GENERAL ELECTION

Otago Witness, Issue 3735, 13 October 1925, Page 22

GENERAL ELECTION

ISSUING OF THE WRITS. The writs will be issued for the general election 011 Thursday, October 15. The nominations will close approximately 10 days before the date of the election (November 4). PRIME MINISTER’S CAMPAIGN. CORDIAL RECEPTION EVERYWHERE INVERCARGILL, October 1L The enthusiasm which the Prime Min* later aroused at the opening of his campaign has followed him all the way down the South Island. At Oarnaru, where he addressed his first election meeting as the head of the Gobemment, his reception was remarkably fine. At Temuka there was something in the nature of a repetition of the Oamaru experience. All along the line on Saturday from Temuka to Riverton, Mr Coates was met by enthusiastic bands of people. Some of those who met him at the Dunedin railway station had even broken away from the races for a little while to have a few words w'ith him. At Gore there was a particularly large gathering, and the train moved on again amidst rousing cheers. The Invercargill railway platform waa crowded when tne party arrived, and there was a demand for an extra carriage to make sure that the train would be able to accommodate the whole of those who desired to follow the Prime Minister on to 1L vert-on, where he was to sj3bak in the evening. However, all were packed on board without the train having to be enlarged. 'the Riverton Borough councillors entertained the Prime Minister at a dinner, over which the Mayor presided, and, despite inclement weather, the people of the town and district turned out in great force to hear Mr Coates deliver an address in the evening. The hall was completely filled in every part, and there were nearly 1000 people present. Mr Coates was warmly applauded when he appeared on the platform, and Mrs Coates, who accompanied him, was presented with several beautiful bouquets. A resolution, expressing thanks to the Prime Minister for his address, and the hope that he would have the confidence of the country to enable him to carry out his policy, was moved, and, on the chairman putting it to the meeting, the audience carried it by acclamation, and without a dissentient voice being raised.

FUSION NEGOTIATIONS. INVERCARGILL, October 11.

Fusion received brief but direct treatment at the hands of the Prime Minister during his Riverton meeting on Saturday night.

“My reason for referring to it,” he said, “is that you get just another side of it. lam not making a fetish of it. 1 am asking you to return me to power, and that’s that.” The applause which followed showed that the Prime Minister’s habit of avoiding camouflage and talking straight is what New Zealand audiences like. •

Mr Coates said that as regards fusion there had been three alternatives. One was to fuse at the time the negotiations were proceeding, settle the different electorates, go to the country as a National Party, and ask the electors to return a National Government. Those were his proposals. It had to be remmebered that he had previously said that there would be no immediate reconstruction. lie had to stand by that statement, and for that reason ho had to repeat at the time of the negotiations that there would not be any immediate reconstruction. There would he a reconstruction, but it would have to take place after an election. Another of the alternatives was to carry on, try to fix up the electorates, and go to the country as a National Party. During the course of the negotiations there seemed to be no difference in policy, but the Reformers did not stand for State banks or proportional representation. A third alternative waa to carry on, go to the country, and reconstruct itnmediatelv after coming back. None of these proposals was acceptable to the Liberals. Reconstruction meant additions to the Cabinet “There is no use saying one thing and moaning another, and no one can tell me that it *is not camouflage to accept the resignation of men in the morning and put them back the same, afternoon,” said Mr Coates. “It has been said that the Hon. Mr M‘Leod was responsible for the failure of the negotiations. I am not worrying much about that, because I think Mr M’Leod is well able to look after himself, but I can say that he seemed to me to be quite agreeable that the two sections should go to the country as a National Party. He did say that, where a man already had been selected as a candidate for the Government, his interest should not be sacrificed, and that where two candidates could not settle their differences they should both go to the poll.

“The only tiling I can say in addition to what I have told you already,” added Mr Coates, “is that we were not able to reconstruct nt once, and so were not. able to take any of the other side of the House into the Cabinet. If I had not put any of them in, what would they have thought of me. I say, let us go to the country and have the matter thrashed out. I believe that if you return tlie Government to power it will give equal opportunities to nil, and be tolerant to all people. Intolerant. people I cannot suffer. I uin asking you to consider the claims of the Government. lam asking you to support me, anil whether you are going to support the candidates who ore going to support me. I believe that unless this country has stable government It will suffer considerably from the grave dangers which surround it, and that the progress of our people will be greatly retarded.”

