WELLINGTON EAST

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7980, 11 December 1911, Page 5

WELLINGTON EAST

MR MoLAREN’S ENTHUSIASTIC MEETINGS. ' , ' ■Mr D. McLaren (Labour candidate for Wellington East) addressed open air mootings on Saturday evening at post office. South Kilbirnie, at 7 p.m., and Courtenay place at 8 p.m. At both places there were large audiences, and the candidate received a good hearing. At the South' Kilbirnie meeting Mr McLaren thanked the electors for the large vote they had given him on the Thursday, it being a new part added to tho electorate. .Dealing with the political situation, Mr McLaren claimed that no other party in the country, had made progress approaching that of the Labour party. It was necessary that tho democratic forces should stand united against tho exploitation of land and industrial monopolists, Which tended to depress the living conditions of tho moss of tho people. It had to bo recognised, as a grave danger, that if the Opposition party got into power they could dispose of the Crown lands and provide for free trafficking both in land for settlement lands and native lands, which would enrich tho speculators and land-boomers, but at the expenso of tho bona fide settlers and permanent residents in our towns and cities. To effect this aim the Opposition t were playing tho subtle game of professing to be all things to all men, and were at the same time appealing te the lowest passion in human nature, namely, the passion of hatred. As a simple matter of fact the _ Opposi-' tion wete endeavouring to incite the spirit of revolt, and the probabilities were that tho people behind that party might have more revolt than they cared to face. As an old friend of the candidate bad said, "It was much‘easier to raise the devil than to raise chickens,’* but the sane people of the community would recognise that Labour’s policy of steady constructive work was more desirable than the Opposition’s empty cry for a change. He pointed out that the fears which had existed that if Labour came into responsible positions it would play havoc, driving capital out of the country and labour as Well, was wholly discredited by the experience of Australia. A return presented to the Commonwealth Parliament recently showed that last year alone the number of factories had increased by 652, and the number of employees by over 20.000, making it clear that a Labour Government was not dangerous, but eminently practical. This return gave a lesson to the people of New Zealand in this, that it showed Victoria was the State where the lowest wages were paid, and that probably was why tho Opposition party here desired that we should take a copy

from tho Victoria State, It was highly am using to' hear the Conservatives of this country lauding the ‘‘dear workers" at the present time, when, as a general rule, what they were after was cheap labour.

At the close of the meeting a motion of thanks was moved by Mr Bourko and carried unanimously.

IN COURTENAY PLACE.

The audience in Courtenay place numbered close on one thousand people, and tho meeting was opened with cheers for the candidate and concluded with cheers for the candidate and the Labour party. Mr McLaien pointed out that when tho Old Age Pensions Bill was being first put through the House the late Prepaid (Mr Seddou), in Committee of the House, held his position from 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday until midnight on Saturday fighting the Opposition, The very same people were now pretending that they supported such social legislation, when many of them were tho identical poisons wiio fought against tho Act in all its stages. With respect to land settlement, Mr McLaren supported a forward move in the direction of the utilisation of native lands, but so as to fairly recognise the interests of the natives. He would not supnort tho individualising of titles to enable tho natives individually to sell their lands outright, lie held that these lands should be dealt with under a system of State guardianship, and the revenues from them paid to tho natives in periodic instalments through the Public. Trust Office, which would be preferable to a feast and famine policy, which unfortunately the natives knew' too much of already. Mr McLaren concluded with an expression of confidence in tho result of next Thursday’s poll, as there were strong indications that the rising tide of Labour was advancing all the time. After answering a number of questions Mr McLaren was accorded a motion oi thanks and confidence, which was carried with cheers.