POLITICAL ARENA.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 16 October 1925, Page 9

POLITICAL ARENA.

MR HOLLAND AT TIMARU

(BY TELEGRAPH. PRESS ASSOCIATION.) TIMARU, Oct. 16. Mr Holland, Leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, addressed an audience of 600 people last evening. He was given a cordial reception. Referring to the recent prosecution of Communists at Auckland for haying certain literature in their possession, Mr Holland said that neither he nor the Labour Party endorsed the Communist attitude, which was opposed to that of Labour and the Socialist movement, but they strongly objected to the partisanship with which the law was administered. If a censorship existed it must be applied to all parties equally. AVhile the Government was busy prosecuting others for alleged seditious literature, the Reform Party and its own organisation was circulating blasphemous literature with dishonest intentions of making it appear that the Labour Party was responsible for the matter published. • Had the same or similar matter been put out by the Labour Party a prosecution would have followed* immediately. It was a grave reflection on justice and administration that no action had been taken against the persons guilty in this instance.

Mr Holland dealt with the general policy on the lines of previous addresses, and the following motion was carried unanimously, with cheers for the speaker: That this meeting accord Mr Holland a hearty vote of thanks for his masterly address, and expresses confidence in the platform of the New Zealand Labour Party and in Mi* Holland as its parliamentary leader. MR BURNETT AT GERALDINE. TIMARU, Oct. 16. Mr T. B. Burnett, Reform candidate for Temuka, opened his campaign at Geraldine last, night, when he addressed a large meeting. He received a cordial reception, with a vote of thanks and confidence at the conclusion. He gave whole-hearted support to the Reform Administration. Dealing with fusion, he asked that the question should he shelved unless _Mr Coates had a good working majority. MINISTER AT WAIMATE. . WAIMATE, Oct. 16. The Hon. A. D. McLeod, Minister for Lands, addressed a good meeting last evening. He spoke on the lines of his addresses at Waikouaiti, Fairlie and Kaiapoi, and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence in the Government.