OPPOSITION LEADER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17333, 3 December 1919, Page 10

OPPOSITION LEADER.

BUSY IN HIS ELECTORATE. ANXIOUS INQUIRIES MADE. BRIEF TOUR IN PROSPECT. [BT TELEGRAPH. OWN CORRESPONDENT.] • WELLINGTON. Tuesday. Sir Joseph Ward, Leader of the Opposition, according to reports in circulation here, is finding that the Awarua seat requires a larger share of his attention than it is comfortable for a party leader to. give. ' , Opposition candidates in various parts ' of the country would like his assistance, and there have been some anxious in- j quiries for him during the last week, but' Sir Joseph, as far as can be learned, is ' still busy in Awarua, while Mr. Massey is travelling the country, and putting in I some very useful work. * j It is stated that the Liberal leader has made arrangements for a rapid tour of tho Dominion presently, and that he will speak at various centres. EDEN ELECTOBATE. MR. G. J. PARR'S CAMPAIGN. THE NEW RAILWAY SERVICE. IMPORTANCE TO THE NORTH. Mr. C. J. Parr, sitting member and Government cand date for Eden, addressed the electors at Avonda'e South last evening, Mr. R. Ward presiding. He stated that he was in the happy position of being able to announce a decided improvement in the northern suburban railway service. He had received that day from the General Manager of Railways an advance copy of . the new time-table, which will come into operatbn on December 14. Considering the existing coal restrictions, Mr. Parr continued, the Department had met the situation on the whole as satisfactorily as could be expected. The new time-table was largely the result of representations made by himself &3 member of the district and by the suburban residents, and for the general improvement in the services for I the North. The Hon. J. Gordon Coates, 1 Postmaster-General, had a'so been a strong advocate. The new M'nister for Railways, Mr. W. F. Massey, continued the candidate, had been very good about the matter, having agreed at his request to the recent conference on the subject of railway services. The new time-table which is published elsewhere, was explained in detail, Mr. Parr expressing satisfaction with the increased number of tra-ns, including the Sunday aiervice, and the general speedingop effected.- He stated that the new trains leaving Helensville at 4.10 p.m.* and ' reaching the city at 6.50 p.m., gave the ' people of the North a connection with the ! Main Trunk express for the first time. A ' notable feature of the service was the new train leaving Mount"Eden for Henderson j daily, except Saturday, at 6.3 p.m. This I would enab'e business people, who could I not leave their work ont 1 5.30 or 5.35 ■ p.m., to get to their homes rapidly, and t i this train would put the northern suburbs j > for the first time on the same footing as j ' the southern suburbs. "! ! " The Baijw«y Department," said Mr. • : Parr, "has shown that it appreciates the I growing importance of the northern subur--1 an districts, and no doubt as the towns ' along the line grow, further travelling faculties will be provided." • j Mr. Parr strongly advocated the neces- >' gity of a Government Board to take over ■ the main roads. In fact, one of the cardinal i planks of his platform was the proper , settlement of the whole Northern Pemn--1 ■ su'a, which depended as much on roads as t on railways. 1 At the conclusion of the address, Mr. R. S. Abel moved a hearty vote of i thanks end confidence to" the candidate. J He congratulated Mr. Parr upon his ». efforts in respect to the suburban railway serv : ces. Notwithstanding the difficulties of the war, Mr. Parr had shown the greatest energy and determination to get just'ee for his constituents, mid it had been ''very largely through Mir. Paw's influence ' at headquarters that the new time-table I had been brought about. 5 MR. HORNBLOW AT SWANSON. i j Mr. R. E. ;Hornblow, Opposition candidate for Eden*, addressed a crowded i! audience at the Swanson Schoolroom on : Monday evening. Mr. A. Perns presided. At the conclusion of his speech, the candidate was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. s TEE MARSDEN SEAT. t LABOUR CANDIDATE'S VIEWS, j, £BX TELECSBATB—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] 57HANGAEEI. Tuesday. ' "We are on the verge of the greatest I economical and social changes the world has ever known, and New Zealand must I wake up,"' said Mr. A. H. Curtis, Moderv ate Labour candidate for Marsden, speakI ing last night in the Town Hall, Whanga--91 rei. He affirmed his conviction that the ) I key to the political situation in New Zea- , j land was in the hands of Moderate Labour, z I Mr. Massey, he contended, had legisf j lated too much for the privileged few and e I too little for the* people as a whole. Sir s ' Joseph Ward was a titled capitalist. How - could such a man be a Liberal? He was liberal only to himself. Eighty per cent, of the population were workers, and it was their turn for legislation. He believed it was coming to them from the Moderate 8 Labour platform, ,f The Labour platform, he continued, was I ■ a sound platform, to which he could fully e j svbscribe, though ho could not subscribe j to the extreme views and methods adopted : . Iby some of the Labour leaders. Marsden 6 : had not received the attention it deserved. e : Surrounding counties had received much r j more from the Government than Whangaa ' re ; . Marsden was Ibe centre of the North a . Auckland province, had one of the finest ;. I harbours in New Zealand, should be a a I port of entry, and the Government must i ; be compelled to recognise its claims. North a I Auckland's electrical and mineral resources I were great undeveloped assets, and its > climate was the best in the world. The n ! Government should borrow £30 000.000 to i ' develop the country, and £6,000.000 to g £7,000000 should be spent in North if, Auckland. (Applause.) If returned he II ! would fight for North Auckland and for e the Marsden electorate in particular. 11 BAY OF PLENTY. [ST TELEGRAPH.— PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ~" OPOTIKI. Tuesday. Mr. K. S. Williams, a Government cant didate, addressed a very large meeting last e night, and had a cordial reception.. The :. candidate urged the development of idle d lands with a view to increased production it to meet the financial burden of \,v Doo minion. He made a striking appeal for d the education of children of parents in the backblocks, and also urged the need for i. I more nursing and maternity homes for the • 8 backblocks. .. j Dealing with the settlement of soldiers e 'on bush land, he advocated employing s I gangs of soldiers to fell largq blocks' for j cutting up when grassed and loaded, so £ that the men would have immediate rea . turns. ~ A voto of thanks was passed unani'e mously, with prolonged applause and cheers.