NEW ZEALAND’S DANGER. INVERCARGILL, October 11. Tho feeling appears to lie growing that the election, which is set down for November 4. is one of exceptional importance. The Mayor of Riverton (Dr Trotter), who returned recently from on extended t*>ur abroad, and who presided over the audienoe which the Prime Minister addressed on Saturday night, touched on this point. “Thia election,” ho said, “will be one of the most important ever known in this country because of its far-reaching results to New Zealand and the Empire. During my travels I have seen the storm coming, and to-day it is very nearly breaking, not only in Australia and in the Homeland, but here alao. There never wm a time what

it was so necessary for the electors to use their judgment in the light direction in order to check this. We have heard about a New Zealand Party. Why not take the opportunity you have and keep a born New Zealander at the head of affairs? In addition to being a New Zealander, Mr Coates is a soldier and were it not for men like him and the thousands of other soldiers who fought in the war, you people I am now speaking to might not be sitting here so comfortably to-night. I repeat that the storm is breaking, and the electors of-New Zealand will have to look to it that there are representing them people who will adequately meet it.” WAKATIPU ELECTORATE. Mr James Horn, the National candidate and the sitting member for the Wakatipu seat, addressed a packed meeting in tho Ophir Schoolroom on Friday night. The meeting was both orderly and enthusiastic. Mr J. M’KnighL who was voted to the ohair, said that Mr Horn had served the Wakatipu district for six years in Parliament, and he thought he was correct in ■aying with unqualified satisfaction to the general body of the electors of that district. The time had now come round for him to •eek again their suffrages. Mr Horn thanked the electors for the handsome majority wMch they give him in 1922. Not infrequently when a man went to Wellington he was judged by the majority of votes which he secured. 11 he had a fair majority he was at once stamped as a man who would carry some weight, Mr Horn then referred to tho loss the oountry had sustained in the death of Mr Massey. The Hon. J. G. Coates now occupied the position of Prime Minister. He was one of the ablest and one of the most popular men on tho Reform side of the Although he had filled several important fiortfolios in the Cabinet Drior to his assumng tho Premiership, he was so much occupied with administrative work that he was not a great deal in the House, and did not have the chance of familiarising himself with the procedure of Parliament. Consequently when he assumed office he was somewhat “green," but he had improved 'greatly, and he had no doubt that if he continued as Prime Minister he would be a great success. He did not think, however, that he got the support from his colleagues in the Cabinet that he was entitled to. Some of those at present in the Ministry had not advanced with the times, and wero rather a brake on the wheels of progress. Mir Horn said that Mr Massey, after the 1922 election, found that he did not have n ( working majority, but succeeded in inducing three Liberal members to vote with him on want-of-confidence motions on certain conditions. After Mr Massey’s death It was the intention of the Reform Party to form a National Party from the two main parties composing the House. After discussions matters had advanced satisfactorily, and it was understood that Mr Coates had the resignation of the whole of his colleagues in his pocket, but th.is it appears was not correct. The idea that Mr Coates had a free hand with regard to the formation of a National Cabinet, should the parties agree, was not strictly correct. He [relieved that personally Mr Coates was out for fusion, but he did not receive tho backing from his party that was essential for the carrying out of it. The Reformers have cone to the country as Reformers, and if tMj get the necessary working majority

at tho election to be held on November 4 they will continue as Reformers, but if they do not go back strong enough to carry on tho business of the country there will be a National Party on the benches, and Labour will become the official Opposition. The Nationalists would be quite prepared to negotiate for the formation of a National Party, and if the Reform Party is agreeable the Nationalists will be quite prepared to accept Mr Coates as their leader.—(Loud applause.) Mr Coates entered the House as a Liberal, and he, the speaker, believed that ho was a true Liberal still. He believed that if they wero going to have fusion let them have tho best men and the best brains in t.he House comprising the Ministry. There were burning questions to be dealt with, and only a strong Government would be capable of dealing with them.—(Applause.) was done to reduce expenditure. ’Hie finances of the country certainly required adjusting.—(Applause.) lie believed that there was going to be a revival of mining in Central Otago. There was the Kawarau scheme which was attracting considerable attention at present, and at St. Bathaus it looked as if they were on the eve of a big mining revival. Deep sinking, he thought, would reveal fresh and rich leads, and this wool! have :i far-reaching effect. The irrigation schemes too would be of great assistance, is in some cases the water from these schemes would be available for mining pur>oses. As far as irrigation was concerned !ie did not think they had much to learn from other countries. Mr Marks, who had recently returned from America, where he went specially to study the question, said that they in New Zealand had little to learn. Ills own observations in South Africa coufirinel this.—(Applause.) He knew Central Otago—every inch of it—and he did not know of an acre of Crown land which was available for settlement, but he knew that land aggregation was going on. The land laws of our country were, not satisfactory. He knew of a ease where a miner had been allowed the use of some 19 acres on a run of 30.000 acres, for a long period of years. The runhobler had recently ordered this man to remove his stock from this 19 acres, and ho could get no redress. lie thought the time had arrived when this sort of thing should he stopped.—(Applause.) These large runs should he cut up. When n property was acquired under tho Lands for ScttleincMit Act the vendor had the right to select a block for his own use, hut a miner who hud had tho undisputed right to an area for a long period of years was to he evicted. Surely thnt was not right. The subdivision of many of these lnrge holdings was essential in the interests of the country.--(Hear, hear.) The Government during the past yonr j had spent several thousands of pounds In the purclfltse of wheat abroad, lie noticed that n meeting of Wheatgrowers at Ashburton recently had decided that tho wheat shortage in the Dominion this year would be 4,500,000 bushels, and this quautitv would have to lie imported if our supply of bread were to he maintained. Australia’s averngo yield of wheat was 14 bushels to the acre, whoreas ours was 35 bushels. It was a disgrace that a country like New Zealand, which had the highest average yield of wheat in the world, could pot grow enough to feed its own people. lie understood that it cost £lO an acra to grow wheat here at present, which

