THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Evening Star, Issue 18139, 1 December 1922, Page 7

THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

MEETINGS.

THIS EVENING. Forbury Comer. —Mr T. K. Sidcy. Port Chalmers.—Mr J. W. Munro. Waitahuna Gaily.—Mr J. Stephens. Purakanui.—Mr J. M. Dickson. TO-MORROW NIGHT. Sandymouut.—Air Dickson. Portobello.—Mr Stephens. DUNEDIN NORTH. Despite the inclemency of the weather A fair number of electors attended Mr J. J. Clark’s meeting at Wukari last night. Mr C. French was chairman Mr Clark spoke on a number of political and economic problems which, are interesting tho electors at tho present time. At the conclusion of ’his address, which was evidently appreciated by tho audience, a hearty vote ot thanks for his able andl instructive . speech was proposed by Mr C. Twecdie and seconded by Mr A. Bain. This was carried by acclamation. 4 1 11 DUNEDIN CENTRAL. Mr J. QiMirist, tho Labor candidate tor Dunedin Central, addressed a meeting in tho Baptist Church Hall lost night. _ Mr D. Stewart presided'. Air Gilchrist claimed that the Labor Party had put up a good fight in Parliament against the cut in wagaa. It was not until at least two years after the cost of living had gone up that there was an increase m wages. Ho dealt at length with the case of the railway-men, who, ho said, had not insisted on their demand for an increase when the war broke out, though the profiteers demanded 55 per cent, more for their wool and meat. He recounted the events which led to the last rise of os in 1919. Their wages then were 5d ahead of tho Government Statistician’s figures; but they were really below the cost of living, because the official returns were based l on the three food groups sod did not take any account of rent and other things that were necessary in tho home. In 1920 the cost of living rose 78.90 per cent., and the wages then should have been 16s. Ho condemned the Liberals andl Independents for voting for the retrenchment proposals, declaring that the Act had been used as a lever lower the wages of trades outside the Government control, and had lowered the purchasing power of tho people by £4,000,000. Taking into account, the reduction in the 9s bonus to 3s, he said it had been estimated that the workers had lost £8,000,000. Mr Gilchrist dealt, on the lines of previous addresses, with the attitude of Labor towards such matters as housing, immigration, unemployment, pensions, indentured labor at the islands, etc. He' quoted figures, as on previous occasions, to show that high wages were not responsible for high prices; and also spoke on education and other paints. In reply to a questioner, who asked if he was in favor of the go-slow policy, Mr Gilchrist eaid that white there was a get-rich-quick policy in operation ho was. Did they ask him to work his hardest so that a few men might collar the results of his labor? H there was any other than a got-rich-quiek system, then ho would say that it was wrong for a man to work less than was necessary. The candidate was accorded a vote of thanks. There was a full attendance at Mr Stalham’s meeting at the Oddfellows’ Hall, Forbury Corner, last evening. .Mr J. Wright occupied the chair, Air Statham was accorded 1 an excellent and sympathetic hearing, and, after ho had answered a number of questions, the meeting coficluded with a hearty vote of thanks to tho speaker. DUNEDIN SOUTH. Mr Sidey was at Wingatui last night. The chair was occupied by Mr Crawford. The candidate referred to the work of the Liberal Opposition during last Parliament, and claimed that their record in tho way of effective criticism, which had produced amendments in legislation, was lar more effective than any other section opposed to the Government. He gave many illustrations in support of hfe contention. The meeting terminated with tho usual complimentary vote to the candidate and the chair. Some twenty electors, including four ladies, assembled in the St. Clair Presbyterian Church Hall last night for the purpose of hearing an address by Mr J. E. MacManus, the Labor candidate. The candidate said that in fighting its case the Labor Party had l to roly largely on the platform. Although tho Press had not treated the Labor candidates too Badly in. regard to allowing them to present their views, its criticism had been such that they had to reply to it. The ‘ Otago Daily Times’ had been endeavoring to make it appear that the Labor movement was standing,,for a policy that practically meant confiscation. He (Mr MacManus) did not- stand for confiscation., and the party which he represented) did not stand for it, Tho opponents of the Labor Party bad read into a set of clauses a _ meaning very different from that which the framers intended. The Labor Party was anxious that every worker and every other person should secure a home, out it wanted, if possible, to reduce the burden of interest, which prevented them from owning a place of their own. He claimed that in a sense they bad been misrepresented. He (Mr MacManus) had never advocated anything of a _ confiscatory nature. The 'land policy of the Labor Party was for the benefit of tho people as a whole rather than for the benefit of a few speculators. After stating that he had always stood for a policy of defence, Mr MacManus proceeded to deal with public works questions. He stated that an the dominion there were at present 557 public bodies, with separate secretaries, stalls, and offices, and they quarrelled over their boundaries and their powers. They wasted- tho time of Parliament and wastedmoney on deputations to Wellington to define their powers, with the result that there was very little left for the maintenance of roads, bridges, etc. His opinion was that these bodies should go, and l that there should be a complete revision. Tho Public Works Department was capable of undertaking the construction of roads, but white that was so county councils and other local bodies were doing the work. He also protested against tho manner in which public works in this country were being carried, out. The allocations were divided in such a way that the construction of the railway from Balclutha to ,■ Tahakopa occupied, thirty-three year's, j whereas it should have been done in two years. The Labor movement stood for the reorganisation of the public works system andl local governing bodies in order to eliminate overlapping, bring about economy, and enable the funds to be spent in doing the actual work. Mr MacManus, who was accorded an attentive hearing j throughout, received' a vote of thanks and confidence., j DUNEDIN WEST. The Hon. W. Dbwnio Stew-apt continued his election campaign for the Dunedin West seat last evening by giving an address at the Albany Street Oddfellows’ Hall before a.packed audience. Mr H. L. Taptey presided, and stated that the candidate needed no introduction to the people of Dunedin or of the dominion generally. Because of the prominent and honorable position he had obtained in public, affaire in New Zealand, he is one of its best-known citizens. Dunedin West was fortunate in having such a forraideffite representative in Parliament, because, apart' from Mr Stewart's own personal worth, they had in him a member of the Cabinet. This was a good thing for Dun#din and for the province of Otago. Not only,was this so, but it was also a good thing for the dominion to have as a Cabinet Minister a man who was held In such respect. Mr Stewart, after briefly dealing with the three parties now before tho electors, stated that, while there was little difference between the Refonn and Liberal Parties, there was a clear line of demarcation between those two parties and the Labor Party. The platform of the latter party was criticised, and after tracing the history of the Labor I\ rty in Australia,, where from 1894-1904 they held tho balance of power between the two other parties, Mr '.Stewart contended Unit this had been .a most unsatisfactory state of affairs in Australian polities,' as (lie

