ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19617, 22 October 1925, Page 10

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

THE LABOUR PARTY. MR HOLLAND IN WELLINGTON. AN ENTHUSIASTIC AUDIENCE. (From Ouh Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, October 21. All* Holland, Leader of the Labour Party, who spot© in the City Had to-night, ha da very enthusiastic reception from the 3000 people who packed the building. He was cheered to the echo and his speech, largely a repetition of speeches already delivered, was punctuated with bursts of applause. Mr Holland strongly attacked the Government’s legislation in connection "V" the reductions in taxation, which, he said, benefited largely such institutions as the Union Steam Ship Company, whose in come he could not ascertain, and the Bank of New Zealand. They could not reduce taxation, he said, on one class without taking it out of the hides of another class. That was what had happened under this system of taxation. Mr Holland condemned the Government for having done so little in connection with housing. In the 13 unlucky years of its administration there were, he said, houses short in New Zealand, and that meant that 165,000 people were tfowded into unsuitable dwellings. Ibe Labom Party would alter all that, and provide 'houses at a cost that the worker could ■ afford to pay. , . Mr Holland said he would not refer at any longth to the proposed 7s 6d wages reduction because, apparently, the government had repented of Mr .Anderson s rash Btatement.— (Laughter.) It was howeiet, ouite clear that that statement was the considered statement of the Minister o Labour —(applause) and it "’as a sign• - cOTtrowersy' the MnirterVad maintained a too busy with £ shipping strike. —(Cries of “Chuck him -t-U Holland: Oh, no. He’s only some Keform Party man speaking without any knowledge of the facts. When these chaps inte^t g they arc only showing that they d< Mr Holland championed the cause of tne seamen strikers in their protest gainst no reduction of their wages by a combine whose profits last year acc np-bng to the Economist, had increased to £5.00 ; J,000. - Coates had advised the men hop into the boats,” but they aidn t hop "orth « cent-(Laughter.) There was no Labour man who did not want to see the .double settled, and it could have been settled u Parliament had discussed it and agreed to pay a sum of £3OCO in extra wages which Las involved if the shipping companies were too mean to do it. Lhe Labour Party was willing to do everything it could to bring about a settlement, but there woind be ho lin.il remedy until the Dominion had its own Dominion shipping line, with a decent standard of wages and comfort foi the men employed in the ships. (Cneeis.) Tc-day, ho said in concluding, there were two great parties standing in juxtaposition —the party of democracy and progress, represented by the Labour Party, and the party of reactionary conservation, iep»e Seated by the Reform Party. Ibe Labour Party was to-day the logical and legitimate successor to the movement initiated by Ballance and Seddon.-(Cheers ) 1 hero was the historical difference of 35 years, out, making allowance for that difference the •Labour Party stood on the same ground as Ballanco and Seddon had stood on. At the conclusion of his speech Mr Holland sat down to an accompaniment ot loud and sustained applause and cheering. A vote of confidence was declared carnet., there being two dissentients. WAIMARINO. ■Pep. United Pkess Association.) OHAKUNE, October 21. Ai r F. Langstone, the sitting member tor Wnimarino, opened the campaign m ms larger centres here last night. He severely criticised the Reformers and explained the Labour Party’s platform. CHALMERS ELECTORATE. Mr M. Connellv, Labour candidate, addressed about 50 electors at Portobello on Tuesday evening. Mr K. J- He* occupied the chair. The speaker's remarks on the land and other questions were followed closelv. After answering a number of questions, a resolution expressing thanks and confidence in the candidate was earned unanimously. REFORM PARTY. DUNEDIN NORTH. Mr H. L. Tapley addressed a crowded meeting at the Coronation Hall, Maori Hill, last evening. In his opening remarks he referred to the present industrial unrest |ii Now Zealand, and pointed out that strikes and the go-slow policy, in addition to recoiling on the workers concerned, had an injurious effect on the general public owing to the rise in prices caused by reduced production. He dealt with the Labour Party’s platform, particularly the land policy and socialisation cf industry. He referred to the necessity for better housing for the people, and drew attention to what is being done in this direction by the present Government 'by means of State advances. He dealt at some length with the various humanitarian measures passed by the Reform Government, such as the increase in widows’ pensions and the granting of pensions to the blind. Mr Tapley’s address was listened to with keen interest, and was frequently applauded. At the conclusion of the address a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Tapley as a fit and proper person to represent Dunedin North was carried unanimously. THE GLUT! IA ELECTORATE. Mr Fred Waite, the Reform candidate for. Clutha, held a successful meeting at Waipahi on M'onday night. Mr A. J. Webb, in proposing a vote of thanks, said that most electors felt that it was time younger men with vision and initiative should participate in the councils of the State. On Tuesday Mr Waite spoke at Pukotiro at 4 o'clock. Messrs Grenfell and Ward obligingly stopped their mill Half an hour earlier in order that there might be n full meeting. Air G. Naurnann presided, and in moving a vole of thanks said that the Gatlins district certainly needed someone who was alert to lock alter their interests. The candidate diew the attention of the audience to the fact that sawmilling ■was' a transitory industry and that eventually all those bush districts would become farming areas, and the hidden improvements made by the pioneers in these difficult places would be extremely hard to value, especially as there would be only one buver. and the buyer would also be the valuer. At 8 o’clock in the evening Mr Waite was at Tawanui, where Mr Fenton had already spoken the same cveliing. Mr Waite criticised the Labour land policy. It was reasonable to ask that some definite authoritative statements should be made before such far-reaching proposals could be adopted. Mr J. Wilson proposed a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Waite for his interesting address, and stressed the absolute necessity for good loads in the Gatlins district. THE NATIONAL PARTY. MR FORBES’S CAMPAIGN. (Per United Press Association.! CHRISTCHURCH, October 21. The National Party leader, Mr George Forbes, was -in Christchurch to-day. Mr Forbes stated that ho would conclude his campaign for Hurunui on Saturday at Amlierley. He intends to speak at Riccarton on Monday night, and will then go south, speaking at Riverton and Gore. .On his return north ho will speak at Ashburton. -“The reports I am getting from the various Dominion electorates,” ho says, “are very encouraging in regard to the prospects of the National candidates, particularly in tho North Island. I am confident that there •will bo an addition to the numbers of the party as the result of the election. I regret that the time is too short to enable me to visit the North Island. Mr Veilch, dioweVer,. will speak in the Taranaki, Egirtont. Wairarapa, and Hutt electorates.”