GREY LYNN ELECTORATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17327, 26 November 1919, Page 10

GREY LYNN ELECTORATE

SPEECH €Y MISS MELVILLE. SOCIAL LEGISLATION. VIEWS ON GENERAL POLITICS The Government candidate for Grey Lynn, Miss E. Melville, who delivered the opening address of her campaign at the i Empress Theatre last evening, was greeted most cordially by an audience that com- j pletely filled the building. A certain ele- ] ment of antagou.sm among a small pro- | portion of the audience came to light at '< i the conclusion of the meeting, but the . hearing accorded Miss Melville was a j courteous and sympathetic one throughout. A feature" of her address was the w.de ! range of subjects covered, each one rcceiv- j . ing a carefully-thought-out and logical ex- j I position, although in some instances neces- j i sarily brief. Miss Melville was warmly j applauded on entering the hall, and the audience was not slow to register its keen ! appreciation of the views expressed by the j I speaker in the course of her address. j Mr. J. A. Warnock, a member of the i City Council, who presided, referred briefly to Miss Melville's excellent record of service on the City Council, also to the unique position she occupied as the only woman-lawyer practising on her own account in New Zealand. Women as Legislators. Miss Melville, who was greeted with loud applause on rising to speak, briefly referred to the passing of the Bill enab.ing women to sit in Parliament, expressing the opinion that it was due to Mr. j Massey's personal efforts that this Bill i had become law in time to allow women I to stand at the coming elections. There I were many matters, particularly social ques- j tiona, in which the viewpoint of women could not fail to be of advantage in the framing of legislation, but at the same i time women should not attempt to confine j their attention to that portion of legislation. If a woman were not capable of undertaking her full responsibilities as legislator, with the requisite knowledge and training to deal with all questions that might come before the House, she had no right to come before any electorate and ask for a. "sympathy" vote, merely because she was a woman. The speaker was firmly convinced a* .1 citizen that women were needed in the national life to-day, and this was the sole reason why she herself had decided to stand for Parliament when enabled to do so. Not "Run'' by P.P.4"I have heard that a rumour is current in this electorate to the effect that I am being run by the P.P.A.," said Miss Melville, j " I wish to state publicly that this j rumour is absolutely false. I have never I been to any of tire P.P.A." meetings, and although friends of mine belong to the association, I am not connected with > it in any way. I do not think the question of religion should come into politics at all. The question of politics is one fox the people as a whole, that of religion one for the individual," (Applause.) The statement had also been made that she was being " run " by the liquor party, continued Mass Melville, «uid she desired to give this rumour emphatic con--1 tradiction also. She had always stood for prohibition, and would not have State control under any' conditions whatever. It was her strong conviction that many of the social problems pressing heavily on. the country at present would disappear if the liquor traffic were abc-lifihed. (Applause.) • The Dominion's Problems. Dealing with the problems forced upon New Zealand to-day as a result of deple-! tion of man-power, decreased production, and delayed domestic legislation, Miss Melville declared these could only be settled by the people for the good of the ', people. The immediate question now facing the Dominion was that of obtaining the strongest and best Government, determined to work for the good of the whole country, and, in the speaker's opinion, that Government was the Reform. The amendment and advancement of the educational system was emphasised by the speaker as one of the most important matI ters before the country to-day. What [ was wanted 'was not merely a system that I taught children to read and write, but I one which would teach the citizens of to- | morrow how to think clearly and independently on matters of vital importance. Among many details mentioned, one of the most important was the establishment of a special branch of the Government Printing Department to provide the bills of school books to the education beards for free distribution through the school committees. (Applause.) Increases ■ in teachers' salaries were also advocated. ! , * Soldiers on the Land. The welfare of returned soldiers was placed among matters of primary importance. The best policy any Government could pursue would be to get as many able-bodied men on th* land as possible. There were large areas of land still to bo opened ud, and, in the speaker's opinion, it would be much better to place the men on this land in community settlements, and give them generous State assistance in the matter of establishing their homes and improving the land, than to settle them on areas already under cultivation. This would also lead to increased production, which was the only solution of the world-problem of the cost of living. Another point was that such a scheme would induce men to make their homes in the country instead of in cities, and thus to some extent relieve the housing problem. Dealing with housing, Miss Melville said one of the most important features in this connection was, to her mind, the provision of extra suburban railway facilities, enabling people to live further away from town. The whole question of railways, indeed, was an urgent one, and in view of the fact that the prosperity of Auckland depended so greatly on its country districts, it was most necessary that the rich East Coast country and that of the North should be given the primary means of development. This included roads as well as railways. The speaker di-J not believe the Government should take oyer the roads, but it should finance the building of main roads, and keep them in good order, leaving the local bodies more money to spend on the side roads. Industries and Immigration. The question of the development of secondary industries, said the candidate, also involved the question of the development of hydro-electric power and of immigration, all of which were of great importance in maintaining the prosperity of the Dominion. The domestic problem, extension of the nursing service, endowment of motherhood, and increase in widows' pensions were also dealt-with as matters of importance. On the conclusion of her address, Miss Melville answered a large number of questions, which covered a remarkably wide range of subjects. Every question, however, was answered with a promptness and ready wit that brought forth loud applause. « A vote of thanks and confidence was passed with acclamation, despite the clamour of a number of dissentient voices, and the candidate was cheered as she left the platform. MR. P. RICHARDSON'S ADDRESS. An address was given by Mr. Paul Richaudson, Labour candidate for the Grey Lynn seat, at St. Barnabas' Hall, Mount Eden, last evening to a weil-at-tended meeting. Mr. C. Wilson-Travis presided. Mr. Richardson touched upon questions involving industrial law, and advo. rated tlie setting up of wages boards in the four _ main centre*, instead of the present Arbitration Court. In respect to the cost of living, bo consiJ«.red cooperation and profit-fihari'ig as t. ; -- means to speed up production, this r-yet. m tending to overcome the '' go-slow " ioliev. Adequate payment of teachers. I'.m latioii 01 the number of pupils, free -chool books, and free medical sen ices were strongly advocated. A vote of thanks and i-onfidfi.ce was unanimously, accorded. ig> &t c?4idjda,te,