THE GENERAL ELECTION

Evening Star, Issue 14689, 5 October 1911, Page 8

THE GENERAL ELECTION

DUKEDTX CENTRAL. Mr 0. E. Statham, the Opposition candidate for Dlined in Central, delivered an introductory address to the -electors at the Walker Street Mission Hall on Tuesday evening. There I was a large attendance, and the. can- | did ate received a splendid hearing. Mr ! B. A. Reeve occupied tho chair, and briefly i introduced the speaker Mr Stat ha in, v.-ho was greeted with loud applause, I stated that he had come forward as a ' straight-out Oppositionist in the interest of Reform and Progress. He then gave a clear and concise statement of the Opposition platform. He explained the Land policy of his party, and severely criticised the manner in which the Government'had dallied with this most important question, and quoted instances to show the abuses they had allowed to creep into the administration. He said that every tune anyone criticised the action of the Government tho party in power accused him of spoiling the Dominion's credit. He wished bis hearers to distinctly understand that he, had no fault to find with the country. It was a splendid country, with great possibilities before it. What ho did find fault xvith was the management of tho country. Ho went en to point out the crying necessity for reform in the methods of malting appointments to the Civil Service, and claimed that merit alone should be considered, so that the son of a poor man would have juet the same opportunities as the son of a Minister of the Crown. He went on to . point out the iniquity of the present system of allowing tho party in power to appoint their own supporters to tho Legislative Council. The Upper House should be elected by the people and be responsible to the people. Coining to the question of finance, Mr Statham criticised the methods l adopted by the Government and thrn'r vacillation on important questions. In support of his arguments he quoted statements made by members of the Government party. After the candidate had answered a number of questions, on the motion of Mr Meek, seconded by Mr Burton, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to him amidst prolonged applause. A vote of thanks to the chair concluded a most enthusiastic meeting. Mr James Allen told a ' Dominion' reporter this, wepfc that he consider the prospects of tho Reform party in the South are excellent. " I cannot see any seat that ive are going to 103e," he remarked, "and we have an extremely good chance of gaining Oamaru. I think wo are certain to hold Duncdin North, the constituency of Mr G. M. 'Thomson, and I should not be at all surprised if another Dunedin seat came to uk. We shall have a candidate at Awania and another at Chalmers, who is almost certain, with the altered electoral boundaries, to win his way to success. No one has yet been definitely selected to contest Invercargill, but we shall run a candidate for that seat." Mr Joseph Stephens, of Riversdale, will contest the Wakatipu e-eat in support of the Government. He is a young farmer. —Gore telegram. Mr A. Withy, who had intended offering himself for election in Waitemata, has withdrawn from that contest, and will stand for Auckland East against Mr A. M. Myers. Mr J MaiGibbon (Independent Literal candidate for Mataura) addressed the enters at Woodlands on Tuesday night. His principal topic was the Land Question, on Avhich he tavored the freehold, with a limitation of 500 acres of first, class land for any one individual, fie favored total Prohibition, redressing the disabilities of the Civil servants, and eulogised the humanitarian legislation of the Government. A vote of thanks and confidence Avas paseed.