THE GREY SEAT.

Greymouth Evening Star, 5 December 1911, Page 3

THE GREY SEAT.

mr Webb enthusiastically SUPPORTED. (Published by arrangement). Mr Webb has just returned from a vigorous campaign of the Urey Valley where he is assured he will poll heavily on Thursday. Mr Semple has just returned from Barrytown where he has been doing a vigorous round on behalf of Mr Wenb. Passing the settlers at Seven Mile, Nine and Ten Mile, and addressing so many at Barrytown, lie found the people more enthusiastic than was supposed. He was heartily received and expects majorities for Mr AV ebb in the northern part of the electorate. MR P. C. WEBB Ai' COBDEN. (By Arrangement.) Mr P. C. Webb addressed the Grey electors in Skeat’s Hall, Cobden, last night. Mr G. Heinz occupied the chair and there was a very large attendance. The Candida 1 e received a very attentive hearing and many of his remarks received the cordial approbation of his hearers. He devoted tire greater portion of Iris time to a review of tire address given by Sir A. R. Guinness in the Opera House a few weeks ago. THE GOVERNMENT POLICY. Mr AVebb said that when he had addressed the electors of Cobden previously he hud stated that the Liberal Government had no policy and no programme, and that Mr Massey had no policy and no programme. Each member of the Liberal Party had a policy and a programme '-o suit his own constituents. If the constituency was a working class one the Liberal member would be found J -o be a leaseholder. It it happened to be a constituency where tire farming element predominated the member would be a freeholder, and if it happened to be a constituency where education had been propagated on class lines the member would be found to be a socialist. So it was right through the socalled Liberal Party. Each made his own programme and his own policy to suit his constituency. Such a state of affairs would not do. It was only playing with politics. The party must be an organised one with a definite platform and a definite policy that the members of the party must support week in and week out. The platform that he was advocating was the finest and most progressive ever presented in New Zealand. (Applause). When they attempted to criticise the Liberal policy they found that there was in: policy to criticise. When they read Sir Arthur Robert Guinness’s speech what did they find in it? They read of the great and glorious Liberal Party and all the line things the Liberal Party had done in the past, but there was nothing of what they should have done and nothing of what they intended to do. Sir Arthur Guinness gave no inkling of this. His speech was the same old game of Parliamentary bluff. Sir Arthur Guinness stated that he was a supporter of the Liberal Party and claimed to be a consistent Liberal and preached for hours of the great things the Liberals bad done. A'et in a few sentences further down in bis speech they found him turning round and bemoaning the fact that there were not a few more independent Liberals in the House to push the Government on. H seemed to him (the speaker) that Sir Arthur was not true to his party or his principles. If lie (the speaker) preached the working class patform and was returned cm that platform he would support that platform this day, to-mor-row and every day. "No, Sir Arthur,” continued Mr Webb /’this will not do. After getting into Parliament for twenty-seven years on the Liberal ticket it will not do to come forward and say the party requires more independent Liberals. What does Sic Joseph Ward think of bis follower? What does Tommy Scddon think of a man who claims to be a supporter of the Liberal party and yet in the same breath says that, they have not sufficient backbone to carry measures? No this sort of thing would not do.” Continuing, Mr AVebb asked whether they were going to he content with the old order of things or were they going to progress until the misery and poverty so prevalent at the present time wore put an end to for ever. In order to do this they must have a working class party-- • a party which embraced the business man and the small farmer as well as the other wage earners. ADVANCES TO SETTLERS. Sir Arthur Guinness bad claimed great credit for the Liberal Party for the way they had assisted the people to get on the land. A'et, what did they find? Was it not that the land hunger was greater in New Zealand at the present time than it had been at any neriod of its history? AVith il. ;i, : • Ward Government’s boasted legislation to help the small man they found that thousands of young New Zealand farmers had been forced to leave the Dominion because they could not get on ’-lie land. The truth was that Massey and Ward worked in the interests of the rich man as against the interests of the working man every time. (Loud and continued applause).

