DUNEDIN NORTH VICTORY

Grey River Argus, 27 June 1922, Page 6

DUNEDIN NORTH VICTORY

SOME OF THE INCIDENTS. The. Dunedin victory for Labour is one of the most significant. It demonstrates that- the constitutency is emphatically opposed to Air Massey’s Government’s policy of wage reductions; and it may bo that ere long wo shall find (he Prime Minister announcing that later cuts in wages are not now necessary—a vote like that at Dunedin North is likely to have a farreaching effect in this respect. A ieature ot the light was the manner in which the Parliamentary Labour members came to the assistance of t7ie Labour candidate. Four out of the eight Labour members were there. Messrs Howard, Hullivan, and McCombs did splendid work; ‘The Vag,” made a great hit at every meeting, and every audience looked eagerly for his contribution to the evening's speeches. But, although the Labour members and the candidate provided the only definite policy, they were accorded scant space in the news columns. In the leading columns, they were attacked day by day with venom, untruthfulness, and an utter disregard for the decencies of every-day journalism. The main charge that the- Tory paper levelled against the candidate was that he would have for hi.s leader Mr H. E. Holland. It was generally conceded that Mr Munro himself was alright; but it was urged that the fact that he v\puld have- to associate wi'.h Air Holland was sufficient to put him out of court. All the time tfiiere was suggestion that Mr Holland was some one to be avoided by all ‘‘right-thinking” people. When Mr Holland arrived at Dunedin and delivered his addresses he was not reported by either the Tory or Liberal paper. On the night of hi.s arrival (Monday) he was taken straight from tin’ train to the "Town Hall, where a liugi* meeting was being addressed by Messrs Alur.ro, McCombs, Howard, and others; and on his entry was accorded an ovation that shook She building, but no mention of the fact was made in either paper. A couple of inches was all ‘.he space accorde.t to reporting the fact ’.hat he was present. On the following evening he ihdiverej a lengthy address to the hugest audience that ev(>r faced a speaker at Ravensbourne,

was accorded a magnificent, hearing, while ho outlined the Labour Party’s policy, and was cheered to the echo on resuming his seat; but a dozen lines or so was all the space the Tory paper devoted to the policy part of the speech, which the local Mayor, (an opponent of Labour) characterised as the finest address th'-’ people of the district had ever heard. Mr W. A. Veitch, ALP., visited Dunedin for thi’ purpose of aiding the antiLabour candidate, ami in the course of his campaign visited the Hillside workshops where Howard had spoken tho previous day lo an intensely enthusiastic audience. Howard’s meeting was an overwhelming success. Veitch spoke to an entirely unsympathetic audience, and al the conclusion of his address was rewarded with a motion which was carried unanimously to the effect that the meeting thank Mr Veilch for his address, ])l:ice on record the fact they have no time for the Liberal Party and that they would whole-heartedly support the Labour candidate, and further they would recommend their fellow railway employees at Wanganui to see to it that a Labour candidate is returned next election. After which Mr Veitch’s meeting concluded with three cheers for the Labour Party. Air Sidey delivered a pro-sessional address to 8(1 people in his own electorate two nights before the poll, and in the course of his speech charged that the Lal.-onr Party was ‘‘splitting tin' vote” and making it possible that the Alassey candidate might be elected. When the Labour candidate was elected, the “New Zealand Times” (principal organ of Liberalism) complained that the Labour candidate, had only been elected because the Reformers and the Liberals split tlie4r votes Nalurallv Labour is jubilant over its victory. This win brings greater encouragement to the Labour forces throughout New Zealand.