ON THE HUSTINGS

Evening Star, Issue 18137, 29 November 1922, Page 5

ON THE HUSTINGS

• MEETINGS. THIS EVENING. Russell Street.—Mr 0. M. Mop. High Street.—Mr W. a Mashn. St Hilda.—Mr J. E. MacManus. St. Leonards.—Mr J. J. Clark. Kensington.—Mr J. Gilchrist. Leith Valley.—Mr J. W. Mumo. Seacliff.—Mr J. M. Hickson. Otokia.—Mr J. Stephens. TO-MORROW NIGHT. Albany Street. —Hon. W. Downie Stewart. Wakari.—Mr Clark. Fnrbury Comer. —Mr Statham. Momington.—Mr GSchrirt. St. Clair.—Mr MaoMaana. Milbum—Mr Stenhens. Wingatui.—Mr Sidey. Warrington.—Mr Dickson,

PRIME MINISTER AT NELSON. The Hon W. F. Massey addressed a crowded meeting at the Empire Theatre, Nelson, last evening. Despite the dirty, wet night, the building was packed long before 8 o’clock. Mr Massey received a .splendid hearing from one of the biggest political meetings ever held in Nelson. In the course of his remarks he predicted a steady' return to better times. _ Lost October,' for the first time in eighteen months, the revenue showed an increase hy £440,000. and for seven of the months of the present financial, year there wa f-diing off in expenditure of £2,250,000. The«* two facts combined helped to improve the position. The Government was endeavoring to further reduce taxation, which was nominally paid hy the man at the top of the ladder but was really paid in most instances by the man at the bottom. Mr Massey paid a great tribute to the returned soldiers’ manner in coping with their difficulties. The I trivernment would deal fairly with them. Returns showed an increase of 40. per cent, in this season’s production of but-ter-fat- compared with last season. The daii-v farmers had done much to help to bring New Zealand through troublous times. A vote of thanks and_ confidence was moved and declared earned by the chairman. There was a big volume of sound both ways. OAMARU’S LIBERAL CANDIDATE. [Per Umted Press Association] OAMARU, November 28. Mr J. A. Macphersm. Liberal candidate for Oamaru, addressed a large gathering of electors iu the Opera-house to-night. He received a good hearing. He criticised the Government’s administration, and at the conclusion was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. The meeting closed with cheers for the candidate. DUNEDIN NORTH. Mr J. J. Clark gave a clear and interesting address to a large number of electors at Opoho lust night. In introducing the candidate, Mr G. Mbrrison If the chairman) mentioned the good work ie had done for the city. Mr Clark onched on a number of subjects, includes the reform of the Legislative Coun--il. State finance, education, and peninns. Questions having been answered, dr Riach moved and Mr A. Morgan ernnded a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Hark, which was carried with great apfiause.

DUNEDIN CENTRAL. j_ The , Presbyterian Church Ha,II in (Bridgman street was not nearly large .'enough to hold the audience which gathered to hear Mr Statham’s address Jlast evening. Mr Holt presided. Mr iStatham’s criticism of the Government, his outline of his platform, and his exposure of the fallacies of the extreme Labor Party’s programme were listened to with close attention, frequently punctuated with applause. In reply to a question Mr Statham said he was absolutely opposed to the policy of indentured labor in Samoa. To another interrogation as to what influence ho could lave in the House as an Independent, llr Statham said that -an Independent lad more influence in the House, as he I’as free to speak and vote exactly as ho (leased, whereas under our present syspm of party government a member (edged to a party had to pnt his party fst and his principles and individual \dgment second. Mr W. S. Maslin, Independent Liberal dididate, addressed a full meetihg of elects in the school gymnasium, Morningtl. last night. The chair was occupied hi Or Sincock. Mr Maslin referred to the allude taken by the Hon. Mr Lee in “ lansardising ” the questions brought hefoi\ the Licensing Committee which he yoM against, thus making his position jilai\ The candidate stated there were Dnly'jeren members of the committee Who xtod for the report as brought down, and M Statham’e name was recorded in ‘Hanstd ’ as being one of the seven. Mr Elathal who spoke after Mr Lee, and referred b Mr Lee in the course of his speech,had ample opportunity to put on rword p Mr Lee bad done) bis voting on the fining of the committee to which he now stid that he objected ; but he did not do i>, and consequently the responsibility f<j not having done so rested with Mr Sta| am. The candidate referred to the factfchat the minutes of the proceedings of jie committee were not laid upon the tabl of the House. It _ reily to a question as to how ho wool* wte on a mo-confidence motion, the eandfaie replied that If the Liberal party wen returned in sufficient strength to carron the Government independently of anyjllianoe he would vote with the libd Party. At the conclusion Mr Muslin icerved the hearty and unanimous than of the meeting.

