Mr IT. Maxwell has issued the supplementary 1011 with about 1;100, and on the second supplementary roll there are approximately 1,000, making in the whole 9,200. From this about 1,200 have to be deducted for transfers, deaths, etc., leaving a total of 8,000, to which must be added the ti"ird supplementary roll now in course of compilation. Mr J. A. Tipping, registrar for Dunedin West, started with 7,784, put 2,697 on the first supplementary and 320 on the second supplementary, and estimates that 1,200 must be deducted. So his roll, with the third to bo added, stands at 9,601, and the thiaxl .supplementary will increase that number. Mr David Larnooh had an original roll of 7,139 for Dunedin North, added about 1,500 -with the first supplementary and 637 with the second, making 9,276. or, with 1,200 deductions, 8,076, to which must be added the names coming in for the third supplementary. Mr R. Mercer, who acts for Dunedin* South, began with 7,038, put 1,850 on the first supplementary and 850 on the second, this giving a total of 9,738. Deducting 950, we get 8,788, to which the third sup- , plementary has yet to be added. .' THE WORKERS AND THE COURT. ' THE NEW ARBITRATION ACT. [Special to the Star.] CHRISTCHURCH, October 27. In his speech last night Mr Davcy, M.P.. referring to the Arbitration Act, said that when a union cam© before the Court far the first time the Court should be compelled to give an award.—(Applause.) What was there to prevent the Arbitration Court giving an award in -the I farm laborers', dispute, and why did they ) not make an awaid embodying their own recommendations?. Mr Justice Sim said it would be inadvisable to make an award, as it might create ill-feeling between the workers and employers. He said, ako, it might create ill-feeling if the farmer hud to be governed in the conduct of his work by an award. What Court in the world would not give a decision because it would creato ill-feeling between litigants? He regretted to have to refer to the Judge, or rather the Court, a/s no reply could be made, but it was his duty to make this reference. Ho also regretted that letters i had been written asking that Mr justice Sim bo shifted from the bench. There was considerable interruption at this stage, a , party of men at the back taking exception |>to the advice not to "shift" Judge Sim. j "We'll shift you," came a deep-voiced I threat. , "Shift me if you can, but you ! can't," Mr Davey retorted. He went on ■ to say, amid continued interruptions, that the unions which sent the letters onlv nailed Mr Justice Sim to the bench more firmly, as no Government would dare to shift a Jndje'at the request of a disappointed Hticant. He was pleased to find that in the new Act there was no clause I for bonuses, needs or exertion wages, or ' minimum wages. He asked the workers! to give the Act a fair trial, and to en- \ dcavor to pet everv dispute settled by j industrial councils. There should be more | 1 eauity and less law. The best terms could j always be pot from the employers by living and taking a little. °

THE PRIME MINISTER SANGUINE. Sir Joseph Ward is of opinion that the prospects of the elections, from the Government's point of view, are remarkably good. To a 'Southland Times' reporter he said that he had every confidence in the result. There was a good feeling towards the Government from the extreme north to the extreme south. The elections were being conducted with absolute fairness. The people, he believed, were satisfied with what had been done and with the Government's administration. There had been nothing in the statements of the Government's opponents that suggested anything in the nature of political maladministration or political scandals. There was, indeed, no ground for anvthing of that kind. On the other hand, the Government certainly could not be accused of want of courage or enterprise, or of political "funk." It was known to the people from end to end of New Zealand that the Government had steadfastly opposed any attempts in many parts of the country—he was glad to sav that in that respect Christchurch was exceptional —to cry out about disaster. The mouthpieces of public opinion had expressed faith in the position of the country by proclaiming the soundness and strength of the public finances, and in that respect they had declared the attitude taken up by the Government. ACCOMMODATION FOR SEAMEN. ' TSPECIAL TO THE STAB..] CHRISTCHURCH, October 27. ■■ \, J jaurenso ». speaking at Lyttelton. ~ , !, La 2f? ns ? n - atLyttellon, said that the Shipping and Seamen Act now on the Statute Book, was the best and most advanced of the kind ever passed in any Bntwh community. He had himself taken an active part in the agitation concerning tho elaes of accommodation given to seamen on some steamer,? trading in New Zealand. A new vessel, described as "the last work of the modern shipbuilder," had then been found worthy of the description only ae regarded the passenger accommodation. The men were provided for worse than in vessels built thirty vears before. Now vessels were being provided, in accordance with the Act, with accommodation for crews such as was a credit to ships and owners. OPPOSITION "PLANKS." The Leader of the Opposition had an overflow meeting at Feilding last night, where he received an enthusiastic vote of ■ confidence. To a great extent his address covered much of the ground occupied in-pre-vious speeches, but. he wound up by (emphasising the points of divergence between bis own policy and that of the Ministry. .. The people ahould support Ministerial candidates if they believed in the leasehold, in Maori landlordism, in the single ,- tax, in taxing the dairy fanners' cows; 1 if they -wanted the country to drift into the worst forms of Socialism; if they \ wanted extravagant expenditure on public buildings; if -they believed in taxing ; machinery required for agriculture and V mining; or if they believed in majorities tyrannising over minorities. 7 On the other hand, the country should ,|, ; . support and vote for Opposition candidates if they wanted satisfactory legislation; clean and economical administrar tion; Parliament,in both branches to be [;■;, directly representative of the people; satisfactory legislation in regard to native

