GENERAL ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22716, 31 October 1935, Page 10

GENERAL ELECTION

ISSUE CLEARLY STATED NATIONAL PARTY v. LABOUR (Per United Press Association) DANNEVIRKE, October 30. Opening his election campaign for the Pahiatua seat, Sir Alfred Ransom, speaking in the Porangahau district, stressed the point that the campaign was essentially a contest between the National Party and the Labour Party, and that the Democrat Party, which was antiGovernment and anti-Labour, did not provide a serious alternative. He traversed the work of the Government during the depression, and dealt with the promises of Labour. He urged the electors to return the Government which had already laid a sound foundation for returning prosperity, which was now apparent. Sir Alfred said he was not in the campaign to apologise for the Government, but to show that in a major degree it had successfully administered the Dominion's affairs during an unprecedented world depression. The Government had not sought popularity by an excessive borrowing policy to establish a fictitious standard, but had followed a fearless course both on a policy of equalising the burden and ultimately conferring the greatest good to the greatest number, and had placed the Dominion in a position to reap the maximum and immediate benefit when economic conditions improved. Declaring that the Labour Party was the only alternative to the present Government, the candidate dealt trenchantly with that party's policy, and asserted that it would be financed only by a monetary system which had proved such a tragic failure in other countries. One of the Labour Party's main planks not referred to in the present campaign was the abolition of the country quota, which, if ever put into effect, would give a definite majority in the House to the city constituencies. Dealing with the measures adopted by the Government to facilitate economic recovery, the candidate explained the provisions of the Land Laws Amendment Act passed last session enabling practically all classes of Crown tenants to apply for revaluation, and the steps also being taken to deal with the arrears of rent and interest, and where possible to consider the adjustment of discharged soldiers' mortgages on a voluntary basis between the department and the mortgagor. At the conclusion of the two meetings the candidate was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence in him and the Government. ISSUE OF THE WRITS CLOSING OF NOMINATIONS. (Per United Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 30. It is anticipated that the writs for the holding of the general election on Wednesday, November 27, will be issued early next week, and that the date for the closing of nominations will be fixed for eight or nine days later, or the middle of the week following the issue of the writs. A proclamation formally proroguing Parliament until November 28 has been issued. CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH SEAT THE NATIONAL CANDIDATE. (Per United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, October 30. Mr T. Milliken, a solicitor and member of the City Council, has been selected as National Government candidate for Christchurch South. Mrs W. Jessie Mackay has withdrawn owing to health reasons. DUNEDIN NORTH Mrs R. S. Black, the Democrat candidate for Dunedin North, addressed a good attendance of electors in the Coronation Hall at Ravensbourne last evening. She was given an attentive hearing throughout a lengthy address which covered the principal planks of the party's platform. The speaker devoted a good deal of time to the exchange question and the export bounty which the party proposes as a more suitable form of relief to exporters. Among the local matters on which she touched was the question of the training of teachers in the four centres, and she indicated that she would work for the re-opening of the Dunedin Training College. The development of the tourist trade and the administration of road and transport funds and taxation in such a way as to prevent " raids " for other purposes, the encouragement of B radio stations, and the provision of elective representation for listeners on the Radio Broadcasting Board were also heartily approved by her. Mrs Black also devoted some time to pensions, national superannuation and health insurance. At the close of her address Mrs Black faced a battery of questions on all manner subjects, queries being fired at her from all parts of the hall for nearly half an hour. The effective manner in which she replied to them earned her general applause. DUNEDIN SOUTH Mr P. Jones, M.P., addressed a meeting of pensioners and others in the South Dunedin Town Hall yesterday afternoon, dealing mainly with the subject of pensions in their various forms. The speaker stressed the fact that recent pension revisions were only electioneering tactics, and he declared that the reductions which had now been restored should never have been made. He outlined the efforts of the Labour Party in the House of Representatives to block reducing legislation. After traversing the position with regard to old age, war, widows' and miners' pensions, family allowances and the National Provident Fund, Mr Jones sought to show that pensioners and workers generally had suffered heavily at the bands of the present Government. The Labour Party would make full restoration and provide a guarantee that what happened in 1932 would not occur again. It would reduce the pension age and also the residential qualification, and if possible arrange reciprocal agreements with other countries of the Empire. An invalidity pension was also projected as well as a widow's pension in the woman's own right, national superannuation and n comprehensive national health scheme. If Labour were returned it would immediately give consideration to the question of improving the position of all classes of pensioners. The speaker was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. THE CLUTHA SEAT When Mr J. A. Roy made his appearance on the platform on Saturday evening in his native and home district of Wairuna, as the National Government Party's candidate for Clutha, he received a very cordial reception from a fully representative audience. Mr Charles Divers was voted to the chair. Mr Roy spoke for an hour and a-half in support of his parly's claims for a further term of office. After a number of questions had been answered to the apparent .satisfaction of the questioners, a hearty vote of thanks and confidence, moved by Mr J. T. M'Affie and seconded by Mr R. Brown, wag carried unanimously. TO-DAY'S MEETINGS Mr A. S. Falconer (Dunedin North).— Coronation Hall, Maori Hill, at 8 p.m. Mrs R. S- Black (Dunedin North).— Town Hall. North-Enst Valley, at 8 p.m. Dr M'Millan (Dunedin West).—Presbyterian Church Hall, Roslyn, at 2.30 p.m.; Middlemarch. at 8 p.m. Mr A. Campbell (Chalmers).—Puketeraki, at 7 p.m.; Karitane, at 7.30 p.m.; Merton,' at 8.15 p.m.

Rev. A. 11. Nordmeyer (Oamaru).— Five Forks, at 8 p.m. Mr J. A. Roy (Clutha).—Table Hill, at 10 a.m.; Circle Hill, at noon: Clarendon, at 6 p.m.; Milburn, at 8 p.m. Rev. E. T. Cox (Clutha).-—Alexandra, at 8 p.m. Mr W. A. M'Naught (Central Otago). —Glenorchy. Mr H. K. Edie (Central Otago).— Makarora, at 12.30 p.m.; Hawea Flat, at 8.30 p.m. , n Mr W. A. Bodkin (Central Otago).— Beaumont, at 4 p.m.; Roxburgh, at 8 p.m.