THE LABOUR CANDIDATE

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 9902, 22 February 1918, Page 8

THE LABOUR CANDIDATE

GOVERNMENT v. UNION COMI’A NY. TREATMENT OF CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECT!) US. Mr H. E. Holland (the Labour candidate) spoke at St. Paul’s Schoolroom last night. Councillor £. J. Howard (of • Christchurch) presided over a crowded meeting, a number being unable to gain admission. Mr Holland dealt, with the Government and its attitudo' towards tlie Union Steam Ship Company, tic. referred to the remarks of Mr Bussell in Parliament on March 31st, 1017, when the latter said that £2,303,000 had been paid for the hire of .some of the company’s ships, and that for one ship valued at £OO,OOO the sum of £131,000 had been paid. No wonder, Mr Holland said, me company could invest £260,000 war protits m tne War Loan income tux tree! What patriotism 1 A short time before this had occurred. Sir Joseph Ward had said the Union Company could bo bought for £1,000,000. This was high finance indeed —so high that it could ho smelt across tho ocean. He also referred to tho company’s charges for Carrying State coal. This was a great factor in tho high cost of coal. Why had not tho Government shown its alleged statesmanship by purchasing State colliers to carry State coal?

Air Holland referred to the treatment of conscientious objectors. Among tho numerous letters ho read out confirming his statements is the following: “Sling Camp, England, 12/12/’l7. —My deal- sister, —Just a line in answer to your welcome letter, which I received to-day. 1 hope yon will not think ill of me for doing what I have, but it was a matter of life anddeath; a few more weeks of imprisonment ■would have killed me. I was nothing but skin and bone when I came out of the hospital, and I could not have stood it if I had gone back to prison. Nobody knows what we put up with on the trip across, and after we arrived here. I could tell you something that would startle you, but it is over now, so I will say nothing about it now. They will not send me over to Franco. I have been given a staff job here. So you can tell them that there will bo no danger of mo getting my head blow T n off. 1 hope my action will not make it harder for others. The prisons in New Zealand are bad enough, but they are nothing to what one gets here.”

Another letter was. from the father of ob© of the boys deported (Frank Little), iu which the father said: “I see by the Auckland ‘Star’ of Thursday last wher© our Premier, Mr Massey, is trying to discredit your statements regarding the fourteen men that were deported from New Zealand. I am very much surprised at the Premier’s utterances in regard to the parents of the men being informed of their deportation, for I ean -assure yon that this part of the Premier’s reply to you is not true, for our son is one of them, and we never received any word from the Defence Department, Ton are at liberty to use this if you like, as wo want nothing hut the truth.” What had Mir Massey got to say to this? asked the speaker. .At the close of The meeting questions were invited, but- only one was forthcoming—was the Labour candidate going to address a meeting of women? He replied that he would ho very pleased to do so. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. SUPPORT FOR MR HOLLAND. Pr©s« Association. REBFTON, February 21. Labour meetings at Globe Hill, Inglewood and Big River mining townships carried a, resolution wishing Mr H. 'E. Holland success in his candidature for Wellington North, and subscribed financial suppoz-t. A public meeting at Reefton can-ied a similar resolution with only one dissentient.