ELECTION MEETINGS

Evening Star, Issue 20959, 25 November 1931, Page 12

ELECTION MEETINGS

MINISTER OF LANDS ADDRESS IN THE WORTH [Per United Press Association.] TAUMARANUI, November 23. The Hon. E. A. Hansom, Minister of Lands, addressed a largely attended meeting last night. Ho outlined the work of the Government during the last three years, and pointed out the reasons for the formation of the Coalition Ministry, which, he said, was duo mainly to the Budget shrinkage and the acute difficulties facing the country. The speaker said the Government realised that some people were suffering hardship, and had determined to purchase 25,000 sheep to put into cold storage for winter distribution to the needy. The freezing combines at the time were offering 4s 6d per fat. ewe. The Government stepped into the field and offered ss, and the combines offered 6s, and soon the price rose to 9s. The Government bought at 5s Bd, and thus had the means of providing free moat for needy people. Referring to the land question, Mr Ransom said that about 8,000 farmers in Now Zealand produced 90 per cent, of the export wealth, and so kept the balance of the population. Each farmer settled by the Lands Department assisted to keep five other families occupied. The graduated land tax was designed to break up largo tracts of land hold by single individuals. When it was adopted the farmer was free of income tax up to unimproved holdings of the value of about £7,500. Ho had known of a farmer who had been paying £3,000 a year in land tax. Last year he had a loss of £B,OOO. The graduated land tax was now superseded by a flat rate of Id.

The speaker said that Mr Holland advocated an internal loan of £25,000,000 over a period of three or four years. Such a course would prohibit the banks from backing the primary producers.

A veto of thanks was accorded the speaker.

MR COATES IN SOUTH ISLAND

[Pek United Press, Association.]

CHRISTCHURCH, November 25,

The Hon. J. G. Coates arrived this morning to open his South Island campaign on behalf of the Coalition Party. He speaks at the Caledonian Hall tonight. and visited country centres today. He will go to Temuka and tho Waitaki power works to-morrow. “ The Coalition prospects throughout New Zealand are very bright, and we are looking to the future with confidence,” he said when interviewed.

LOCAL AND OTHER CANDIDATES

Hon. W. Downie Stewart will address the electors in the llussell Street Mission Hall this evening. Mr T. Scollay (Independent for Chalmers) addressed the of Concord last night in the public school. Various phases of the depression were dealt with. The speaker pointed out how carefully the interests of party were guarded when coalition was taking place. The interests of the country seemed to occupy a back seat until the welfare of the political parties concerned had been assured. The speaker received a vote of thanks. Mr S. J. Andrew was in the chair. Mr John M'Donald delivered his second address to tho electors of Dunedin West m the Iloslyn Presbyterian S.S. Hall last evening. He was introduced by Flight-lieutenant H. R. Hughes to a large and attentive audience. Mr Hughes gave an outline of Mr M‘Donald’s public life, mentioning particularly some considerable savings to this city brought about while he was mayor, and tho fact that he had successfully advocated the taking of deposits from the public; while it was unfortunate that he had been unsuccessful in his attempt to make the Dunedin Savings Rank a corporation institution. Mr M‘Donald mentioned his long association with the old Liberal Party, and then proceeded with his address, in which ho confined his remarks principally to the subjects of organised relief of the unemployed, land cultivation and settlement, and tho development of the gold mining industry by the Government, finance and banking, and the present system of high taxation, which he considered to be wrong. In conclusion Mr M‘Donald was called upon to answer a number of questions, after which ho received a very hearty vote of thanks. Mr P. Neilson, Labour candidate lor Dunedin Conti. .1, addressed a crowded meeting in tho Mornington Presbyterian Sunday School last evening, Mr Lloyd iloss presiding. Mr Neilson briefly traversed the ground in relation to the Speakership, stating that no valid argument could be shown why such an attitude should be taken up, as it was Parliament that elected the Speaker; the electors merely elected the member of Parliament; and unless a contest prevailed then the will of the electors could not be ascertained. Seeing that over 4,000 electors in Dunedin Central cast their votes against Sir Charles Statham at tho last election, this surely was sufficient evidence that an election should be sought. Votes of thanks and confidence were carried. Messrs P. Neilson and J. Gilchrist, Labour candidates for Dunedin Central and Dunedin West respectively, will address a meeting of unemployed workers in tho Burns Hall on Monday, at 8 o’clock.

