TO-DAY’S ELECTION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume III, Issue 187, 24 July 1913, Page 6

TO-DAY’S ELECTION.

I -,t Firmed from Page 5). \ MR. MIC HEL < SPEE< IL ( * LIVELY TIME AT TAYLORVy.LE i t Abridged froiii "Grey River I Argus.’’) | Satari.;-- night Mr. IL L. ‘ Mi--hrd nddre‘-M-d the i-lci-lor*. in the Taylorville Hall. A couple of ladies were particularly prominent in clialI lenging Mr. M ichel's statements. Mr. Michel, who received a cordial I reception, said he was going to speak I most plainly and hold, as it were, a post moricr.i examination on the ( Federal ion of Labour, to which I Mi. P. U. Webb v.as attached. He denounced th? platform of th? Federation and said that it was governed by a section that was opposed to all law and order. Were the electors of Grey going to support a Government that would uive them plorries’sive and humanitarian legislation, or were they going to send to Wellington a gentleman who would represent the extremists in the Executive of the Federation of Labour. II? would expose the views of tins Executive not in his own words, but in tnose of Professor Mills of Milwaukeefanr-. who had throughout New Zealand denounced the Federation. The real que-tion at issue was whetbet the Grey electors were going to be bossed by the Executive of th< Federation of Labour, and simply tyrannised by that party. That was the issue at stake and let them make n«> mistake about it. Mr. M ehl, had said that if the Government could only get 2000 votes last Thursday there was no hope of his (Mr. Michel) getting to Wellington. But there was another side of the question. The extreme section of the Labour Partv had onlv secured 2000 totes, or 500 less than at the previous election, showing that they had gone back 500 in eighteen months. This showed that the people were determined that thev would not be ruled by the Federation of Labour, but by a Government that would rule by U.e people .'.nd for the people. A voice: What rot.

Continuing, Mr. Michel said that Mr. Webb had said that the contest w-as to be a clean one, yet there had appeared a couples of columns of speeches by that morning’s “Argus,” in which Professor Mills of Milwaukee fame had endeavoured to stir up sectarian strife in order to catch the votes of Mr. Hannan’s supporters. A letter had also appeared in the “Evening Star” designed with the same purpose in view. He (Mr. Michel) had heard nothing of this Sectarian question until after the election, and he did not believe there was anything in it. What did Professor Mills of Milwaukee fame know about it ? He came to New’ Zealand as the paid hireling of the United Labour Party, and had condemned in no measured terms the tactics of the Federation of Labour. Professor Mills talked about changing one’s coat, and yet after condemning the Federation of Labour he had now turned his coat and was backing it up. When the Professor from Milwaukee found that the members of the Federation had raised £37,009 to keep the strike going out of their wages he came to the conclusion that the Federation was the place for him and so he wriggled over to the Federation of Labour. What did Mr. D. McLaren, the most able Labour advocate in New Zealand tell them of the Federation of Labour and the great Unity Congress. He declared that the reports supplied to the press were untrue reports, that they were faked reports, and gave no idea of the real doings at the Congress.

Mr. ?>lichel said that the Federation of Labour was nothing but a hutre trust, octopus or combine. It wa.-, n<’t. however, a trust that would trust the people. He had proofs of this. It browbeat and tyrannised over the great part of the workers. It objected to the secret ballot. Its method of loting was this: "Workers to 1 he right, scabs to the left.” A voice: li’i a lie I aril uproar. Mr. Mi> 1 cl : You know nothing about it. A vote-. Me are satu-lied. Leaxe the Federation alone and give us your policy. Continuing Mr. Mivliel said that there was a section of the Federation of Labour who tyrannised over the worker. They objected to a *c’-ret ballot in the ca.-e of a strike. A *. oic* : It ’< a lie. They don’t. Continuing Mr. Michel said that he wo-.tkl oppose any Government that would not protect the minority. Th- v.c.oic motto of the Federal ion was : Strike ! Strike ! Strike 1 What happened when a strike did take nine? These who engineered ,v*_tik>- were off tn Sydney or America and left the workers t > Lear i i *• A * * 1 a < nb read th'writings of Milwaukee Mills : — A voice : M hy don t vou call him fix. his proper name ’ Mr. Mieiiel : M hat is hi- name : ( ontinumg. Mr. Michel said that I-itzgeta u engineered the Blackball strike, one of the most disastrous strikes 11 at had ever occurred. WL:tt happened The workers homes were broke n up and the'.r houses sold up. Wliat hr-nano* nf Fitzgerald and the

young men. the instigators of the strike 1 Fitzgerald was in America and the young men went to Australia and elsewhere. The executive of the Federation of Labour was out to abolish the wage system. That was the statement of their leaders and their official organ the “Maoriland Worker.” Let them think what that meant to this district. They were going to abolish capital. How could the Grey district advance with its great undeveloped resources if they had no caprtal. Yet it was suggested that they elect a man to represent them that opposed the wage system, that was opposed to capital and opposed to everything except the Red Feds. Did they think that such a man would do the district good I A voice: Y T es.

Mr. Michel: You know better. Du you think you would get your resources developed if you put Mr. Webb in Do you think you would develop your Wallsend mine ! A voice: AVill Mr. Michell

Mr. Michel: Y’es, I will try and I have already done more for the district than Mr. "Webb if he were for 20 years your member. With Mr. Rundle and others I placed the Lake Hochsetter alluvial claims on the London market, but I was blocked by the Waihi strike. Those at Home were afraid to risk their money in New Zealand on account of the labour troubles. We. however, raised the money in Sydney, but it was only because we could give the Syd ney people assurance that New Zealand was now free from labour difficulties. So far as alluvial mining was coiv-erned. W e have thus raised £25,000 to develop the mine resources of the Grey Valley. Could Mr. Webb do that. (Applause.) j would, if elected have little difficulty in getting assistance to reopen the Wallsend mine. If I could not get the Government to reopen the mine I would try to get the necessary capital with Government assistance. That is what you want and if I am elected I will try to get the mine reopened. You will not get it done it you appoint a man who is opposed to capital, who is opposed to, the Government, who is oppsed to defence., and who is opposed to Christianity. (Uproar and dissent). 1: you want to wreck your future support the planks of th'* extreme Labour party, who want to capture your industries and even your police.