ELECTION NEWS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVII, Issue 8374, 30 September 1890, Page 5

ELECTION NEWS.

[BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Monday. Letters from the South state that Messrs. Perceval and R. M. Taylor (both sitting members) are announced to stand for Christchurch. Mr. J. Brown, of Wakauui, will contest Ashburton against Mr. Walker, the Opposition whip. Mr. Rhodes stands again for Geraldine, and Major Steward for annate. Mr. Allwright, formerly member for Lyttelton, takes the field for Akaroa against Mr. Macgregor, the Government whip. Mr. Hirst, formerly member for Wallace, will come forward against Dr. Hodgkinson. Mr. J. H. Hamilton is spoken of as a candidate for Awarua. Mr. Hatch is to face Mr. Feldwick in Invercargill, but Mr. Bain, formerly member, is to come forward in the Government interest. For the native East Coast, the candidates mentioned are Carroll, Wi Pere, Tutu Nihoniho, Hamiora Mangakahia. Mr. H. D. Bell and Mr. Duthie have called separate meetings of the electors. Mr. Menbeat.li declines to stand. The other candidates have made no further movement.

It is understood that Mr. J. J. Devine, solicitor, will contest the city.

Rotorua, Monday. Mr. W. Kelly arrived here on Saturday, and is making arrangements for the coming elections. He is to-day busily engaged with the roll, and getting names sent in for the supplementary one.

Nelson, Monday. Mr. J. G. Harkness addressed a crowded meeting at the Theatre Royal to-night, referring to the last session, and speaking at length on the finances of the colony. He expressed his intention of seeking re-elec-tion, and declared himself against any further borrowing. Ho received a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence.

Mr. Mitchelson has received a telegram from the South, stating that the odds are 5 to 1 in favour of the return of the Hon. (J. F. Richardson for Mataura. His only opponent now is Mr. Bell. Mr. Valentino has retired in his favour, and will contest the Tuapeka seat against Mr. J. C. Brown. Information was sent to the Government by Mr. S. Y. Collins, Registrar of Electors, that the rolls for the city are in a bad state, and he was instructed to have them purged. Mr. J. M. Lennox notifies elsewhere that he will address the electors of Parnell on Monday next in the Newmarket Hall at eight p.m. It is improbable, we understand, that Mr. Moat, whose electorate (Rodney) has been blotted out under the new Representation Act, will contest any other electorate.

DATE OF THE ELECTIONS. Telegrams have been passing between the Premier and Mr. Mitchelson in reference to the date of the elections, and we understand that the date for the polling has been practically fixed for the !24th of November. Were it not for the state of the rolls the elections would be held on the 3rd November. At the last election only 13 days intervened between the issuing of the writs and the day of polling, and this did not allow any time for purging the rolls. By holding the ensuing elections on the 21th of November time will be given for this very necessary work. At present the rolls are in a most unsatisfactory state, as they contain hundreds of names of persons not entitled to vote. The postponement of the elections till the 24th November will not interfere with the date of the meeting of the new Parliament. It will meet, as already arranged, early in April next.

THE LABOUR CONFERENCE. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] Wellington, Monday. The Wellington Employers' Association refuse to send a delegate to the Conference, because they cannot allow to be questioned the right employers have to engage whom they please ; that they consider themselves bound to protect free labour, and that the other demands of the unionists require formal definition. The letter of their secretary to the Premier,covering the formal resolutions of the Association, gives a more specific interpretation of the mind of his principals as follows : —" 11 is beyond dispute that the present state of affairs has been brought about by the action of the men themselves, and the situation, as it now exists, has been forced upon employers, who cannot enter upon the discussion of any proposals which would cause them to sacrifice tho free hands who came their assistance in place of those who left at the order of the unions. This is the first difficulty. The next is that employers can never yield their right to engage such men as are found most suitable for their purposes, and if men will be unwise enough to impose upon themselves restrictions inimical to their employers' interests, they must not complain if they are supplanted by others who offer their services untrammelled by any such conditions." The following delegates to the conference arrived in Wellington yesterday : — Messrs. J. A. Millar and I*. Brown (Maritime Council), Winter and Elvines (Rail way Servants Society). Cornish, and Captain Highman (Marine Officers Association), all of whom arrived by the Te Anau yesterday afternoon, while Mr. Lomas, also of the Maritime Council, arrived by the Mawhera. The latter gentleman will represent the miners, Messrs. Millar and Brown the Maritime Council, Captain Highman and Mr. Cornish the Marine Officers' Association, Messrs. Winter and Elvines with Mr. Hoban (yet to arrive), the Railway Servants Society, and Mr. Ii Seymour the Wharf Labourers, while the Hon. George McLean will represent the Union S.S. Company, lb is said by some of the delegates that no importance is to be attached to the refusal of the Employers' Association to send delegates, as the Conference will have representatives of all the parties concerned in the dispute — viz., Maritime Council, shipping companies, railway servants, and Officers' Association ; but many people here think that in such a conference free labour should be formally represented. Questions are asked such as these: "Suppose the Conference to arrive at a certain series of resolutions which would be perfectly satisfactory to all unionists, but not at all satisfactory to those who claim the right of free action in all their labour contracts, what would be the result ?" Another question has arisen which would be almost absurd if it did not point to a fact, " Suppose free labour were to ask to be represented at the Conference, would the unionists refuse to sit with the free labour delegate ? If not, what then ?" Shaw, Savill and the New Zealand Shipping Company refuse to be represented at the Labour Conference. The Railway Commissioners have not considered tho question of being represented at the Conference, though it was supposed in some quarters they intended to bo represented. It is understood that some at least of the unionist delegates are prepared to discuss the question of tho employment of unionist and free labour side by side. Napier, Monday. The Free Association of Employers and Workmen of Hawke's Bay have aont the following telegram to the Government in reply to the invitation to attend the projected conference at Wellington:— We regret that we do not see our way to send delegates to Wellington while the principle of working with free labour is denied by unionists. When this difficulty is removed and the demands of the unions formulated, this Association will be glad to join other Associations in sending delegates to attend a conference at Wellington." The working members of the Association now number over 1000, and the guarantee fund is over £12,500. ;