ELECTION MEETINGS

Evening Star, Issue 20958, 24 November 1931, Page 8

ELECTION MEETINGS

LOCAL AND OTHER CANDIDATES With just a week to go before election day, the various candidates are now right in the thick of their campaigns, and most of them addressed meetings last night. Mr J. W. Munro addressed a crowded meeting of the electors in the Coronation Town Hall| at Ravensbourne, last night, Mr T. Harridge (mayor) presiding. In opening his address Mr Munro said he hoped that none of his supporters would in any way interrupt at any of his opponents’ meetings. He referred to the Prime Minister’s meeting on Friday last and said while he deplored the ‘seemingly spontaneous interruptions at that meeting, he was quite sure there was no organised attempt by any section of Labour to break up or interrupt the Prime Minister. The speaker, indeed, went so far as to say that, with his long experience in political campaigns it could just as easily be engineered by Labour’s opponents, as they seemed to be the only people, so far as he could find out, who had possession of these pamphlets. It certainly seemed like it, seeing that Labour had everything to lose and nothing to gain. The candidate spoke for just on two hours, and at the conclusion of his address a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. .... What was authoritatively described as the biggest crowd seen in the George Street Hall for many years attended there last night when Mr John M'Crae, the official Coalition candidate, delivered an address to the electors. The hall was packed, people standing in solid rows at the back and side. Quite 200 more had to go away disappointed, but one or two youths, not to be outdone, climbed on the roof and tried to open a skylight. A section of the audience early showed hostility towards the candidate, but Mr M'Ci ae won the contest easily by virtqe of a strong voice, a fighting spirit, and an even temper. Prominent amongst the noise created by the hecklers was the shrill treble of women’s voices, and one lady voter rose at question time and strongly contested a point with the candidate, and stuck to her argument in true feminine style. On the whole, the meeting was a successful one, especially from the point of view of Mr M'Crae’s candidature. Mr M'Crae’s address was delivered along the lines of his previous speeches. His references to the inconsistency of the Labour Party and to the utterances of the Prime Minister invariably brought forth a chorus of groans and hoots, but when he mentioned that they could disabuse their minds of the fear that the Training College would be closed, as Mr Forbes had come to the conclusion that it would be a wrong step, the applause was uppermost. Mr J. Taylor moved and Mr G. Newey seconded a vote of thanks to and confidence in the candidate, this being carried: an amendment that the meeting had no confidence in Mr M‘Crae being declared defeated. Mr M‘Crae will speak at the Coronation Hall. Maori Hill, to-night. Mr Jolm M'Donald, Independent candidate for Dunedin West, will address the electors to-night at 8 o’clock in the Presbyterian Sunday School Hall, Roslyn. Mr R. S. Black, Independent candidate for Dunedin North, will address two meetings this evening. The first will be at Pine Hill School at 7 o’clock, and the next at the Opoho Presbyterian Hall at 8.30. Mr D. C. Cameron addressed a wellattended meeting of employees of the Hillside Workshops at lunch hour yesterday, and received, a very courteous and attentive hearing and answered several questions. A large audience assembled iu the Cargill Road Methodist Schoolroom last evening, when Cr J. B. Shacklock presided, and, introducing Mr Cameron said he had known him in business circles for many years. Mr Cameron spoke for an hour on current political questions, dealing with wages, unemployment, and trade importations, and he appealed to his hearers to select their own candidate instead of being dictated to by Wellington leaders. In his opinion, this electorate desired a change, and his candidature was solely at the request of a large body of electors. Mr Cameron’s address was listened to with interest, and his straightforward attitude towards many questions was appreciated. A vote of thanks and confidence was moved and seconded and carried with applause. At tho conclusion a meeting of workers was presided over by Mr Halliday, and preparations were made for continuing the campaign until polling day. Mr D. G. Cameron will address the electors of Dunedin South in the St. Clair Presbyterian Hall, Albert street, to-night. Mr W. G. Kindloy will preside. Mi- J. W. Munro. tho Labour candidate for Dunedin North, will address a meeting to-night at tho Albany Street School Hall, at 8 o’clock. To-morrow night Mr Munro will address tile electors at the Coronation Hall, Maori Hill, at 8 o’clock. Mr J. Gilchrist, the Labour candidate for Dunedin West, will speak tonight at 8 o’clock in the Presbyterian Church Hall, Kaikorai, and will meet the Ladies’ Committee at 7.30. On Thursday, November 26, at 8 o’clock, lie will speak in the Presbyterian Church Hall, Mornington. Mr F. Jones, Labour candidate for Dunedin South, will address a meeting to-night at 8 o’clock in the Methodist Hall, Cavershara, and to-morrow night Mr Jones will speak in the South Dunedin Town Hall. This meeting commences at 7.45 p.m. Mr P. Neilson, the Labour candidate for Dunedin Central, will speak to-night at S o’clock in the Presbyterian Church Hall, Mornington, and tomorrow at Macandrew Bay at 8 p.m. Mr N. H. Campbell, the Labour candidate for Chalmers, will address a meeting at 7 o’clock to-night at Karitane. Mr Campbell will then proceed to Seacliff, where ho will meet the electors at 8.15 p.m. To-morrow he will address a meeting in the Green Island Town Hall at 8 p.m. Mr W. Appleton, the Coalition candidate for Wellington South, stated that ho was prepared to act as a member of Parliament without drawing an honorarium. “ I am prepared to serve for nothing,” ho said. “ Members should give up their pay, and if other members will support me I will move it in the House, if you will only give me your support.” (Hear, hear.)—Press Association. Mr K. M'Lennan, the Independent candidate for Wellington Suburbs, outlining his policy, said he would support the Coalition as against the Labour Party, but would reserve tho right to vote against proposals he considered nob in the best interests of tho country. He advocated tho establishment of State farms, upon which some of the unemployed might be placed until better times returned. Ho was accorded a vote of thanks. Mr James Kerr, the Coalition candidate for Hntt, criticised tho attitude of the Labour Party. Ho said Mr Holland had been invited to join tho Coalition, but bad declined. By. his action