was due in some measure to the high cost of manures. It paid the farmer better to run sheep. What, the country needed was the subdivision of some of the present large runs in order that a greater proportion of our land could he transformed into wheatgrowing country. lie knew of one run where there was over 2000 acres of excellent wheat-growing land, which was at present being used for depasturing sheep. He asked what was going to happen to this country if there should be another war. He ventured to assert that the position would bo serious. In reply to Mr D. Reid, Mr Horn said he had l cen responsible for considerably over £1,000,000 being placed on tho Estimates for expenditure in his electorate. He claimed that he had done more for the labouring man than any Labour member could have done. Ho had never failed to attend to the requirements of the working man, and he thought he could, without being egotistical, claim to have been res*ponsible for assisting him in many respects.—(Loud applause.) Mr D. Reid moved a hearty vote of thanks to Mr Horn for his address and of continued confidence in him as member for the district. This was seconded by Mr I). M Rae and oarried unanimously. THE RIOCARTON SEAT. CHRISTCHURCH, October 10. Mr H. S. S. Kyle, who is contesting the Riccarton seat in the Reform interest, opened his campaign at Yaldhurst last night. He expounded the Reform policy and criticised Labour's attitude towards the shipping strike and its land policy. He was accorded a vote of thanks. THE NELSON ELECTORATE. NELSON, October 10. Mr A. Gilbert announces his intention to contest the Nelson seat aa a straight-out supporter of the Government under the leadership of Mr Coates. CHALMERS ELECTORATE. The Reform candidate for Chalmers (Mr J. M. Dickson) opened his election campaign last week. He spoke briefly at the opening of the new post offico at Waitahuna on Wednesday, and stated that if he could possibly do so he would address a meeting there one night beforo tho campaign was closed He addressed meetings at Tokoiti, Milburn, Waihola, Otokia, Henley, Allanton, and Momona. 'ihe attendances wero satisfactory, and aftor each address Mr Dickson was accorded a hearty vote of thanks. The candidate declined any further vote, stating that a vote of confidence should lie reserved for filing day. He also stated that on this occasion he was carrying the banner of the Reform and National Parties, in opposition to tho Labour Party. Mr M. Connollv, Labour candidate for tho Chalmers electorate, addressed tho electors at Waitahuna on Friday evening, and recoivod a very attentive hearing. He dealt at some length with the pjofits made by the banking institutions, particularly with regard to the watering of their share lists and the high interest charges, which, he said, were not justified. Several questions wore answered by the candidate, to whom a vote of thanks and confidence was paased. Mr Connelly also addressed a meeting at Taps wet i on Saturday evening.

MR MOBS’S CANDIDATURE. WELLINGTON. October 6. There has been some comment in the south concerning the decision of the Otago Labour Representation Committee that it does not want Mr C M. Moss to stand for tile Dunedin West electorate in the Labour interest. The secretary of the New Zealand Labour Party (Mr Walter Nash) made the following statement on the matter: — The interpretation of the Lubour I’urty’s policy by Mr C. M. Moss, who has been announced as the Labour candidate for Dunedin West, not • being .in accord with the decision of the conference and the. National Executive. Mr Moss will not be the Labour candidate for the seat.

