GENERAL ELECTION.

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10743, 14 November 1928, Page 6

GENERAL ELECTION.

SPEECH BY HON. W. NOSWORTHY. TAKES 1 MR. HOLLAND ROUNDLY TO TASK. RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAMOAN DISOBEDIENCE. (Press Association.) • ASHBURTON, Nov. 13. At a largely attended meeting held Mr. David Jones, the Reformer, to-night,.. the.: Hon. W;. Nosworthy spoke for a few minutes in support of the candidate. Mr. Nosworthy said that there were two matters, affecting himself arising out of the present campaign that he wished to. deal with. The 'Leader of the Opposition had persistently maintained that the natives of Samoa were ill-treated and that the, methods of administration were harsh and arbitrary. By his speeches and writing, particularly his “Revolt of the Samoans,” lie iiad encouraged them to disobey the law and had led them to believe the League of Nations would uphold them in their disobedience. The trouble had come before tlie League, and it. instead of upholding Mr; Holland, Mr. Nelson and the other ringleaders, had told New Zealand very plainly that what was required in the first place was not the •‘conciliation” which Mr. Holland advocated, but a little healthy discipline. So, instead of being harsh, it seemed that New Zealand had been too gentle altogether in dealing with its unruly charges." Referring to the loan of £15,000 to the Broadcasting Co., Mr. Nosworthy fi.aitl the security was m-oro than ample, as not only did the Department hold tlie first mortgage over tire plant and equipment, Ifuti also at the time the loan was made it held, on behalf of th© company, license fees amounting to’more than the value of the loan, which had been given to the company to establish one jowerful station at Wellington The Department was thoroughly justified. He did not object to any criticism ot the loan, but be did object strongly to Mr. Holland’s charge that there apparently was a connecting link between it and a statement by Mr. Goodfellow, managing director of the company, that the Labor Party, try opposing the college system of election, had ruined the Dairy Control Bill. Mr. Holland had plainly implied that the receipt of tin’s loan ha,ct induced Mr. Goodfellow to change his views. On, the cause of the collapse of the dairy control, no more fantastic nonsense could well be imagined, and he assured his audience that he himself, as Postmaster General, had finalised the negotiations with the company' months before the breakdown of dairy control. Now Mr. Holland had switched over and acuised tlie Prime Minister for the trouble. A man who did that was not fit to be Prime Minister of any Governmnet.

Referring to his own retirement, hr declared that it was due to his own ault. Had he never said he would null out of the contest, he would he ■i candidate now. Mr. Nosworthy declared, in conclusion, that only from the ranks of the Reform Party could one get a Cabinet competent to carry on the work of this country.

LABOR LEADER’S MESSAGE “GOVERNMENT LOST CONFID ENCE OF PEOPLE.” APPEAL FOR VOTE TO-DAY. (Preen Association.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 13. Mr H. E. Holland, Leader of the Labor Party, has issued the following message to the electors: “The question to be determined by the electors at the polls to-morrow is whether the Labor Party shall continue its natural progress and become the Government of the country, or whether the present Cabinet, .ed by Mr Coates, shall continue to control the affairs of the Dominion. The failure of the Government to organise closer land settlement, the increase in the interest rates and the holding up of loans from the State Advances Office, the restrictions placed on the Public Trust Office and Rost Office Saving Banks, have all tended to extend the power of private financial institutions, with the consequence that there is a drift from land occupations, accompanied by deteriorated lands and an increased area in fern, scrub, and second growth. The smash of dairy control. the enormous increase in the gnortgage debt,; together:with' the unprecedented unemployment, is menacing the progress and development of the Dominion.

“I have just completed an extensive tour of the Dominion, and in both rural, and city constituencies the policy of Labor has been warmly anproved and applauded. All available evidence proves that the Government hag lost the confidence of the people. The only alternative is that of a Government formed from members of the party which I have the honor and privilege to lead. If called upon to form a government the Labor Party, during its first Parliament, will legislate in accord with its election policy, which has been p'aced before the electors by Labor candidates. ’ “The principal sections of the policy are: (1) closer land settlement; (ii) extension of the State Advances Ofiice; (3) removal of deposit- restrictions from the Public Trust Office and Post Office Saving Bank; (4) national health insurance; (o) improved o'd age, widows, and other pensions; (G) workers compensation as a national service; (7) full support a rid assistance to primary and secondary industries; (8) an investigation or transport schemes, rail, road, and water; -(9) organisation of employment, and unemployment insurance; (10) regulation of immigration in accord with the demand for la'br and land settlement; (11) restoration of wage and salary cuts; (12) maintenance of the national school system, with smaller classes and free requisites; (13) repeal of compulsory military service, and reorganisation of the defence system; (14) full support to the ’ League of Nations and the outlawry of war. “The Labor Party has consistently and courageously fought the forces of reaction and for the cause of democracy and a treeiy fuller life tor all. The Labor Party has now completed 10 vears in opposition to the Government. After the 1925 election it became the official Opposition., On every occasion Labor members in Parliament have fought consistently ao-ainst the reactionary proposals, of the Government. Given the . privilege and honor of forming a Government, the Labor Party will draft-its laws and administer the affairs of the Dominion in the interest .of all citizens who render useful service. I ask, all electors who believe m democracy, good government, equal opportunity arid progress- towards a system of co-operation and service, to help an'd vote, for Labor candidates to-morrow.” . .

