CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 252, 27 November 1914, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH.

MR HUGHES'S CANDIDATURE

Mr Hughes, Government candidate for Christchurch South, addressed a well-attended meeting in the Methodist Schoolroom, corner of Crescent Road and Selwyn Street, last evening. Mr Robinson presided. The candidate, who was well received, said he had some remarks to make which he would rather not make, but he felt it his duty to do so. Before the present elections started it was Stated in the North Island that it would be a bitter one. He had determined to start properly so far as Christchurch South was concerned, and at the outset he saw Mr Whiting and told him. he wanted to conduct, the contest in a manly way. Up till, the present time they h#d been successful in that, but on the previous day a prominent member of Mr Whiting's committee had seen the speaker's secretary and had used these words: "I anvgoing to bring a crowd from Linwood and Riccarton to your meetings to deal it out to you and to pass votes of no-confidence in you." A Voice: Can you tell us the man~'s name, Mr Hughes? Mr Hughes: You sit down, sir. I will - give you the name afterwards. I saw the man myself, and I called him into my office in Colombo Street and asked him if he had made this statements He said: "I did." I said: "You make it .again here to me?" He said: "I do. '"I will bring a crowd from LinWood and Riccarton and pass votes of no-confi-dence in you." A Voice: Where are they? / Mr Hughes: Ido not know. We will , see if they are here to-night. I have done nothing wrong in this campaign, and yet I have been followed round in my meetings by people opposed to me to* try to upset my meetings.. We have had most successful meetings, and the fact of it is we are having too much of a success., (Applause and laughter.) Mr Hughes (as the laughter swelled): There they are; there they are. When I was told of this I told the man who said it that I would go to the police station and report the matter, and that if he or any of his men got into trouble there would be ho' excuse, because they had prearranged it. The matter has been reported to the police, and the police are going to protect the people from such an element as this. So if these people who have promised to come from Liinwood and Riccarton to deal it out are here to-night I would advise them to take notice that the matter is in the hands of J he police, and that we are going to maintain orderin our ings and protect the people. (Applause.) Dealing with general politics, Mr Hughes said the Civil Service reform had meant a saving to the country of £67,000. He praised the setting up of the Civil Service Board, and dealt at some length-with finance.. From July, 1912, to September, 1914, he said, the . Massey, Government had; placed on the land 4837 settlers, and in South Canterbury" alone the Government had acquired 27,749 acres of freehold and 59,000 acres of leasehold. . QUESTIONS. • ■

Beplying to questions, Mr Hughes Baid Mr Massey did not vote against the old-age pensions. He attributed the delay in passing the Coal Mines Bill to thM stonewalling tactics of Sir Joseph Ward and later to the strike of miners. in regard to Sir Joseph Ward's attitude to the big strike, Mr- Hughes said the Leader of the Opposition did not play the part he should have played. That, strike was really a relic of Sir Joseph Ward's administration. Sir Joseph Ward did not attempt to settle the strike. He did not tell them what his remedy was, and later said he would have read the Biot Act. Ho considered all Territorials on active service should receive equal pay. A Questioner: Can you tell us why, after several Government employees had left to go to the front, notices were sent to their homes stating that their services had been dispensed with? Mr Hughes: That is a statement I cannot deny, because I do not know. The Questioner: It is a fact! Mr Hughes: I do not know whether it is true or not, and I am not going to doubt your word. The candidate received a vote of thanks and confidence.

MR H.G. ELL. Mr H. G. Ell spoke before a large audience in the Selwyn Street Schoolroom last evening, Mr W. F. McLean presiding.' In the course of his address Mr Ell dealt with the question of the flour monopoly. He had been informed by the proprietor of a city restaurant that a request through a merchant for two 1001b bags of flour had been met by the answer that the Flour Millers' Association had been communicated with, when the reply had been that there was no flour available.

Mr Ell advocated that, if necessary, the State should establish a flour mill and take drastic measures to secure wheat for the mill. He referred to the statement in the newspapers that the price of bread might rise to 1/- a loaf. No Government should stand by and allow such a price. Dealing with taxation, Mr Ell advocated taking the duty off chinaware, crockery, cutlery, lamps, the cheaper kinds of carpets, matting, household glassware, cooking utensils, and hollowware. He also advocated increasing the mortgage tax from $d to Id, the increment tax on land values, and the stamp duty on transfers from 15 'per cent, to 25 per cent.,, also the progressive land tax. A motion of thanks and renewed confidencee was carried unanimously.

MR G. R. WHITING. Mr G. R. Whiting, Labour candidate for Ghristchurch South, addressed two open-air meetings last At the

first, at the corner of Durham and Elgin Streets, there was a large atten-dance,-presided over by Mr S. Wainscott. The candidate was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. At the corner of King and Montrose Streets Mr Whiting spoke to about three hundred people, Mr T. J. Richards presiding. In answer to a question, Mr Whiting said ho would support Sir Joseph Ward in the event of a no-con-fidence motion. The candidate was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence, and cheers were given for Sir Joseph Ward.