THE COST OF LIVING

Then it was a great boast of the Ward supporters of the great progress New Zealand had made. It was true t'nare had been an increase in wages but the cost of living had been doubled. With every little increase in wages up went the cost of living. After fifteen years of Liberal Government the cost of living was greater than it was ten years ago, and this under a Government *liat did so much—so it is said —for the working man, and did so little —so it is said —for the man of means. The Ward Government had borrowed £42,000,000 in nineteen years to build roads, raibyays and bridges, and 4 -be land values had gone up to .£100,000,000. Who benefited by all this? Was it the working man? No. Every child born in New Zealand came into the world with a debt of =£Bl on its head. The people who gained and prospered were the big farmers. The - -roads and railways increased the value of their land so that they gained by what Society had done for them. If Society did the work then Society should reap the benefit and not the land monopolists. If Sir Joseph were a true democrat he would tax these tnouo-

XU- ~~ -« «*• -• -«■< polists till they quitted the land and let the people get on it.- No, Sir Joseph would not do that. He would rather borrow from the money lenders at Home and put New Zealand in pawn than tax those in New Zealand who could well afford ib (Applause). The money was all going into the hands of the Union Steam Ship Company and other rings and combines who wefe making themselves rich and doing all they could to keep the working man down. The land monopolists were getting on well in New Zealpand and the poor workingman’s condition was getting worse all the time. The old party would not do. They must get a working class representative who would work for the emancipation of the working class and poor suffering humanity. (Applause).

OLD AGE PENSIONS. Sir Arthur Guinness claimed great credit to himself because be bad urged that the old age pension should be given to women at the age of sixty years instead of sixty-live. He (the speaker) would like to' see poor Mary Ann get the pension at 55. Mr AVebb then painted a doleful picture of poor Mary Ann who had spent the best years of her life behind a bar, out of employment and going round in search of fresh employment. In spite of her superior skill she was passed over to make room for a younger and more fascinating girl. He would be in favour of giving poor Mary Ami the pension. When a person could not get work the State should assist. Pool Mary Ann should be given money to help her so that she would not be driven to a life of shame as so many good women were through the present economic conditions. For this, however, the workers and not the AAhird Government, wore to blame. If they allowed the minority to rule then it was their fault. If things were bad the working class were to blame for not lighting and making them better than they were. (Applause). LICENSING LAWS. In the licensing question he believed in one issue being put before the people—National Prohibition. He did not* believe in sectional areas, where one was wet and the other dry. This simply gave the publicans in the wet area a monopoly. If the people oi New Zealand wanted liquor lot. them have it; if they wanted prohibition let them have it. If drink was an evil it was a national evil and not a sectional one and should be dealt with as a national question. (Applause). He would support the question being decided on the bare majority. (Loud and prolonged applause). MILITARY TRAINING.

