AUCKLAND WEST.

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

AUCKLAND WEST.

MR. C. F. BENNETT'S POLICY. LABOUR LEGISLATION. MAYOR OF TE KUITI SUPPORTED. The Government candidate for the Auckland West seat, Mr. C. F. Bennett, delivered an address to the electors at the Anglican Hall, Heme Bay Road, last evening. Mr. H. N. Bagnall presided over a crowded audience, about 250 people being present. The meeting was fairly orderly, though there was something in the nature of a fusillade of interjection from Labour supporters at the back of the hall at the beginning of the address when the candidate was criticising the attitude of Sir Joseph Ward and the Labour members of Parliament in respect to the soldiers' gratuity. The candidate was in excellent form, and after explaining his reasons for deciding, if elected, to support Mr. Massey on a no-confidence motion, dealt chiefly with the necessity for progressive legislation to effectively deal with the social and industrial problems of the hour. Industrial friction and unrest, he contended, were largely the result of the old methods and machinery of conciliation and arbitration which allowed intermediaries to conduct the negotiations of employers and employees instead of providing for parties meeting in conference and settling their own differences. The speaker strongly advocated greater provision for vocational training for returned men, a comprehensive housing scheme, increased immigration, and the endowment of motherhood. He outlined a scheme for the settlement of soldiers on land, and characterised as absurd the proposal to place an extreme tax on land at a time when the country was engaged in a comprehensive settlement scheme for soldiers. Replying to questions, Mr. Bennett said he would not support any new party in Parliament that included "members of the extreme Labour Party. He would not pledge himself to support the repeal of the preference to unionists clause in labour legislation, but would support any progressive measure for the real benefit of the workers. He expressed himself in favour of the issue of family excursion tickets on the railways during the holidays. In respect to the case of reservists who went into camp, but did not go abroad, he said he considered these men •were entitled to consideration in the matter 0? gratuity. Asked if he supported the Mayor of Te Kuiti in his attitude toward Labour, the candidate replied: "Absolutely. It is a pity a few more public men do not adopt the same attitude." He said tijt if continuance were carried at the forthcoming liquor poll he would strongly oppose any extension of the present hotel hours, tn reference to the influx of Asiatics to the Dominion, he advocated the imposition of a heavier poll tax and a more difficult education test. The candidate was accorded a vote of thanks, there being no dissentients. ADDRESS BY MR. SAVAGE. The official Labour candidate for Auckland West, Mr. M. J. S*vage, addressed about 150 electors at the Methodist schoolroom, Bonsonby, last evening. Mr. Savage said he regretted that certain unfair tactics had been used in the electorate. The other candidates were not personally identified with them, but some people acting on their behalf were concerned. He had been represented as favouring the nationalisation of everything, but that was untrue. The candidate then dealt at length with the various planks of the Labour Party's platform, on lines similar to his previous speeches. A hearty vote of thanks and confidence was carried. LABOUR AND ITS CRITICS. REPLY BY MR. BLOODWORTH. ATTITUDE TOWARD THE WAR. • * The official Labour candidate for Parnell, Mr. T. Bloodworth, addressed about 350 people at the Alexandra Theatre, Green Lane, last evening. He was given an uninterrupted hearing. Mr. E. Phe>lan presided. Mr. Bloodworth said Mr. Massey had asked to be returned with a substantial majority, and had said he would refuse to carry on, would go out of office, if he had to rely on Labour extremists for support. Mr. Bloodworth declared that Labour had no intention of supporting Mr. Massey and his party, because Labour was confident that Mr, Massey would not bring forward, any democratic measures. The Labour Party's policy was outlined by the candidate, who said the policy stood for a reversion to the principles of democracy, which had been filched from the people by the executive form of Government, and also an extension of those principles.^ Replying to recent criticism, he stated that the Reform candidate for Parnell, Mi. J. S. Dickson, had inferred that the speaker had not come out in his true colours. Mr. Bloodworth said he was fighting the present campaign under the same colours as he had always shown. He had always been a Radical, and had never changed. The New Zealand HERAXDTiad stated some time ago that any citizen who could give any assistance during the period of reconstruction should offer himself for Parliamentary service at the election. He had accepted that challenge, but witn the other Labour candidates had been subjected to venomous attacks in the Hebaj.j>'s leading articles. The Herald and the party ,it represented stood for privilege ; the speaker stood for the principles of democracy. The criticism had not been against Labour's platform; it had been of a personal nature. Not one plank in Labour's policy could be termed extreme. If any person made an unbiassed examination of what Labour did in the war, it would be found it was due to Labour's efforts that there had been fewer industrial disputes in New Zealand than in any other country. Dur:ng question time a member of the audience referred to a statement made by the candidate that the Labour Party, stood in the shoes of the Seddon Party, and he asked Mr. Bioodworth if he thought the late Mr. Seddon, being an imperialist, wou'd associate himself with some of the sentiments expressed by some Labour lenders during the latter part of the war. Mr. Bioodworth said he could not say if Mr. Seddon would have agreed with the sentiments expressed by certain people. In any case, Mr. Seddon was 'not an imperialist; he always considered him a democrat. " I say this." said Mr. Bloodworth. " that if Mr. Seddon were alive now he would be compelled to support Ae Labour Party.'' Another 'questioner asked if it was a fact that. Mrs. F. E. Baume, Opposition candidate for Parnell, had represented the upholstresses in their case against the employers at the Arbitration Court. Mr. Bioodworth said this was so, but at the succeeding session of the Court Mrs. Baume was engaged by the hotel proprietors to oppose the union's application for increased wages for girls in private hotels, and reversed the arguments she used in the upholstresses' case to prevent the hotel girls receiving an increase. The candidate was accorded a *vote of thanks and confidence. OHIXEMURI. [by telegraph—own- CORRESPONDENT.] , ' WAIHI. Tuesday. Mr. H. Poland, M.P. for Ohinemuri, delivered his first speech in Waihi last night. The speaker was accorded a good bearing, and at the conclusion of his address received a vote of thanks and confidence.