ON THE HUSTINGS

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 14 October 1925, Page 5

ON THE HUSTINGS

POLITICAL CAMPAIGN.

NATIONALIST PROPAGANDA.

MINISTER’S SPIRITED REPLY. (BY TELEGRAPH PRESS ASSOCIATION.) CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 13. The Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister of Lands, in the course of a week’s tour in Canterbury and Otago, addressed a largo audience at Kaiapoi last night in support of the candidature .of Mr. W. Brock. . « The Minister spoke on the lines of previous addresses, but referred particularly to a statement appearing in a Christchurch newspaper to the effect that he was the owner of 35,000 acres and was one of the men behind the Reform Party’s newspaper propaganda. ‘ ‘ As always follows after the failure of any movement,” said Mr. McLeod, * • the failure of the fusion negotiations necessitated the finding of a scapegoat, and I have good reason to believe that I have been selected by our Nationalist friends for special attention. I have in my possession an extraordinary document, which has no doubt been sent to all National candidates, and which refers to me as the fusion wrecker of the Reform Party. Ido not mind that, but I do object to our opponents, either newspapers or individuals, making personal attacks upon me which are deliberately untruthful. “I am referred to as one of the squatocracy of the Reform Party, owning 35,000 acres. The fact is that the total area of land that I am possessed of is 1598 acres, all hill country. My wife possesses 1000 acres, and that is the sum total of our land. A newspaper that stoops to a personal attack of that nature in an endeavour to associate me with the so-called squatocracy adopts the standard of the gutter press.” Continuing, the Minister stated that he noticed that the National candidate for Wellington North was adopting similar tactics. He had known Mr. McGrath for twenty years, and he was astonished to find that he would stoop to such methods for political purposes. One of the ideals of the National Party was to keep Labour from the Treasury benches, but Mr. McGrath’s candidature in Wellington North made it more than possible that the seat would go to Labour after being held by Reform for twenty years. Mr. McGrath had been told definitely before his name was mentioned politically ’that if he stood for Wellington Central in whatever capacity he would have the support of Reform behind him. He preferred to jeopardise the safety of the Wellington North seat despite the fact that the Reform Party was standing out of such electorates as Waimarino, Westland and Dunedin South.

Mr. McLeod was accorded a vote of thanks, the mover speaking in high terms of the Government.

PRIME MINISTER AT CHRISTCHURCH. CHRISTCHURCH, Oct. 13. Speaking 1 to a big and appreciative audience at the Theatre Royal to-night the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. Coates) said that the man in the city and the man in the country both depended on the exportable value of New Zealand products. It was essential that there should be co-operation between city and country folk. Many people had taken up farming of recent years and many wished that they had not done so. Farming was certainly not all "beer and skittles.” . '

New Zealand could never have reached its present position it not had the mortgage. Someone had to lend money and the Government had to see that it got it at the cheapest rate for the good of the staple industries. - .Mr. Coates stressed the importance of agricultural education, saying that science was necessary to improve the soil and help the farmer. Referring to the public works policy, the Premier said that the electric power scheme at Lake Coleridge-would be completed as soon as possible, and another scheme would be put in hand'. These two schemes would be connected up with Waipori and Monowai to form complete reticulation from Christchurch and north of Christchurch to Southland. The means already adopted for the transference of electric power were ideal, and were years ahead of those of any other country. In the North Island also Mangahao, Waikaremoana and Arapuni would be connected up to form one big scheme. Mr. Coates commented on Mr. G. W. Forbes’ remarks that the, Government had been spendthrift and extravagant. He said that the National Party, while often saying that, had actually advocated that State advances should be extended and that there should be better provision of school buildings. Under the second head the Minister for Education had spent £450,000 last year. How was the National Party to do these things without spending money? At the conclusion the following motion was carried unanimously: "That this meeting thanks Mr. Coates for his able and statesmanlike address and expresses its confidence in him as Prime Minister.

■> Cheers were given for the Prime Min ister and Mrs. Coates.

LABOUR LEADER'S ADDRESS

DUNEDIN, Oot. 13. At the Town Hall, South Dunedin, this evening Mr. H. E. Holland, Leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, addressed a large and enthusiastic meeting. Referring; to Mr Coates’ statements concerning housing conditions, Mr. Holland said that under the present Government’s regime a shortage of over 23,000 dwelling houses had been created. With 165,000 persons packed into over-crowded houses and tenements, one person in every seven was living under conditions described by the Goverment Statistician as at the worst distinctly dangerous and at the 'best unfavourable to the maintenance of a proper standard of health and decency. Twice ten thousand young couples entering upon matrimony had no homes in which to commence their married life, and frequently owners refused to let dwellings to families with children. In the larger centres rents had risen enormously *and over-crowding was menacing both health and morality. The leader of the party responsible for these conditions, the Prime Minister, was now found desperately pleading for an extension of life for his Government, and promising that if given an opportunity he would effect a change and there would be a different istory to tell regarding slums, but what the electors would want to know was why during 13 years in which they have held office the Reform Party had made no serious attempt to provide Adequate

housing for the people or to remedy the slum conditions.

