ELLESMERE.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 245, 19 November 1914, Page 3

ELLESMERE.

HON. R. HEATON RHODES. The Hon. R. Heaton Rhodes, Post-master-General, addressed a well attended and apx>reciative meeting of the electors in the Killinchy school last evening, Mr A. Allen (chairman of the school committee) presiding. Mr Rhodes spoke for an hour -and a-half, and was listened to with marked attention. His defence of the Government's administration and explanation of its past and future proposals were well received. Referring to the recent statement of an Opposition paper that the Government had made an attack on the State Fire Office, Mr Rhodes said the best answer to that was the fact that the people were using the office more and more, and that its profits had enormously increased during the Massey Administration. He deplored the fact that the Opposition, for party purpose's , was making all sorts of groundless chargos against the Government, and reefrred again to.the allegation that Eeople who should be on the rolls had eeh struck off wholesale. He had the assurance of the officials, who were the best able to judge, that by the time the rolls were closed they would be the most complete ever issued in the Dominion. Mr Rhodes mentioned that he had been officially informed that already one of the Christchurch rolls had 500 more names on it than had the old roll.

On the motion of Mr J. Nixon," seconded by Mr J. Spence, the Minister was accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his address, and of continued confidence in him as the representative of Ellesmere, and in the Government of which he is a member.