TIE GREY ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15824, 24 July 1913, Page 4

TIE GREY ELECTION.

RUNitNGA METHODS. DEPENDED BY MR WEBB. ALLEGED "COERCION BY EMPLOYERS. (FEOM l COBBBSPOOTENT.) GRKTMOUTH, July. 23. Mr P. C. Webb uttered his final word to a full House at the Greymouth Town Hall to-night Hi© Mayor (Mr Perkins) presided, and incidentally uttered a note of relief at tho fact that this strenuous contest ,was'drawing to a close. Mr Webb said that during his whole campaign he had not had to withdraw one statement, and his party had fought a clean fight. Ho defied anyone to prove one queflttonahk) act on their pert.—(Applause.) The Grey people hadl been threatened with tho stoppage of the Otira, tunnel and with . economic ruin if thoy returned the speaker. The Maflsey party, whioh they had voted against for 30 years, now dared the electors to vote against it. It talked of the Red tyranny, but what about the tyranny of the employers—the supporters of Mr Miohel, ■who threatened their employees that they must vote for Mr Michel or lose their jobs. After this oampaign was over ho would mako public the names of tho employora in Grey who liad dono this.—(Applause.) Ho had never introduced the sectarian issue iu his life. Mr Michel was now attacking tho Federation of Labour and Runanga, but if tho second ballot was between Mr Michel and Mr Hannan the former would now bo playing for tho Runanga and Blackball support. Hie one idea was to get into Parliament. Ho (Mr Webb) had never deviated one fraction from his principles. Ho described a Reform pamphlet as a string of misrepresentations. Mr Munro (chairman of tho Westport- Harbour Btjard) was now an out-and-out Reformer, but he had been in turn a Liberal, an Independent, Labourite, and an Oppositionist. Prior to contesting the Buller 6Cat Mr Munro asked him to try to get the executive of tho Federation of Labour to endorse Mr Munro's candidature as a Labour man, but ho (tho speaker) refused, commenting on tho suddenness with which Mr Munro had discovered labour principles. Mr Munro and Mr Michel were ■both turncoats, and! latter would seek tho Federation's support if it would get him into Parliament. lie nover knew sectarianism brought into any fight except where Mr Michel was a. contestant. It could bo proved that long beforo tho

first billot men wero at work stirring up the viper of sectarianism. Ho repeated las previous denials of statements by Mr Michel concerning the attendanco at the Unity Congress and the cause of tho Blackball strike. 'As to the £37,000 strike levies, every man in tho conferenco endorsed the remarks of the Government auditor when he congratulated tho secretary on the careful way jn which ho had accounted for every penny. —(Applause.) The Runanga people had never broken up a public meeting or turned; down a speaker, and ho did not believe that the late Sir Arthur Guinness ever made the i statement attributed to him- by Mr Michel. —(Applause.) It was said that he stood foT the anti-religious forces, but two clergymen had assisted him in hi 3 campaign and others supported him. The _ Social Democratic party was not anti-Christian, and to say it WB6 anti-Christian was another instance of dragging sectarianism into this campaign. He advocated voluntary defence, and denounced. the present system. After condenning tho appointment of Mr Royd CarSick and the importation of a railway manager, Mr Webb said that agitators produced discontent, but discontent produced agitators. —(Applause.) They did not call the Government organiser (Mr Jones) and Mr Pryor agitatore. The Federation of Labour had increased the wagcs_ of the waterside workers and the miners in Grey, and the business people really received those increases. .The benefit wont to many who werp fighting tho Federation. Now higher rente and the increased cost of living absorbed the wage increases that had been His party aimed at . a system to prevent that. The Masseyit-cs asked them to vote against the policy of destruction, but two Labour members (Mr Yeitch and Mr Robertson) were put into Parby Mr Massey s • influence. Mr Masscy did tho. samo thing at Gray Lynn. He thought to get into Parliament Labour members who would assist him, but he proved to bo mistaken in that possibility. If Sir Joseph Ward got the Liberals in line they would put the Massey Government into a minority, and where would Mr Michel's vote bo then? He (Mr Webb) was, always had been, and always would bo against the Massoy party. Ke had never ridden the rail like Mr Michel. Mr Webb defied Mr Michel to say that ho (Mr Webb) ever asked for a vote or got a vote dishonourably He did not go round kissing the children to catch votes.—(Applause.) Concerning the Maori leaseholds in Greymouth, ho declared that the progress or -,i town should not be stopped by Maori landlordry, but ho would not treat the Maoris unfairly. It was private enterprise that flooded the Wailsend mine am 1 buried iihe coal, anil thus prevented tlio maintenance of a thriving to™. If certain employers curried out their threat to dismiss employees who voted for him the worl:in? people of the Grey would know the reason why from those big business people before long—(Applause.)- He hoped those employers would reoonsider their decision. If they did not they would be in for a fairly hot time—not from blocking stones but from cutting words. If tho employers carried out their threat tho workers would be justified in avoiding the sen-ices of Chose employers, for an unfounded rumour was about that if he was elected the Runangu crowd would come into Greymouth to smash the windows, cjid that, they .would havo to l>e barricaded. There was no worse terrorism than that If iho Grey . doctors voted tho wrong way the State ooal mine might stop. Even if it was true it wouid not alter a singlo Webb voter in Runang-i. Mr Michel had developed a great concern for tho Roman Catholics, ajid had advised them hew to vote. He (Mr Webb) left it to their intelligence. If thc.v really thought that Mr Michel's return would be more progressive for them than Mr Webb's, then he advised them to voto for Mr Midhel. ]f ho wont to Parliament and Mr Masscy met him on the 6teps with a broad smilo lie would tell Mr Massey that the message oi the electors was that the minority Government should go to the people. He wouid never cease to fight the Massey party, and ho predicted its downfall from office. When asked in Parliament if he approved of the threats by Mr Michel about the Otira tunnel and the State mine, Mr Massey replied that ho would givo lib arerwer in a week. That would be after tho election. Why could he not reply at once?

In reply to rjuostions, Mr Webb said the Reform arguments against the six hours day were also used against the eijht hours day. After the six hours day wis adopted they would fini the reformers usine (lie same arguments about a five hours day. When economically organise'! society could easily work a six hours day. In renly to another question Mr Webb said that i'i {he Maori vjis delayed half a:i hour 'lie C!iri&i..\im\ih route would be much better for travellera, but the fe'hinplnpr monopoly was more interested m the shipping; trade on this coast. He would en;h'nv-our to opodite the railway to Klondyke

The meeting was highly enthusiastic, and 3Jr Web'> was in good form. /

(FBOV 008 OWH Cobbespootimt.)

WELLINGTON, July 23. A great deal of interest is being taken by members in tho fight to-morrow at Gmv. The general conf.cnsus of opinion is that Mr Michel will win. His anticipated majohtv varies from 200 with the moderates to 600 with the most optimistic.