POLITICAL POINTS

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 31 October 1928, Page 10

POLITICAL POINTS

I WHAT CANDIDATES SAY. CAMPAIGN NOTES AND JOTTINGS Patea Bachelor Pair. “The Patea election contest is, I think, unique in at least one respect in this year’s campaign,” said 'the Mayor, Mr E. A. Pacey, in introducing a remark [which caused merriment atMr id. G. Dickie ’s meeting at Hawera on Monday. “I don’t think there is any other seat being contested by two bachelors. Each candidate will' have to do all lie can to please everyone, especially the ladies.” Your Job’s Save, The confidence of at least one of the supporters of Mr H. G. Dickie concerning the- outcome of the Patea election raised a laugh at Mr Dickie Is Hiawera meeting ■on Monday when Mr Dickie was referring to unemployment, and a friendly voice interjected: “All right, Harold. Your job’s-safe for the next-three years.’’ Pick and Shovel. “I’ve used the pick and shovel myself, but I don’t use it any more than I can help. The pick and shovel man is the basis of society,” the Mayor (Mr .T. K. Archer) in his address-at 'Christchurch. Taxation in New Zealand. “The .income-tax in New Zealand,” declared Mr T. Forsyth, at !Hataitai, “is less than in any other part •of;• the British Empire.” He. quoted the following figure's as applicable to a man with three children,-'earning £6OO a year: New Zealand, £5 18s 2d- New 'South Wales, £0; Victoria £lO 7s fid; ■ South Australia, .£?/ 16s , 8d; Queensland', £l7 Os 7d; arid’ Great Britain, £ll 10s; Mr Speaker. “May I pay a tribute to Mr Speaker?” said Mr 1 E. J. Howard at Addington on Wednesday night, “and say he is in the right place. He is one of the fairest and best Speakers in the British Commonwealth of Nations.” Authority on Strikes. “You talk of seamen, miner is and others coming? out on strike,” said Mr Harrison at Dunedin. “Well, I have been connected with a good many strikes, but never have I seen the men come out willingly without a just ■cause. There may be one or two among them who are passionate, but, no matter how passionate a man may be, when he gets into his trade union he cannot convince the men to come out -on strike unless there is something to fight for.” A Cause of Unhappiness. An interlude at Mr 'Charles' Todd’s meeting at Caversham (Dunedin): — The candidate (after covering a lot of ground in regard to other matters): And now Ave conic to the question of the health and happiness of the people; and that is the main thing, after all, isn’t it? A voice (pl'ainti\ T c]y): Hoav 'can a man be happy if you take away his beer? The candidate: I’ve seen some pretty unhappy folk the morning after the night before. The voice (decisively): Bad beer. 'Three Jobs? I “I would like Mr Archer to ans Aver this question: Hoav can he do Three| jobs—save souls, save the 'City, and save the country? ’” asked a .young man at •the Mayor’s meeting at Christchurch. Mr. E. J. lloAvard (chairman) ansAvcred for Mr Archer: “Tic says lie can do it,” he declared. Mr Archer added that his 'Church had asked him not to sever his connection with it uf elected. Still Following! { “It is quite correct-. We have been travelling fast,” said the "Prime Minister (Mr J. G. 'Coates) at Whangarei,” when the Mayor referred to the vast amount of territory which Mr Coates 'had to cover in an election campaign and to the speed Avitli which he had to move. “But wc are not the only ones >yho <havc been travelling. There is ■someone folloAving me as hard as he can—the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr Holland —and when the election is over and I am home in power again lie will still be 'running. ’ ’—(Applause.) Keen Rural Electors. ! A 'feature of this year’s political •campaign, -as ‘far as the rural districts of the Waikato are concerned, has been the large attendances and the keen interest displayed in current polities by the farmers. In many cases the time devoted to questions, which have particularly referred to land problems, lias exceeded the time occupied by the candidates in .their addresses. Many of the -meetings have not closed until close upon midnight. Military TrainingOne of the most frequent questions asked candidates is Avhether they are in favour, of compulsory military training. -Some of those supporting the United Party’s banner have stated they are .strongly in favour of its \ 'abolition, and a less costly and less .arbitrary system introduced. At least two candidates have declared that 'the sum of something like £190,000 spent •annually in this direction is waste. When question 'time came fast evening at the meeting addressed by Mr J. S.f Dickson, [Reform member for Parnell, ; he was .asked his view, and liis reply was greeted Avith enthusiasm. “If a country’s Avorth living in it is worth fighting for,” he said. The Price of Bread. i Speaking at, Makara (Wellington) on Wednesday, Mr W. 11. Field, Reform 'candidate for the Otaki seat, said that J hi« United Party opponent was still brazening out has absurd, statement concerning the price of bread. Tie 1 was, .Mr Field said, the only candidate, so far as he could ascertain, avlio had discovered this shocking act of villainy on the part of the '.Reform Party. < Everybody else knew, indeed his opponent must know, that he had struck a mare’s nest. Mr Field said 'that he 3 had ascertained that in Australia, where all this -cheap Avheat was -sup- 1 posed t,o be procurable, the price of bread, instead of being 2d per 41b loaf —that is, Id per 21b loaf —cheaper 1 than the ruling price in 'Ncav Zealand, the price in the various Australian

States ranged from 5Jd to 64 d, .and in (Canada, another great wheat growing countrv, tfie price is G4d. Here also in New Zealand the price does not exceed 64d. But; the main point is that. ' if wheat growing was ’abandoned in ■New Zealand, 'and this was imminent only a year or two ago, we might at any time have to pay famine prices. Then the .Government -could fairly be ' blamed if they had failed to' conserve on,r (wheat, supply, and with it. the reasonable price of bread. The Right to Strike. Referring to the conference which the Government had called to endeavour to bring about a better understanding between 'Capital and Labour, iMr .Martin 'Luckie, Reform candidate for Wellington 'South, at, his Berhampore meeting, when 'replying to an interjector, claimed that the Government had made every effort to have this vexed question settled in a practical .manner, and even yet the conference had not completed its work, but was to sit again. He pointed out .that while Labour was crying out for arbitration in connection with war, it objected to its introduction to settle I matters between employer- and employee, preferring to use the strike weapon.... This action showed how illogical the party fwas. Surprise Tor Uniteds. , 'That the proposal to borrow £70,000,000 was not made by the conference of the United Party, held tin Wellington t 0 frame its policy, has been disclosed by Mr John Loudon, in a, further statement explaining his withdrawal • from the (Chalmers contest. Referring to “the vital point of the trouble,” Mr Loudon said: “Mr Wing (the provincial organiser) was as much worried as I was at not getting the party’s policy earlier, and I' saw him daily. The 'first manifesto we got was ‘Sir Joseph Ward’s speech in Auckland, published in the Press, and I got a great surprise,, when I saw his borrowing plank. I regarded it as the end of my chance and felt much upset, as I was certain ’that a, large proportion of the Chalmers electors would be up iii arms against it. Jam much opposed personally to the large borrowing, and feel that I would place the party and myself in a false position if I did not take the stand I have done.”