lii referring to the question of compulsory military training, Mr Webb said he did not know whether he should be pleased or sorry at the attitude taken up by Sir Arthur Guinness on the question. The latter had said that he blamed Sir Joseph Ward and the Government for not taking a firm stand and seeing that the Act was carried into force. He (the speaker) gave Sir Joseph credit for more sense than Sir Arthur attributed to him. Twelve or thirteen thousand youths had refused to and ten thousand of those who had registered had refused to drill. This' showed how popular the defence scheme was. Sir Arthur blamed the Government for not forcing these youths to register and to drill. What did he mean by this? lie meant that these youths would be imprisoned, be branded as criminals and forced to herd with criminals because they refused to obey a law which had been forced upon them against their will. Three years ago Sir Joseph Ward was opposed to military training and said that New Zealanders would'have none of i'-. He had afterwards gone home to Mother England and the Coronation and when he came back compulsory military training was forced upon the people without their being consulted. IF Sir Joseph Ward had been, as he claimed J -o be, a true democrat, he would not have acted thus. The question of military training was not before the people, at the last election and Sir Joseph had no right to pass the Bill. It should have been referred to the people by a referendum. If Sir Arthur Giunness had been true to his principles, when the Bill was before the House, he would have thrown his wig aside and said : ‘‘No, I will not allow this Bill to pass. It has not been before the people. The people have not been consulted. Before an Act is passed that will expose the youth to the dangers of camp life the people of New Zealand—the fathers and mothers—must express their opinion and until the majority favours the Bill 1 will not allow it to pass.” (Applause). It had been said that the people knew all about it as Mr B. McNab stumped the country in its favourj He (the speaker) did not think that was the case. Mr McNab had no doubl visited one or two of the Centres and spoke in favour of military training, but the question was not before the people at the elections. Sir Arthur had also said that corn pulsory training was favoured by the Labour leaders in the Commonwealth —by Andrew Fisher and W. Hughes. This was true, but Sir Arthur did not also tell them that 12 members of the House of Commons and 900 delegates from trade unions and co-operative societies defied the aristocracy to force conscription on the British people. They had visited the Continent and seen there all the leaders of the Social democrats fighting against compulsory training which was weighting the people down. They had seen all the horrors of camp life and they said that they would not allow their children to be exposed to such dangers. They wished their children taught love for humanity and not warfare. He (the speaker) preferred to follow the -12 members of the House of Commons and the 900 delegates who knew the existing conditions than colonials who knew nothing whatever. The place for a child was at home until it was old enough to take its place in the great battle of life. He hoped that the mothers of New Zealand would take a firm stand in the matter. If Sir Joseph had taken Sir Arthur’s advice and tried to force compulsory military training on the people it would have been the last act he would have done for he and his party would have been forced out of power. .(Applause). The opponents of military training had been twitted as being cowards, lie would ask them did they over rc-

member when fighting was to be done of Sir, Knight or Baronet being in the fighting line? No. It was left to the working class to do the fighting.In feudal times, no doubt, the Knights did fight hut not since. The scheme was called a/ defence scheme, but it was not. AVhat use was a military force in New Zealand? A Dreadnought could stand thirty miles off and destroy any seaport town in New Zealand. The only way to defend New Zealand was on the water. The money spent in military training and bringing out instructors from Home would be better spent in developing *he industries of New Zealand. (Apulausd).

MINIMUM WAGE. Sir Arthur had said that he supported a minimum wage of 9/- per day. He (the speaker) contended that the present Government were the greatest sweaters in New Zealand, and the whole of the Departments were bound up in red tape and the men were not allowed to express their dissatisfaction. That grand and glorious Liberal the Hon. J. A. Millar bad fined the railway men out of their scant earnings £575 6s in one year. He (Mr AVebb) would favour a minimum wage of 10/- until the people got Mieir rights and the whole of the industries were owned by the people and worked by the people for the good of the people. (Applause). .PRIVATE MEMBER’S RIGHTS. Sir Arthur Guinness baid said that i private member was not allowed to move a money bill. That was to say a private member was gagged. He (the sneaker) would move such a bill in defiance to their red tape rules, and if he were removed by the Sergeant at arms lie would return and move it, again until the members recognised their duty and defended the rights of individual members. (Applause). UNFAIR TACTICS.

Mr AVebb then went on to refer to an article that had appeared in the Greymouth Star. The article, Mi Webb explained had been culled from a paper known as the 'Voice of Labour,” and had appeared in the Greymouth Star "by arrangement.” This meant that it was paid for at the rate >f ]/- per inch. It had not been placed there by bis Committee and he would leave it to them to say by whom it had been placed. He (the speaker), believed in a clean, straight out fight, and the fight from the point of view of his party was a clean straight-out one, for the majesty of the movement the} r represented demanded such. The article was taken from the A r oice of Labour not so much as an attack on the organisation but as an attempt to influence the present election. He (the speaker) was not out on a vote catching expedition. If he had not the working class behind him lie would go back to the mines. He had very little experience and Sir Arthur had his twenty-seven years, and his Sir and Knighthood and Speakership. He (the speaker) had faith in the cause he advocated, and had offered to meet Sir Arthur on the platform and show from the working class point of view hat Sir Arthur was not. representing ■he workers of New'Zealand, and that for twenty-seven years he had not represented this constituency but misepresented it. (Loud applause). He had offered to meet Sir Arthur at

