LIBERALS AND LABOUR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17337, 8 December 1919, Page 8

LIBERALS AND LABOUR.

SIR J. WARD'S ATTITUDE. NEED FOE REPRESENTATION. i NOT ALLIED WITH EXTREMISTS. ; [BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOCIATION".] CHItISTCHUBCH, Saturday. In his address at Leeston last evening the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, referred to his attitude towards the Labour Party. He said he was against the men who "wanted direct action, the men ■who did not realise the position the Dominion was in to-day. He wanted to say that they would be responsible for bringing about a condition of things in this country incomparably worse than they were before. It' the people wanted to prevent* the small seeds of Bolshevism from being sown here and .growing up and spreading about the country they must recognise Labour. He was standing for the country's good, and appealing to the moderate section of the community to help. If he were returned as head of the Government he -would give Labouu its fair representation iu that Government. it was not only right, but it was a farseeing thing to do. Air. W. A. Veith had been on the footplate when the speaker was Minister for Railways. That class of man in the Government of this country would bo an antidote against the sowing of those seeds he had referred to. A nettle must be grasped. Sir Joseph Ward said that whenever the extreme section of the Labour Party i" the House levelled any criticism against public men it was generally directed against himself. In two places he had | refused to put up candidates, as the representatives of that extreme party would probably have got in had he done so. Ho was not disposed to rest under the imputation that he was in league with the extreme party. The people could go to Mr. Prase or Mr. Holland, and they would* find that he had never spoken to cither of them in regard to the politics of the future, no agreement had ever been made, and it was a deliberate misstatement to say that such an agreement had been arranged. PAPAKUEA'S LOYALTY EXTREMISTS CONDEMNS!?, LABOUR MAN NOT FAVOURED [BY TELEGRAPH OOSB.ESPOVDKNT.J PAIPAKURA, Sunday. The Labour candidate for Franklin, Mr. E. Piggott, addressed th e electors at Papakura cm Friday evening. There was a fair attendance. Interjections were fairly frequent during the early part of the speech. The following resolution was carried — "We citizens of Papakura declare our loyalty to King and Empire, and every sympathy for Labour in its legitimate aims, but decline to be represented by one who would support the party led by Air. H. E. Holland, whom we deem disloyal to his King and Country and the brave soldiers who left New Zealand to fight for us." An amendment to the effect that -u.r. Piggott be thanked for his address was lost. On the original resolution being put to the meeting, those in favour stood up and sang, "God Save the King." The motion was carried by a large majority. LABOUR PARTY CONDEMNED ATTITUDE TO THE WAR. OUTSPOKEN DUNEDIN CRITIC. Emphatic condemnation of the attitude of the official Labour Party toward conscription has been expressed by Mr. E. Kellett, who is contesting the Dunedin North electorate against the sitting member, Mr. A. Walker, one of the official Labour Party. An address which Mr. Kellett delivered on Thursday evening was listened to with quiet attention till he got on to the attitude taken up by the Labour Party in regard to military matters and the absence of his opponent —Mr. Walkerfrom the peace celebrations. He said that when the war broke out Mr. Walker was associated with the Labour Party, which had no time for the war, and there was sufficient in the manifesto issued to convince him (Mr. Kellett) that their representative was not the right man for them. That was one reason' why he was opposing Mr. Walker. The party had never lifted hand or foot to assist— A Voice: We wanted conscription of wealth. Mr. Kellett: Thanks; that gives me breathing space. Continuing, he said it had been his place to see that every man in the industry to which he belonged joined the union, and was it not just as logical that the volunteers who left this coantsy would suffer—(A Voice: Privateering!)—unless others were made to join ? If the Labour Party had been logical it would have been the first to advocate conscription. (Applause and " They did.") Mr. ' Kellett: _ They did not. If those people were going to participate in the benefits they should have been out to'fight for them. At the time it was absolutely ( necessary our boys should be reinforced, but the Labour Party's actions right 1 through the war showed that it was opposed to them being reinforced, and its actions throughout the peace celebrations showed it was opposed to the celebrations. Mr. Walker would tell them, if he was fair, that nothing would havdgiven him greater pleasure than to take part in the peace celebrations, but that his party would not let him do it. (Interruption). The least he could have done was to answer the invitation sent him. The party believed in peace at any price. A Voice: Yes, a German peace.) Mi-. Kel- , lett went on to state that the Labour Party runfling the election did not represent Labour, and asked who spoke for the . thousands who were not in any union. (A Voice: You.) He was told "that the party had a wonderful organisation. (A , Voice: So have the Germans.) The partv said Mr. Kellett, who will not fight for ]Sew Zealand when it is in danger has no ' £I®. . to ca " itself a New Zealand partv ■ If it is not game to fight it should get out ) of it.

ATTITUDE OF MR. VEITCH. SUPPORT FOR SIR J. WARD. The attitude of Mr. W. A. Veitch towards the two principal parties was explained by him last Friday. He said he would not support Sir Joseph Ward as it, member of the. latter's party. "I wish it to be distinctly understood, ,r he continued that I will vote with him against Mr. Massey on a no-confidence motion. I prefer the Liberals to Reform, and, to that extent, will support them, and will at all times vote with them to get rid of Mr Massey. "I am hopeful." Mr. Veitch added "that with my vote and with the assistance of other Moderate Labour men, wo. shall bo able to -unseat the Massev Government after which r hope that "the moderate Labour and Independent members of the House may be persuaded to range themselves behind tl»e Liberal Party for the purpose of holding it in office, in order to secure the passage of democratic legislation." a