LABOR RALLY. Mans J. W. Murero and O. M. Moss laa tight hold a combined Labor rally l.i t- Albany Street School gymnasium, whir -was crowded. Mr M. W. Eoddingn, who announced himself a lifelon liberal, said he had consented to ureas became ha believed those present wereeeking to carry out the principles of 3don, BaHanoe, end M'Kenzie. hi Moas expressed hla conviction that theabor Party was the only one in the donion that could carry out the leg is - lati started by Messrs Seddon and Ballan The Massey Government was interred in causing more unemployment, anrt.be High Oommisaioner’e advice to wo owners to hold their wool till the maet was firmer was given in order to bn the working people of New Zealand unr the domination of the leisured bit The Labor Party’s platform definiy laid down an extension of State owrsbip of public utilities. “ We std,” he remarked, "for the people to ovan industry if they require ft. There is.bsointaly no danger to any person xr', is prepared to work for that which h*ats, but there is danger in our platfa to that section of the people that Its on investments. There is danger of fdng them to work for that which they ei and I ain one who believes that if tV are physically able to work they slid work/’ Ha denied the rumor that tlLabor platform would confiscate homo oiaad, but said that there was danger othe confiscation of workers’ homes tough unemployment mused by the hsey Government so that these homes i;ht fall into the hands of the anort|ees. Ir Munro drew attention to the overaiming numerical strength of the worki people in the country—estimated at fper cent.—and to the great discrepancy ithe strength of thair representation, in H iaarwnt. Instead of the workers ng the boss of the politicians the poliians ware their bosses. The workers 3 the strength, but their opponents had > cunning. Tro Press had spoken of ) “ladies” present at Mr Olark’s feting and of the “ women ” at a xneet--5 of Mr Munro’s. He Lad no objection ■ the term “woman,” but this just owed that the contempt of the strong .wer of money for Labor found its exession in the daily Press. They dedeed the working people because they id never yet shown their strength. He ««rtod iwit tbs Uho? saeaaben* >ver«

not in the least afraid of dealing with the question of tho strike. When strikers were out the Labor man was with them, for he knew perfectly well that no section of Labor ever went out on strike unless it had a just grievance. (Applause.) Those who , had gone out on strike in tho past had helped to raise the standard of living of every man and woman in tho country. There was no method of the workers protecting their standard of life except by capturing the political machine and using it for the purpose of protecting their interests. Answering a question about taxation and confiscation, Air Munro said he did not know that land or income could be taxed to such an extent that it could bo called confiscation. Whether the war loan interest had to bo paid by the working class or by the moneyed class, he was going to tax the moneyed class every time, and they could call it_ confiscation if they liked. Mr Moss said he stood positively opposed to confiscation. He know there was no necessity. But there was nothing wrong in the community taking community value for the people. A hearty vote of thanks and confidence in the speakers and iu the Labor Party was carried with cue dissentient.

Last evening Messrs MacManus and Gilchrist held a combined meeting. The chair was occupied by Mr M. S. Lean an, who presided over a crowded meeting. Mr Gilchrist's remarks iu the main wore a reply to tho statement that the Labor Party’s platform, if put into effect, would result in the confiscation of the workers’ homes and holdings. This ho characterised as one of the most glaring misrepresentations that the policy of the party had been subjected to. The planks under “land” were designed simply to prevent speculation and tho gambling in property which waa so rifs at present. Tho poor widow waa always t-rotted_out by the opponents of Labor when it suited them. Under the Labor Parly’s policy, if such went, into effect, the poor widow (or any other widow), if she wished to sell the holding, would sell to the State, and not to or through a speculator or laud agent. Should she, however, desire to occupy and use tho holding, she was safeguarded by the clause which states the tenure as one •based on “occupancy and use.” At the dose of the addresses both candidates answered questions, and were accorded votes of thanks and confidence.