MU E. P. LEES CAMPAIGN. OAMARU, October 6. Mr E. P. Lee, the Reform candidate for the Oamaru seat, opened his campaign at Hampden to-night, when ho addressed a largely-attended meeting. He enthusiastically supported tho policy of the lion. J. G. Coales, and stated that iu these critical times a stable Government was absolutely essential. Mr Lee was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. DUNEDIN WEST ELECTORATE. A special meeting of the Otago Labour Representation Committee was held in the Trades Hall last night. Mr F. Jones (president) occupied tthe chair, and about 50 delegates representing affiliated organisations were present. A letter was received from the Dunedin West Branch of the New Zealand Labour Party stating that the branch at its meeting on Monday night unanimously approved of the action of the Otago Labour Representation Committee in withdrawing Mr C. M. Moss as candidate for that electorate. Mr Ralph Harrison was selected by the delegates as the candidate to contest the Dunedin West electorate. THE MAORI ELECTION. WELLINGTON, October 9. Nominations for the General Election will close on October 27, also for the Maori Election, which will be held on November 3. MR LYSNAR’S CANDIDATURE APPROVED. GISBORNE, October 0. A meeting of the Reform Party passcl a resolution approving of the candidature of Mr W. I>. Lysnar and pledged itself to assist in securing his return. Mr J. R. Kirk, who had intimated his intention of standing as a Fusiouist, today announced his intention to withdraw from the contest. THE FEMININE TOUCH. AUCKLAND, October 9. A pleasant touch of friendly informality was the outstanding feature of the opening address of Miss Melville as the Government candidate for the district to the ladies of Grey Lynn. The feeling of the meeting was summed up by one of the ladies in proposing a hearty vote of thanks. “Miss Melville has done splendid work on the City Council,” she said, “and I think you will agree with me that she deserves promotion. It is our duty to leave no stone unturned to return her with a good majority at the coming election.” The motion was carried by acclamation.

When question time came Miss Melville declare 1 herself a supporter of the Bible in Schools Bill as presented last session by Mr Isitt, with the strict safeguarding of the conscience clause and no right of entry. “I am also a prohibitionist,” she added, “and if anyone tries to tell you that the brewers are Tunning’ me you needn't believe it.”

The feminine touch was again pleasantly In evidence at the conclusion of the meeting when just as the ladies were about to disperse Mrs Warnock (wife of the deputy-mayor) suddenly appeared from behind the screen. “The kettle is just boiling, ladies,” she announced smilingly, “and we shall be pleased if you will all wait and have a cup of tea,” and without exception those present waited. THE BULLER SEAT. WESTPORT, October 9. Mr O. S. Beilby, the Reform candidate for the Buller electorate, addressed a crowded meeting in Victoria Theatre tonight, the Mayor (Mr Menzies) presiding. He set out lucidly the Reform Party’s policy, and gave it his warmest support, stating that it was intended, not for class interests, but for the welfare of tho people as a wholo. At the conclusion of his address the candidate w f as plied with questions, to which he gave prompt replies, drawing forth applauce from the large gathering, which accorded him a vote of thanks and confidence. MR BITCHENER AT WAIMATE. W AIM ATE, October 9. Mr J. Bitchener, the Reform member for Waitaki, told the electors that the Hon. Mr Coates was a born administrator. He thought the right time for the fusion discussion was after the election. lie contended that the Government had legislated for the benefit of the whole community, and also referred to Reform’s humanitarian legislation and the new contributory universal pension proposal. Mr Bitchener defended the State Advances and land settlement policy, and combated tho suggestion had never heard a single member admit that there had been too much expenditure in his own electorate. There was more to fear from local body borrowing than from the Government’s borrowing policy. The speaker was accorded a vote of thanks. CLUTIIA ELECTORATE. Mr J. Kdio (National candidate for the Clutha electorate) has addressed meetings at Groenfield, Tuapc*ka Mouth, and Pukeawa. He very scathingly criticised tho tactics of tho Reform Party on the fusion proposals. At every mooting Mr Edio was accorded a vote ot thanks lor his addresses He also visited Wait a buna West, Puketi, Wharetoa, Rongaliere, Awamangu, and Pukepito. where lie received a very cordial welcome from tho electors of these districts. “ALL BLACK” ASKED TO STAND. NAPIER. October 9. Mr Maurice Brownlie, the All Black footballer, has been approached with a request to contest tho Napier seat us a Nationalist. He has not yet given a reply.

WALLACE ELECTORATE. INVERCARGILL, October 9. It was rcpoited to-day that Mr Peter Gilfedder. solicitor, of Invercargill, intends to contest the Wallace electorate at the general election in the interests of the Liberal Party. He is a son of Judge Gilfedder. of the Native Land Court, who in the* years gone by represented Wallace in Parliament ns a follower of the late Mr R. J. Seddon. During the past few weeks Mr > J. C. Thomson. M.P., who is not seeking reelection for tho Wallace constituency, has been inundated with letters from ©lectori asking him to stand again. Mr Thomson, however, has definitely decided to retire from politics, but may consent to stand again in three years’ time.