(Dalbor Party virtually dictated the policy of the Government; otherwise it removed its support and .the Government fell. The leader of tho Labor Party in New Zealand hoped that, ns a result of the present elections, his party would bo in apposition to dictate to the other two parties ; but Mr Stewart did not think that such a state of affairs would obtain, as Mr Massey had Stated that ho would not Hold office at the dictation of any other party. In drilling with the reduction hi wages, Mr Stewart stated that in no country had there been a smaller reduction in wages than in Now Zealand. For instance, in America tho railway surfacemen’s wages since the war had been'redneed to an hour, while the rate in the dominion was As flid an hour. In private employment the reductions had been less than would have ■ taken place -without the Arbitration Court. Whero’direct action had obtained, as in America and England, tho wages had been reduced in many cases by 50 per cent. On this showing the Arbitration Court boro more than justified its existence. It had been stated that tho Government had engineered 'Unemployment, but Mr Stewart asked if it was likely that any Government in election year would do 'Such a thing? Unemployment was 'duo io wide-world depression following upon the upheaval of tho Great War, and in New Zealand unemployment, bad as it was, was less than one-half what it was in other countries. Not only had the Government not engineered unemployment, but it had strained every means in its power to cope with the difficulty. It had expended £500,000 a month on public works for the relief of unemployment when the Treasury could rcalilv onlv spare £200,000 a month; and further ho (tho speaker) introduced and passed a measure last, session giving local bodies temporary powers to borrow money for relief works without talcing a poll, and this measure had been the means of affording considerable relief. At the conclusion of the address a number of questions were asked and answered, and on the motion of Mr J. G. Bentley, seconded by Air J. F. AloUison, a hearty vote of thanks and confidence was declared carried amid applause.

LIBERAL LEADER AT HASTINGS. Air T. AI. Wilford addressed a large meeting in tho Municipal Theatre, Hastings. last night, though the building was not full. He received a good hearing, and interjections were few in number. The speaker spent a good l deal of time in criticising*the policy of the Government, and dealt in detail with the various planks of his own platform, -and was accorded a vote of thanks: and tho_ meeting _ also passed a resolution expressing tho opinion that a change of Government was necessary.

On Tuesday night tho Hon. W. Downie Stewart will address Dunedin West electors at Burns Hall. Workers and trade unionists .are specially invited to attend.