MR MUNRO'S ADDRESS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16288, 22 January 1915, Page 8

MR MUNRO'S ADDRESS

'LARGE AUDIENCE AT PRINCESS THEATRE. PLEDGE TO SUPPORT. Mr J. W. Munro, candidate for Dunedin Central at the forthcoming by-election, addressed a publio meeting in the Prinoese Theatre last night, The body of the hall and the dress circle were well filled. Tho Mayor (Mi?. J. B. Shacklock) presided, and among thoso on the platform were Measrs . T. K. Sidey, M.P., A. Walker, M.P., Jeseo Haymes, and M. M'Allen. 'Ihe Chairman said that circumstances over ■which Mr Mtmro had had po control had necessitated another election for Dunedin Central It was t.. j electors of Dunedin Central, therefore, ,who had to decide tho question who should represent them in Parliament. Mr Munro was present to lay his views on tho political question before the audience. He had been well known to the Dunedin public for many years, and therefoi'o required no introduction, and tho speaker was sure that he "would bo given a good hearing. Mr Munro, who was received with applause and cheers, said thut no matter what iiis personal feelings might have been over the deplorable reason for his being there that evening, tho hearty reception accorded liim would inspire that fight which was one of his natural characteristics. He was not going to say that any game had been played him in the--recent election, but he did say .that he had won tho election first held.— (Applause.) By some process of which he viae innocent and had no knowledge he had been beaten on the post. Let them see that that did not happen this time! He wanted them to realise that the position was th.s: They had the majority on their side, but if the majority of the peo»le who were with them in their 'political movement would not take the trouble to cast their votes they must blame themselves if they did not win the seat. He believed that what had happened was good for them. He believed that the Labour and democratic forces in Dunedin had beep aroused by the victory being snatched from them. He was satisfied fron. • telegrams ho had received that the apparent defeat had awakened the whole democratic forces in this country. He wanted to deal with a few personal matters. There was one question that seemed to concern people, and especially the Otago Daily Times. He had a wry great respect for the Otago Daily Times. They could not say it was a Labour paper, but it had certainly been consistent, and thc\- expected antagonism and hostility from it, and why grumble when they got it? One thing the Otago Daily Times was trying to hammer into people was that he was a "Red Fed." Let them take no notice of that business at all. There had never been a definition of what the paper meant by "Red Fed." When it gave a definition he was quite prepared to meet it. He thought by "Red Fed " they believed that everybody who was against Mr 'Massey and his party was a "Red Fed."—(Applause.). If that was so, he was a "Red Fed." They believed that every man in politics on the side of raising the standard of the life of the people was a "Red Fed." Again, if that was their definition of a "Red Fed" he was one. They implied that he was allied with a certain section that did not believe in political action, and therefore he was a "Red Fed." He had been told that he had made the statement from the platform that if he had his way he would ptill down the Union Jack and run up the red flag of Socialism. He defied anyone to prove that he had ever said such a thing. He had not thought it, much less spoken it. There was another thing circulated very freely—he did not say by Mr Statham, but .by ins supporters—that he (Mr Munro) was an Atheist. He wanted them to be on their guard against this and deny it. As far as being an Atheist went, he had stated that his . politics were taken from the Bible, and he •was prepared to stand by the Bible for hie politics. That was rather a peculiar attitude for an Atheist to take up, was it not? Why was it that in tue present election tho two political parties—the Liberal Party and the Labou,r Party—had come together to defeat the Massey Party ? The reason was this: that all progressive minds must recognise there was a party in power that was prepared to go to any length to protect those interests called vested interests. Their action from the day they took office, had shown conclusively to the most unenlightened mind' that the Massey Party would stand by the forces that were exploiting the people—thoso forces that had always exploited, the people—those forces that always .would exploit the people.