DUNEDIN SOUTH. Mr T. K. Sidey had another successful meeting at Mosgiel last night. The Mayor (Mr William Allen) occupied the chair, and said .that although Mosgid had not previously been in Mr Sidey s electorate, still they were indebted to him for assistance in local requirements. Mi* Sidey, on rising to speak, _ was warmly applauded by tho large audience, and in the course of his remarks on the subjectot taxation and wages quoted the following extract from tho recent pronouncement ol the Arbitration Court :—“ In the case of locally-manufactured goods the court must always have regard to the possibility of foreign competitors being able to undersell New Zealand manufactures in our own markets.” _ Surely that statement (he said) required some further qualification than appeared in the pronouncement. It cotfld hardly be understood that because the Government had adopted a system of company taxation that placed our manufacturers at a disadvantage as compared with those overseas, or because sufficient indirect taxation may not have been imposed to adequately protect local manufacturers, these disabilities were to bo made good by a reduction in wages regardless of the standard of living conditions in this countrylie thought the statement required further elucidation. When tho tariff was before tho House he had repeatedly urged that it could not be considered apart from the incidence of direct taxation. Mr Finder moved that a vote of thanks be accorded Mr Sidey for his able and instructive address, and also a vote of confidence in him as the representative for Dunedin South. Sir Alexander Cameron seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. Mr J. E. MacManus, speaking to a packed meeting at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Forbury Corner, last evening, with reference to the land policy of the Labor Party quoted from the Valuation of Land Act, 1803, to show that “ when the values appearing on a roll become out of date a revision takes place, but before any revised values can take effect the district must bo gazetted for revision by Order in Council. There is no fixed period between one revision and another.” The Government failed to revise the values. The Labor Party, viewing with concern tho fact that because of this failure, land was purchased at many times its value, because the valuation roll was out of date and ignored, demanded a fresh valuation, roll. Under the Seddon party land was resumed at land valuation on which taxation was paid. Because laud agents and speculators were able through existing legislation to sell to returned soldiers land at many times its value the Labor Party demanded that the land should bo soUd to the State, which will give the tenant absolute right to improvements and a tenure based on occupancy and use. Those principles wore the principles of Sdddon, and it was to give a worker a home and not to take one from him that the Labor Party supported the policy. It was designed to kill land speculation and to give also to the _f armor land on terms ho could make a living on. A motion of confidenoe was carried.

DUNEDIN WEST. ASSISTING RETURNED SOLDIERS. There was a fairly numerous attendance of electors at the Wakari School, Halfwav Bush, last evening, when the Hon. W. Downie Stewart delivered an address in connection with his campaign for the Dunedin West seat. Mr J. R. Wilson was voted to the chair. Mr Stewart’s speech was on the lines of his previous addresses, but he dealt in detail with the reoent Customs tariff and v.'tth what the Government had done in the way of repatriating the soldiers. In the latter connection ho stated that the problem of assisting returned soldiers suffering from war disability, but who wore unable to establish their claim to a pension, was one that gave rise to considerable misapprehension. It was well known that numbers of soldiers on returning from the war, in their anxiety to got back to their own homes, took an early opportunity of getting their medical discharge without having any record made on their medical history sheet of war disabilities. Mentha afterwards, or perhaps years afterwards, these men suffered a recurrence of their war disability, and they found it impossible to establish their chum, to the satisfaction of the Pen&lona Board. During last session several such soldiers petitioned Parliament for relief, and in some eases their petitions were referred to the Government for favorable consideration. Obviously the position was a difficult one for the Government, because’lf the Government overrode the express decision of the Pensions Board, that board might naturally conclude that there was nothing to be gained by carefully examining pension claims if their work was to be set aside by the Government. Mr Stewart did not think, however, that there was any reason why such cases should not be adequately provided for. l The proper channel through which they should be relieved was the local patriotic fund, and so far as he’knew 'this duty was willingly recognised by the patriotic societies throughout the dominion where they wore satisfied that the case was genuine, even though the applicant could not satisfy the Pensions Board. These patriotic funds were expressly creatqjJ for the purpose among other any district where the local patriotic fund became exhausted, the claim could anile reasonably he met by the National War Funds Council in Wellington. It was not a question of the Government evading responsibility, but it seemed superfluous and unnecessary for the Government to set up a fresh fund, with all the consequent machinery which would necessitate the employment of additional staff, while large sums were at. the disposal of the local Patriotio Society which were available for the purpose. Mr Stewart stated that his inquiries showed that the local Patriotic Association in' Dunedin recognised the principle, and- that the association was willing and anxious to 'relieve any genuine cases vyidch required mll&L Although, he

bad not yet bad an opportunity of discussing the matter with Cabinet, it seemed to him that the suggested method waa a reasonable and proper solution of the difficulty, and, in fact, it waa already in operation. At tho conclusion of the speech a question was asked dealing with educational matters, and on the motion of Mr S. A. Wood a hearty voto_ of thanles for his address and for continued confidence in Mr Stewart as the representative of Dunedin West was carried unanimously amid loud applause.