Explaining the Labour Party’s housing policy ‘Mr. Holland said they proposed to enter upon a vogorous house building scheme by the State and would also make State advances to persons desirous of building their own homes. Houses built by the State would, be let at rentals which the ordinary worker could afford to pay, and they would make it a criminal offence for an owner to refuse to let empty dwellings solely because the family of the would-be -tenant included children.

Mr. Holland also dealt with the taxation question and at the conclusion w r as accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence. ,

FROM AUCKLAND ELECTORATES

AUCKLAND, Oct. 13. Miss Melville, the Reform candidate for Grey Lynn, devoted her opening speech to a vigorous attack on the Labour platform, there being frequent interruptions in the crowded nall. The candidate was accorded a hearty vote of thaniis

Mr. V. H. Porter, the Reform can-, didate for Roskill, opened his campaign before an audience of about 300. The proceedings were lively, but g00d... natured. A motion of confidence in the candidate and the Government was carried over a hostile amendment. Mr. S. Oldfield, the Reform candi- , date for Auckland East, opened his campaign last night. He described himself as an out-and-out freeholder and urged more encouragement of secondary industries and borrowing for reproductive purposes. He received a vote of thanks and confidence. Mr. F. S. Morton, the National candidate for Auckland Central, encountered a strong Labour element at his opening speech. In reply to questions he said that on. a motion of noconfidence in the Reform Party moved by Labour his vote would go against the Tories: A motion of confidence was given considerable support and... a good deal of dissent and uproar and cheers for the Labour Party. Mr. A. J. Osborne delivered his opening speech at Devonport as the Labour candidate for Waitemata. He received a vote of thanks and confidence

WELLINGTON CANDIDATES., WELLINGTON, Oct. 14. Mr Forsyth, the Reform candidate for Wellington East, has opened his campaign. He pledged himself to support Mr Coates and his policy. He believed the time had arrived when all people desiring sound and sane administration should unite, so that the progressive measures formulated by Mr Coates might be carried into effect, and the forces,of disorder and destruction defeated. There should be two parties only to enable progress to be made. The finances of the country were undoubtedly sound, but borrowing should be curtailed. The candidate supported immigration under a properly controlled system, as the country was able to absorb more than it was now doing. He extolled the present Government’s work in granting an improvement to pensions, and criticised the Labour Party severely, particularly in relation to its land policy. A vote of thanks and confidence was accorded-to the candidate.

Mr Monteith, the sitting Labour candidate for Wellington East, also opened his campaign. He strongly condemned the Reform Administration, and. declared 1 that land was the first thing requiring attention, since New Zealand lived on its agricultural and pastoral productivity. Act, while the population had been increasing, there, had been no advance in land settlement. The Government had failed to tackle the housing problem, which had been grappled with in South Australia, successfully. The minimum wage ini New Zealand was lower than in any State of Australia, and! the ~ Governemployees in some cases were not receiving a standard wage, i There had been no real reduction of taxation. The wealthy landowners had been but the Customs taxation was higher and the. cost of living was therefore higher. A vote of thanks -and - Confidence was accorded to the candidate. .Mr McKeen, the sitting member, began his campaign for Wellington South last night. He considered this election was the most serious in New Zealand history, for it was a struggle between Labour and anti-Labour forces. The present Government, despite its declarations, • was diametrically opposed to the welfare of the working man. The Labour Party was growing, and he believed that within the next _ three years it would be the largest in the House. The candidate condemned the existing wage system, especially the proposal to take 7s fid from the wages of unmarried and childless people for establishing a fund for the benefit of people with families, and he urged the Sision of houses for people to he by massed production from standardised Government plans. He advocated a- national bank, with the sole right of note issue. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried.

A CANDIDATE RETIRES. WELLINGTON, Oot. 14. Col. MacDonald has retired from the Wellington North contest in order not to split votes! A deputation strongly urged him to withdraw and he agreed, to do so. MR DICKIE AT WHENUAKURA. Mr H. G. Dickie addressed a good meeting at Wlienuakura last night, at the conclusion of which a vote of thanks, ' moved by Mr W. H. Southcombe and seconded by Mr W. Black, was carried unanimously. MR, CORRIGAN AT PATEA. (From a Correspondent). There was a large attendance at Mr J. R. Corrigan’s meeting at Patea last night, the Mayor presiding. The candidate received a good hearing, and was frequently applauded during his speech. At the conclusion, when questions were asked, there was a demonstration by a large section off the audience against a party of questioners who had travelled from Hawera.- It seemed that the local people resented, as an infringement of their rights, the intrusion of Messrs P. O’Dea, F. Gawith, W. Brown and A. B. Mriggeridge, for whenever one of the four rose to ask a question the audience displayed hostile feeling. At the close of the meeting a hearty vote of thanks and confidence was moved by Mr G. Williams, seconded by Mr A. Christensen, and carried by a large majority. EGMONT ELECTORATE.

A notice in another part of this issue invites supporters of the National Party in the Egmont electorate to meet Mr. W. C. Green, that party’s candidate, in the Oddfellow’s’ Hall at Kaponga. on Thursday next, at eight o’clock.

On Friday afternoon in the Kaponga Town Hall, a political address will be given by Mr. W. A. Veitch, of Wanganui. Mr. Green will also speak. The meeting will commence at 2.30 o’clock in the afternoon.