-■-;'1ou or at Greymouth, two of Sir Arthur’s alleged strongholds. Surely t would be more straight forward and manly to light it out on the pubic platform than to go a thousand miles to get stuff like that which had appeared to damn an opponent’s chances. , There was no truth in the article. Those who knew Bob Semple knew perfectly well that he never advoca!ed personal violence in any shape or form. All who knew Scott-BennetA knew that he was a most lovable man. (Loud applause.) If Semple and Bennett had not been straightforward aid honest they would not have been misrepresented in the way they were. Applause). The whole article was a tissue of lies. It was said that de Leon, the American Socialist, was an marchist. Any one who knew anyhing about the matter knew that no one had ever written down anarchy the way de Leon had done, and all knowledge of anarchy that we possessed was gained from de Leon's writing. LANGUISHING INUUSTIHES. The present Government not only lid not represent the working class •ut also did not represent the middle dass. The sawmills were lying idle, ind there was no hope of getting the imber away. The harbour was bad ind there was no chance of the heats getting in or of those in getting out. The Government had just commenced ■pending ,£400,000 on improving the luck pond. What use was this when he boats could not get in? Sir Arthur iad represented the district for 27. mars and it was his duty when he ,aw the sawmilling industry paralysed md the coal trade strangled to denand that a deep sea harbour be contracted either at Greymouth or at Viint Elizabeth. (Applause). Sir Arthur had boasted that the profits tom the State Mine were £174,000. r t would have been well if some thousands of this had been spent in keeping the water out of the mine. When lie (the speaker) had made tins statement before, Sir Arthur had telegraphed to the Minister of Mines and lie latter had replied that so far as lie knew there was no water in the mine. The,Minister of Mines knew (.here was water in the mines; the people of New Zealand knew there was water in the mine for Mr B. Semple and he (the speaker), had met Sir Joseph Ward and put the matter before him two years ago, and told him there was not sufficient machinery to keep the mine dry. They had been blamed for putting the facts before the people. The Minister of Mines, knew and Sir ,Arthur Robert Guinness knew that the mine was being strangled for the want of machinery: It was the duty of Sir Arthur Robert to find out the truth mstead of trying , to prove a man a liar who was telling the truth. If something was not done soon the State Mine would be ruined. The Brunner Mine had been ruined while the Liberal member sat down. It was a serious thing to see the Tyneside and Wallsend mines with their splendid seams of coal ruined, while the man who was supposed to be their ieprcseutalivo sat down.. He sat idle

while their mines were flooded, while their sawmills were lying idle and their industries were paralysed. Yet he came with the same old tale he had told for twenty-seven ycat's of the glorious Liberal party. They spent millions on a Dreadnought that could have been better employed in constructing a deep sea harbour. A coaling station was badly wanted and where could it be better made than where the coal was?

Sir Arthur Guinness had advised the electors to support the Liberal Party and “not to fly to others they know not of.” “Yes,” said Mr Webb, “Sir Arthur Robert we know you too well. You allowed our coal seams to be drowned for the want of machinery. You knew this and you should have stumped the country from end to end and demanded that machinery should be obtained. But, no, you sat with your arms folded and let things go. Yes. Sir Arthur, we know you too well .You saw the sawmilling industry ruined for want of a deep sea harbour. Why did you allow the State Mines to be worked the way they are ? Sii' Arthur you failed in your duty. The old order ehangeth and the new order must take its place. We must have a representative of the people, who will see that their interests are guarded for the first time, the second time and every time.” In concluding Mr Webb said he did not wish them to support him for personal reasons, but because lie was the representative of the working class. He had never “smooged” for a single vote. He did not shake hands with every one he met, and tell every mother what a pretty child she had (although very often it was a pitiable object to look at). The victory must be a working class victory and they must do away with all the old tactics. (Loud applause and cheers). On the motion of Mr Robinson, seconded by Mr Atkinson a vote of thanks was accorded the candidate.

After giving three cheers for Mr Webb and according a vote of thanks to the Chairman the meeting terminated.