—(Applause.) Referring to the price ot commodities, Mr Munro said bread was now seiling at Sd a loaf, and yet the cost of production of wheat had not gone up one iota. The war had not increased the productive cost of wheat or sugar or meat. None of the ( k>cal products had been increased in price by reason of the war. But the people who controlled the markets had seen their opportunity ; and laised the prices. They knew they had a Government in power • that would protect them, and they were today carrying on their nefarious exploitation. The Prime Minister stated at the beginning of'the war that the Government would take steps to protect the people from exploitation, but he had . failed to take any steps at all in that direction. —(Applause.) Mi". Munro read from the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Act, and said the Government's intention, in passing that Actj was to carry out the highest functions of a Government Parliament handed ovor power to the Government to protect the people in a crisis. But, no doubt, through 'the influence brought to bear upon them by their masters outside of Parliament— the chambers of commerce, the farmers' organisation, the employers' associations — they had not the backbone to carry out the right duties of a Government at this most important crisis in the history of the Empire.—(Applause.) If the Government had carried out all their other duties and failed in that respect :t was sufficient to put them out. of power. Mr Ell had offered to tell the Prime Minister where 8000 bushels of wheat were being held for exploitation purposes, and the Prime Minister wired back, "I know where all the wheat is," but he took no • action. The duty of the Government was • to carry out the power given to it by law, and not a farmer or right-thinldng business man would have objected to the Act being put into force in its entirety. Everybody expected it, and everybody was Willing for it. But there was a weak j Government in power, and there were people who were taking toll from the pooplc to their heart's content.- The only way to check such a thing was to put the Government out of power. If the Labour people desired the country to carry out humanitarian and progressive legislation they must recognise that their political rights had been practically stolen from them largely by the influence of the newspaper press, because the press of the country was hostile to them.—(Applause.) Why, the speaker asked, was it that the press had not .filled its leading columns with, this menacc to the people's rights? At tho recent election in Dunedin Central, whero the will of the majority of the electors had been defeated, why had not the newspapers ' carried out the high function they stood for —the expression \of the riglit of the will of the majority of the people? They had required that the speaker's side shpuld carry on a voluminous correspondence in order to show that the papers did not stand for the people's rights to-day. They were prepared for the people's rights to be swept away and for those of the moneyed man to take their place. The coming election did not matter to the speaker personally. But it mattered to him' very much as a citizen of the oountry, who had taken a strenuous part in political life. He had no ambition to go to Parliament, but he was ambitious to be a true patriot to his native country. Reverting to his attack on the press, Mr Munro said; that if a section of the workers went out on strike for higher .wages, the press would anathematise them. " But, when the owners of the Sugar Trust and of the wheat supplies practically picked the pocJcets of the people the Otago Daily Times and the Evening Star asserted that all was well. It was absurd to say that, if a change of Government were made in this little country at present, the Germans might consider it a sign of weakness in the Em-» pire. However, he was sure that at the poll a lesson would be taught to both the local newspapers, and it was to be hoped that they would take it to heaTt and change their pontics. Mr 'Munro said that he had read that morning of a meeting of Canterbury farmers. who had been concerned about, the position with regard to the new wheat crops. But they aid not realise that it was not they who got the exploited increase in the price of wheat. It was the men who " farmed " the farmers themselves. — (Laughter and applause.) It was these whom tho speaker's party was out against. The Labour Party was the farriers' friend. For years people of New Zealand had cheerfully naid a duty on wheat and flour to protect the farmer in New Zealand. Now*, after the people had paid that duty for years, those for whose benefit they had done so wanted to take advantage of them at the present time, and to leave them in the lurch. If they took up that attitude, then it was necessary to get the wheat where the people would grow it, or else for the Government to row the wheat itself. He believed that the Government could grow the bulk of the wheat the people of