THE .'BABOR PLEDGE. ' ; IS THE OBJECTIVE HIDDEN ? At his. meeting recently at Vogel(own. the Hon. R. A. Wright "noted the pledge sWned. hv .all cnmhdntes standing in the interest of the Ij&bor Party, , It.is as follows* ( <T—■- . being nominated As a fit'and proner person to contest a Parliam.mtayv seat on behalf 57 the. New Zealand Labor Partv. hereby pledge - myself (a) That I am-not a member of a riy nolitic-il partv other than th<> New Zealand Labor Part** fb) Thi»t l accent the constitution; and platform of the Party.

(e) That { will faithfully uphold and whole-heartedly work for the Objective and Platform of the Party and no other, in accordance with the decisions • which may from .time to time be made pursuant to- this constitution.

(d) That I will work and vote, for the constitutionally selected candidates of the Party. (e) That if selected to contest any seat, I will not retire from the cop test without the consent pf the National Executive; and (f) That if elected to .Parliament, [ will vote on all questions of policy ;ji.accord with the decision of .a malority at a 3uly constituted meeting if the Parliamentary representatives of the Party. Commenting on paragraph (c) of the pledge, Mr. Wright said that the Labor candidates were not upholding Idle objective and platform of the party. The’were deliberately hiding t. The objective of the party was oho socialisation of the means of proluction, distribution, and exchange. iVliy did the party conceal the obective? Was it ashamed of it, or did the party lack the necessary ■murage? Of was it displaying the vhite feather?

“STRIKES ARE DREADFUL.” “I want to contradict a statement nade against me by a prominent person whose name I will publish if he does not withdraw,” said Mrs. Margaret Young, Independent Labor •candidate for Wellington Central. “It has been stated that I took all oho money I could from the Seamen’s Onion during the 1913 strike. As-a matter of fact I never took a penny. [ was offered. half of Mr. Young’s salary, but I refused it. I thought the women and children needed it more. These are the kind of thing® that have injured Mr. Young when trying to get a position. It is very .unfair. Strikes are dreadful things. They don’t hurt the men as' much as the women and children. If u few women got into Parliament there wouldn’t be so many strikes.” THE DIFFERENCE.

Criticising the United Party at his meeting in the Newtown Public Library, Mr. R. McKeen, .Labor candidate for Wellington South, «said that Sir Joseph Ward was. in the evening of his days, and was not capable of leading a party. “Now, don’t talk rot; that’s nonsense,” interjected a lady. Mr. McKeen added that Sir Joseph. Ward was not the same man as Te was twenty years ago. , “And neither will you be in twenty years,” retorted the lady, amidst laughter. “I know I won’t,” replied Mr McKeen. “The difference is, the ugh, that I admit it. but his supporters won’t. (Applause.) Sir Joseph Ward Jives in the i.past.' Hie poor ffd chap talks about what happened many years ago.” v .. The interjector: “He never cites.” Mr. McKeen: “But he does. We Save extreme pity for «he poor old chap.” A MATTER OF UNITY.

UNITED PARTY AND LOAN PROPOSALS.

Dealing with Opposition criticisnf and policy in his speech at Levin the Prime Minister, Mr. Coates, said -hat the United Party proposed to borrow £70,000,000, but they were iot united on that. “They could not all ■uvallow it,” he said, “and about five of six of them have puffed out from the party becawtfg of it.” Mr. Davy: “Tell the truth. Who •Ise has withdrawn besides Mr, Louien ?” The Prime Minister: “What about Hr. Wilkinson and Mr. Poison ?” Mr. Davy: “Thev were not members of the United Party. Tell the cruth.” The Prime Minister:" “You say •Ley were not members of the United Party, yet they were present at the inference to choose the loader.” Mr. Davy: “Thev were not members of the party.”

election novelty. BUSINESS-LIKE LADY CANDIDATE. . MRS YOUNG CHARGES ADMISSION TO MEETINGS. TOWN , HALL CROWDED. (Press Association.’ WELLINGTON, Nov. 13. Mrs M. Young’s candidature for Wellington Central, already the most conspicuous and most talkedof event in the local political cam oaign, has added another novelty to the history of politics in. New Zealand. Last night she spoke, at the Town Hall and charged 2s and Is admission. Notwithstanding the fact that the weather was bitterly cold and wet, the building was crowded, and- so the lady at- ore strpke. obtains sufficient money for her expenses, and sets up a precedent no lady ever appears .to thought of before, at any rate in Wellington.