Mr J. W. Munro, Labour candidate for Dunedin North, will address a meeting in the Coronation Hall, Maori Hill, tins evening, at 8 o’clock. Mr J. Gilchrist, Labour candidate for Dunedin West, will meet the electors in the lloslyn Lodge Hall, Boslyn, on Thursday, at 8 o’clock. Mr F, Jones, Labour candidate for Dunedin South, will address a meeting in the Town Hall, South Dunedin, this evening, at 8 o'clock. On Thursday he will address a meeting in the Presbyterian Church Hall, St. Clair, at 7.45 Mr P, Neilson. Labour candidate for Dunedin Central, will speak at Macandrew’s Bay to-night, at 8 o’clock. On Thursday he will address a meeting in the Baptist Church, Musselburgh, at 8 o’clock.

Mr N. H. Campbell, Labour candidate for Chalmers, will address a meeting in tiro Green Island Town Hall tonight, at 8 o’clock. To-morrow ho will address meetings at Wingatni at 7, and at the Coronation Hall, Mosgioi, at 8. Last evening Mr John Gilehrist, Labour candidate for Dunedin West, addressed a crowded meeting 6f electors in the Presbyterian Church Hall, Kaikorai. Miss Egan occupied the chair. Mr Gilchrist, in opening, dealt with the world-wide depression. Everywhere people were tolerating the existence of

a financial system which was hopelessly out of date, it did not finance consumption. The Coalition proposals for economy through further wage and salary reductions would only lead to the wholesale stoppage of factories and workshops. At tho close of his address questions were invited and answered by the candidate, after which a vote of thanks and confidence, moved by Miss Whelan, seconded by Mr Brown, was carried unanimously. There was a largo attendance of electors of Dunedin North in the Coronation Hall, Maori Hill, last night, when the official Coalition candidate, Mr John M'Crae, delivered an address. Mr M'Crae received an excellent hearing, and there wore practically no interruptions. Mr H. C. Campbell presided, and, in introducing the candidate, spoke of Mr M'Crao’s thirty years residence in Dunedin, his war record, his long service on school committees and other bodies. The chairman went on to comment upon his own struggles I in early life, struggles which enabled I him to appreciate the nature of the I appeal which the Labour Party was | making to the people at the present | time. But hard fact; had to be faced, s said Mr Campbell, and, as a business ' man speaking to thinking men and j women, he need hardly remind them that mutual confidence was essential to prosperity, and that anything which tended to intensify a lack of confidence in a country could have but one effect, and that was to make bad worse. Therefore it was not the time for any experi- . ments in government, however desir- ■ able they might be m normal times. 1 Rather was it essential that the coun- ; try, as a country of prudent people, j determine to live within its income, and I endeavour to gradually build up its resources and so Jay the foundation for a return to prosperity. Mr M'Crae, for the greater part, spoke on lines already adopted at his previous meetings. He added that he had determined to fight a clean fight, and had no desire to enter into personalities, that sort of thing being foreign to his nature. A statement had been made, however, which he could not, in fairness to himself, allow to pass. Mr Black was reported to have jsaid: “Mr M'Crae, the president of the local United Party, made the stato- | ment that my name would not be acceptable,” for a reason which ho alleges that he (Mr M'Crae) gave. “ 1 wish _ to give that statement an emphatic denial, so far as 1 am concerned,” concluded Mr M'Crae. A vote of thanks to and confidence in the candidate was carried unanimously ami by acclamation. Mr M'Crae will speak at the Albany Street School Hall tonight. Mr N. H. Campbell, Labour candidate for Chalmers addressed meetings at Karitano and Seacliff yesterday. At both places the schoolhouses were full, and Mr Campbell, who dealt with land, unemployment, and education questions. had interested audiences. At the conclusion of each meeting a vote of thanks was passed to the candidate.