be had shown the people that he would rather stick to party warfare than assist in helping the country in its time of need. —Press Association. The Citizens’ National Movement (Independent) candidate for Wellington Central (Mr E. W. Nicolaus) expounded his two platform planks—electoral reform and land law reform. He favoured the proportional representation system. Coming to his second platform plank, Mr Nicolaus said that to-day the rent of land in New Zealand (that was, tho value of land apart from improvements) was taken by private people and was generally known as the “ unearned increment.” This was merely derived from land in the form of rent, and should not be confused with income derived from capital, which people bad tho right to have. Rent was the only fund from which any Government should draw its revenue, and rent from all the land in the world was sufficient for the needs of the people who occupied it.—Press Association. Mr A. Morison presided at a meeting held in the Macandrew Road School Hall last evening, when Mr F. Jones, tho Labour candidate for Dunedin South, dealt with the proposals of tho Coalition Party and the proposals which were being submitted to the electors by the Labour Party. Referring to education, tho speaker said that in some cases proposals were made to do away with the country schools; some had already been closed down, and a correspondence course was being instituted. If this system were adopted it would have a very detrimental effect upon the children, and strong objections were being put forward against this form of education. Lack of personal contact between teacher and pupil would have a serious effect upon the child who showed any backward tendency. The restriction in tho range of work would also be affected, as it would be impossible for some studies to be conducted successfully in correspondence courses. Then, again, the country parent, especially the small farmer, had little time to spare for the education of the child, and in many instances the parent would be incapable of assisting the child. The most essential thing, especially in marking the lesson, would be tho guarantee that the scholar had actually done the work. This system also meant that ono of the main training grounds for school teachers of the future would be abolished, and that increased' unemployment amongst the school teachers would be the result. At the conclusion of the address Mr Jones answered a number of questions and was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence. Last evening Mr J. Gilchrist, Labour candidate for Dunedin West, adressed a large body of the electors in the Arthur Street School Hall. Mr H. Wells occupied the chair. Mr Gilchrist in his opening remarks dealt with the unsatisfactory world conditions. He blamed this state of affairs to an out-of-date system of financing consumption. The socialisation of credit was indeed a thing to be desired and obtained to preserve the life and well-being of the people. In New Zealand, in common with other countries, all .industries were on th© decline through lack of purchasing power brought about through men being thrown out of work and being minus wages. This reacted on the shopkeeper in reduced sales, on the warehouses in reduced orders from the shops, which, in turn, reduced the need for manufacturing goods. He gave instances of the vicious exaction of interest, and in this connection quoted ‘ Department Bulletin No. 138,’ by E. J. Fawcett, that on the best farms of 100 acres producing 151 to 1701 b of butter fat the labour costs, including farmer and family, was less than onethird of the total. Maintenance costs, added to labour costs, only slightly exceeded one-half the total cost, ancl interest was nearly half tho total production , costs. A reduction of tho interest rate of 2 per cent, would reduce the farmers’ money costs by over £2OO per annum. In the face of this, all this Coalition, instead of reducing interest by law, had made a very sympathetic appeal to tho interest mongers for a reduction. The candidate next dealt with tho cost of education and contrasted it with that of London, showing that whereas the latter city spent £l6 11s per pupil New Zealand’s expenditure was only £8 per pupil. This would require to be remedied, and the Labour Party was fully alive to the importance of educating the children in the best possible way. Questions were asked at the close of the address, which the candidate answered. A vote of thanks and confidence in tho candidate ancl confidence in tho party was moved by Mr A. Neilson, seconded by Mr M. Hamilton, and carried i