lands} a better echeme of local• gavern- ; Bifim<; «nbour ; :thfcdefencea V and : . [SPECIAL a : CHRJST<JHURCH, October *27. As, a, justification fox his candidature, speaking at Timaru last night; Mf W. D. Campbell gave a little infomStfoh concerning his personal history, showing that he-was indebted to the State for ;Mg education byvmeans of schol&rsblpe. '•■ He bad been aWeto pass through the High School and the University. Those scholarships had, cost the State £320, and, capitalising that gum at 5 per oent., he calculated that the State had vested -£6,400 in him, and be considered it his dirty to devote such abilities as he possessed to the service of the public in return for what the public had done for him,—(Applause.) He therefore offered' his services as their representative in Parliament, and it.rested with the electors to pay whether they would accept those services or not. He hoped for a favorable verdict, and if that were given he* would try to repay some of the debt he owed New Zealand. Mr Campbell thus closed his address, amid great applause. MR DAVEY AND STATE FLOUR MILLS. [Special to the Stab.] CHRISTCHURCH, October 27. Mr Davey condemned as claptrap the talk about politicians being in favor of a "free breakfast table," as that already existed under the Tariff. . He voted for the remission of the duty on flour. When the Bill was being discussed the price of flour went down, but as soon as the Bill passed the price wept up again. The workers did not get the increase, but they had to pay the £1 per ton duty.—A Voice; "You voted against a State flour mill."— Mr Davey: *' Yes,. I did,- and will do so again.". Cr Barr will occupy the chair at Mr J. M Donald's meeting at the Alhambra Theatre to-night. Mr A. R. Barclay's Valley Committee meet on Thursday at half-past seven. The candidate will meet the Leith Valley electors in the schoolroom half an hour later. The Dunedin Painters' Union have donated the sum of £4 towards the expenses of the candidature of Messrs Munro and Douglas. Mr J. F. Arnold's central committee rooms are at No. 6 Royal Arcade. A large and enthusiastic meeting of Mr A R. Barclay's; Maori Hill Committee was held last night in the Maori Hill committee rooms, Counc ; l Chambers. Mr J. R, M'Connochie was appointed chairman, and Mr Williamson secretary. Immediate attention was given to the practical details of the work of the election, and arrangements were made for systematically going through the district.. There seemed to be a unanimous opinion amongst those present that Maori Hill would do on this occasion, as it has done almost invariably before in respect to the political issue, and give very strong support to Mr Barclay's candidature. v In the event of Mr Loudon finding himself unable to continue his campaign for Bruce, the local 'Herald' states that Mr Joseph Mosley and Mr J. C. Anderson will take the platform on his behalf. "Our Own" wires:—A meeting of the supporters of the Opposition was held last eveningYdt Dannevirke. Mr George Hunter attended, and was chosen to contest the Waipawa seat against Mr C. Hally the sitting member. Mr Hunter will open his campaign to-morrow. A prominent member of the Liberal party, who has recently had exceptional opportunities of judging the feeling in almost every district in the Dominion, considers that _ a second ballot will very probably be required in the following electoral districts: —Waitemata, Auckland Central, Parnell, i Hawke's Bay, Pahiatua, Taranaki, Egmont, Wanganui, Oroua, MaFtertbn, Wellington Suburbs, Wellington North, Wellington East, Hunmui, AVhburton, and Tuapeka. The contingency of a second election is less likely in the case of Pahiatua than in any of the other districts. The levelling influence, of Parliament w»T touched upon the other night by Mr R. B. ] Rosa, who is seeking Te-election for PahiuI tua. When he first went to Parliament in 11906, he said, he did sn with a blush on ] his check. Now he felt there was nothing j left but the cheek. He had found it an v exacting school. Everyone there was on an equal footing; the humblest member was on an equality with the Prime Minister. Thirty-seven tons of type metal, representing the type of the main electoral rolls for the whole Dominion, have been set by the Government Printing Office since November last. All this mass of metal will be kept " standing" for use in reprints of j the rolls from time to time. As a Labor candidate, Mr D. M'Lareu (Wellington) likened the two principal political parties to "a good old couple, of whom the old lady is in opposition to her someone else interferes, and then she" tears the eyes out of the third party." Mr W. S. Milverton is announced as a candidate for the Palmereton seat as an Independent.—P.A. wire. ' I It is understood that claims for enrol- j ment on the Chalmers electoral roll have been received from the crew of the New Zealand Shipping Company's steamer Opawa, which is at present laid up at Port Chalmers. The Act provides that a vessel j must be owned ot registered in the Do- ' minion to entitle her crew to electoral privileges. This vessel is registered at Ply- ! mouth, England, but as the Shipping Company have a head office in Christchurch as well es in London the crew's claims for enrolment come under the owner, hip role. Being a case where the registrar is not satisfied with the validity of the claim, the teamen will probably appear efore the Magistrate's Court on Friday to establish their right to vote. The Opawa's crew, it is understood, number fifty-two, and all, with the exception of two boys, are by age eligible to vote, provided that they havo been trading to New Zealand in the same company's steamers for twelve months. " Sir Joseph Ward has said thai the money market will be easier in a month," re-, marked Mt Lanrenson last night to tlic | electors of Lyttclton. " I think he was a little two sanguine, but it will be easier in two months."