Mr J. W. Munro addressed a crowded meeting, many not being able to gain admittance, in the Albany Street School Hall last night, Mr W. Moreland occupying the chair. The candidate spoke for two hours, explaining the Labour Party’s policy. He vigorously attacked the fusion party’s “ impudence.” as he termed it, in asking the electors to return their candidates when not one of them had any policy to put before the people. He assured his hearers that it was intended by the fusion Government to so amend the Conciliation and Arbitration Act that all the protection which that Act gave to tho workers would be removed. At the conclusion of his address a, motion of thanks and confidence, amidst loud cheering, was carried unanimously. A large audience packed the St. Clair Presbyterian Hall last evening to hear an address by Mr D. C. Cameron. Mr W. G. Kindley presided, and in introducing the candidate expressed his pleasure in taking the chair for Mr Cameron, and described his previous pleasant associations with him, Mr Cameron’s address lasted for over an hour, and he gave a lucid explanation of many political questions of the clay. Wages, unemployment, and trade depression were fully dealt with by the speaker, and a policy for at least a partial solution was advanced. Mr Cameron expressed the wish that any rumour of his possible withdrawal should be immediately denied, as he was standing at the request of a large number of electors. Mr Cameron was asked a few questions, to which he gave practical answers, and at the conclusion of the meeting Mr R. Malcolm proposed a hearty vote of thanks and confidence, which was seconded by Mr J H. Hinton and carried. Mr John M'Donald will address the electors to-night, at 8 o’clock, in the Wakari Hall, Kaikorai. The chair will be taken by Mr E. Sutherland. Mr F. Jones, the Labour candidate for Dunedin South, addressed an audience which filled the Caversham Methodist Hall last night. Mr J. List presided. Mr Jones dealt with political events leading up to the formation of tho Coalition Government, and claimed that Mr Coates had now become tho dominating figure in the Government, which was working in the Reform policy. The candidate criticised the Reform and United Governments’ administration of the railways, stating that at tho present time cuts were being made among the lower paid servants rather than at “ the top of the tree.” Ho outlined the Labour Party’s policy, referring particularly to its fllans for the development of industries. Mr Jones was given a very attentive hearing, and at the conclusion of his address was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence. Mr W. H. Wackrow, Coalition candidate for Waimarino, addressed the electors last night. He referred to land settlement in the King Country, to unemployment. and advocated a reduction in timber freights. A vote of confidence was accorded the speaker.—Taumarunm Press Association telegram. Mr W. G. Simpson, tho official Labour candidate for Patea, addressed an overflowing meeting last evening. He declared himself a supporter of Labour’s policy, and said he was in favour of planned production and marketing reduction, interest derating, farm lands co-ordination, all forms of transport, maintenance of the present educational, pensions, and hospital systems, adequate maintenance for unemployed on relief work. He also advocated a control bank organisation of credit system for use in production. A voto of thanks and confidence was carried. —Hawera Press Association telegram. Mr C. H, Chapman, tho Labour candidate for Wellington North, opened his campaign. He gave his support to the Labour policy as outlined in its manifesto, and stated that if returned to power the Labour Party intended to put tho whole of its policy into operation within three years. A voto of thanks and confidence was accorded. —Press Association.

About sixty residents of Tomahawk attended at the Tomahawk Hall last evening to hear Sir Charles Statham. The chair was occupied by Mr B runton. Sir Charles and Lady Statham received a rousing welcome. The candidate spoke on the lines •of his Macandrow Bay speech the previous evening, and there was not a single interruption during his address. Ho answered several questions, and on the motion of Mr B. C. Collins, seconded by Mr Joe Pereira, was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.