this oountry needed. If the people on tho land would not grow wheat for tho people eomeone else must be put on the land who would grow it. The farmer was foolish to talk in his union about' not being able to grow .wheat for tho people. We could grow trom 10 to 20 times tho wheat the country needed.

Mr Munro went on to speak of sugar trusts, one of which had raised the price of sugar since tho war broke out. They seemed to think when things were normal that they should have the opportunity of exploiting the people, and' that when stress came, as at tho present time, they should be able to exploit tho people to their hearts' content. Tho only Government that was dealing with this question was the Labour Government of New South Wales. The time would come when they would be crying out for a Labour Government, and they now had an opportunity of getting at feast one representative. Mr Massey had told' them that there was going to be no undue exploitation, and that there was no wheat in tho country ; but let them ask the millers, who knew that they could get wheat. Ho (Mr Munro) was .convinced that there was a certain quantity of wheat in the country, and by tho Government not enforcing tho powers vested in it it had failed to riso to the position that a Government should take to see that justice was done to the people. Mr Munro then went on to refer to clauses in the Regulation of Trade and Commerce Bill dealing with the suspension of awards and statutory provisions. They could see, said Mr Munro, what the intention of the Government was: to sweep away all the regulations as to hours of labour, wages, and so on. Fortunately, the Labour members " got to work" on Mr Massey, and pointed out that this would almost cause a rebellion in the country, and they got an amending clause inserted in the 8.11. The intention of the Government was, however, evident. An outcry tho papers mado was that the country would not get a stable Government under existing conditions, but 'the Labour members had undertaken to support tho Liberal Party if it got on to the Government benches—that they would, during the course of tho war at any rate, stand by that party — (applaiuse), — notwithstanding that they were going to jealously guard tho independence of the Labour Party. However, during the course of this colossal war they could not hope for much advanced legislation, but they could watch the administration of such Acts as would protect tlie people so long as the war lasted. A statement had been made that he had said that "If he had 20 sons not one of them would go to the war." That was an absolute fabrication. Far years he had been a keen follower of. Robert Blatchford, who had said that the English people might have saved themselves from the war. He had said, let them take thp wealth, of some of the people and build a navy that would have caused Geimany "to be lost to sight in the race." If the English Government had spent £200,000,0-30 or even £400,000,000 on building ships, we would have had no war to-day. But rich people would not see things from the right standpoint. In New Zealand we were going to bo faced with a problem, and he dreaded the present Government being in power when the aftermath of tho war came. It seemed to think that the masses of the people should '"pay tho piper every time." He was in favour of England seeing this war through. • —(Applause.) It was a cardinal principle with every patriotic citizen of every country that the lives of the able-bodied men of a country .should belong to the whole of the people of that country, and should bo used for defence and other purposes, but the wealth of a nation also belonged to tho whole nation in time of war, or in time of stress. The wealth o f tho British nation must be recognised as common property, and the same obtained here, and when that was recognised the Germans would be beaten They would realise that here was an absolutely and completely united nation. Tho Government should have put a war tax on everybody instead of handing on financial burdens to posterity. The tax should be graduated until the wealthy man was paying his proper share for the defence afforded to him.-^(Applause.) Mr Munro then asked, Why did his party want to put the Massey Government out of power, and keep it out of power for all time? —(Applause.) The Huntly disaster was never heard of nowadays. The newspapers did not mention it, but he wished to resuscitate it. The Prime Minister had said the right persons would be punished. Why did not the Otago Daily Tunes and the Evening Star protect the people and sec that that wrong was righted?—(Applause.) Tho papers should carry out that duty and not leave it to a poor, silly "Red Fed."—(Laughter and applause.) The legal rights of the miners had been denied to the miners at Huntly, and 40 odd men lost their lives bccauso the law of the country was not carried out. He was not 'going to let the Prime Minister forget it, nor would he let the Daily Times and Evening Star forget it.—(Applause.) Ho quoted figures showing an increase in the indebtedness of the dominion, and contended that in this and other ways the taxation oh the people had been increased during Mr Massey's term of office. Tho figures supplied by the Government Statistician proved it.

Ihe Labour men wore prepared at the present time to stand by the Liberal, and so secure a stable Government. Let Dunedin Central help in that direction. —(Applause.) It wa6 really not his fight. It was tho fight of tho progressive forces of the country. Let them all vote, therefore. If they did not do eo they had onlj; themselves to blame for the result He quite recognised that during the war they could not look for much advanced legislation. It had been 6aid that the Labour Pirty would bring pressure to bear on the Liberals, and in that way they would get all kinds of legislation. The average elcctor knew, however, that tho Labour Party was intelligent enough not to expect much, though it would be a muchneeded stimulus to prod the Liberal Party from going to sleep, and to see that, it did not allow any of its supporters to exploit the people through tho price of foodstuffs.— (Applause.) Every working man and woman in New Zealand had accepted the suspension of the Arbitration Act. Their loyalty to their country led them to do so, and thoso people who produced the foodstuffs of tho country should be as patriotic as the working classes.—(Applause.) Out upon any mim who called himself a patriot who would deal out £100 to a patriotic fund and rob the people of £1000 next day by increasing his prices!—(Cheers.) Further, tho man who would try to got a higher rate of interest for his surplus wealth at the present juncture was not a patriot, but an enemy to his country.—(Applause.) The man who would try to exploit the people by oornering any particular line of_ breadstuffs for higher prices was not a patriot, but was carrying out German tactics. — Was it always the working man who was to bear the burden? The people gave their boys up to be slaughtered, and while they were away the exploiters would attempt to take away from the lessened expending power of the parents and to lower the standard of living by raising the interest on money and the prices of foodstuffs; and there was such a spine'o&v useless Government in power that they wero allowed to do so, and wero protected in their nefarious actions. In Difnedin Central at the coming election the people would have an opportunity to vindicate their electoral rights, that wero usuroed before by a legal technicality. Indeed, in the speaker's estimation, the Government had power to rectify that legal technicality. If clause 237 of the Legislature Act did not give the Government power, through Order-in-Couneil, to rcctify the matter, then he did not know why the clause was there. People might sav that tho speaker could not expect his political opponents to give him a seat if they could help it. But did not hisopponents claim to be "sports" «nd square dealers? Had the speaker been in Mr'Massey's place he would have taken the responsibility of acting on clause 237, and then the people would have acclaimed him an honourable politician. The present was a fight of the people. Democracy was at the present an idle shibboleth in Now Zealand. But he thought that in time to come, after the war, the country would pass through a serious financial crisis, and the only people who had tho platform that would avert it were those of the Labour Party, and they wero tho only ones who were bold enough. He thought that then the electors would be clamouring for the Labour Party's platform—for State currency and State activities, to save them from vested interests. In conclusion Mr Munro repeated a number of denials, uttered previously, of statements which, he alleged, had been made by his opponents. On resuming his seat Mr Munro was 'accorded three cheers. In reply to questions, Mr Munro said that he would vote in favour of more reinforoements being sent to the front, if a poll were taken on the question. He was not in favour of a referendum on tho Bible-in-schools question. He was in favour of the bare majority on the licensing issue. A Questioner: Before the general election the Government returns showed that there were 1,300,000 bushels of wheat in the country—enough to last for three months. Whv import more?

Mr Munro: I suppose it is stored in someone's -rranaries yet.—(Laughter.) Mr Munro also said that he was most decidedly in favour of the police having an association to protect their interests similar to Australian colonies, and that they should have tho right of arpeal. He agreed that the present Government had improved tho Pensions Act. •

Asked whether he or his firm belonged to

the Muster Bakers' Association, he replied i:i the utlimmtivo. As to fixing the price of li'.eiul at 9d a loaf, he said t.liev wero justified in doing so. it did not pay at that. The only way a limn could sell at 7d would bo by working 16 hours a. day, and not employing anybody, lie did not know how he could do it even then.

In reply to a question n speeting " Red Feds.," ho eaid ttie " Red I'ed." was the political opponent of the well-fed. —(laughter.) lie favoured the reinstatement of tho railwaymen who had gone to the war. lie believed if the Government had been out to stop recruiting it could not have gone a. better way about it. He had heard the story that the % Ward Company had a large quantity of wheat stored in Invercargill, but S:r Joseph Ward had denied t.ho statement. If sent to Wellington he would himself ask Sir Joseph if the story was true. The working classes were paying rent that wero too high, but ho would not say he would support a Fair Kent Bill. House rent was a question that should be taken up, if not in a Fair Rent Bill, perhaps in a more drastic way. Mr S. C. Brown moved—" That this meeting of electors of Dunedin Central extends its sincero sympathy to Mr J. W. Munro in being deprived of his position as the member for the constituency, to which ho was clected by a majority of the electors on December 10, 1914, and those present pledge themselves to do their utmost to secure his return for the second time as the member for Dunedin Central on February 3."

A gentleman in the gallery seconded the motion. There was no amendment, and the motion was largely supported by the audience and declared carried. Throe cheers were given for Mr Munro, and the Mayor was thanked for presiding.