THE ELECTIONS.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 262, 9 December 1914, Page 5

THE ELECTIONS.

(Continued from page 2.) CHRISTCHURCH EAST. MEG. D. MACFARLANE. - Mr G. 35. Macfarlane, Government candidate for Christchurch East, addressed a meeting in the Caledonian Hall, Mr J. Jamieson presiding. He asked the electors of the district to disregard side issues and classify themselves, as Liberals, Reformers, or' Social' Democrats, and vote accordingly. If either of his' opponents won, he would be the "first to offer his congratulations. He had riot made a single enemy during the contest, and had taken the chaff of Opposition; supporters in good part. Even if he did not win now, he had sown the seed of- a' future crop of "Reform meufbers ?for /Christchurch East. A vote "of thanks*'was ' carried, an amendment of no-coufidence being defeated. DR THAOKER. Dr H. T. J. Thacker, Liberal candidate for Christchurch East, addressed a meeting, of which tlie great proportion were factory girls, at the Kaiapoi Woollen Co.'s factory yesterday afternoon. He impressed upon the girls,-that the chief question to be decided at the election was whether or not Sir Joseph Ward should be Prime Minister again. Before the Liberals came into 23 years ago, factory girls worked under shocking conditions, and received 2/6 a week -for working until they nearly dropped with exhaustion. But a great change came over the scene when the Liberals came into power, arid they now worked in cleau and healthy surroundings, and their wages were better than ever they had been before. He was a member of the Liberal Party which had done so much for the workers, and he wished to go to Parliament and help on the work of progress. He explained many of the proposals of the Liberal policy, and concluded by saying that if he were elected' Christchurch East could say that it was represented by the best workers' champion in the Dominion. A vote of thanks was passed amidst cheers. MR H. HUNTER. Mr H, : Hunter addressed a meeting at Osborne Street, Linwood, last evening, and received a vote of thanks and con- ' ■/' '• " • f ' THE LYTTiLTON SEAT. ME McCOMBS AT OPAWA. Mr J. McCombs, Social-Democratic candidate for Lytt'elton, addressed a well-attended meeting at the Opawa Methodist Hall last evening. Mr Turner (chairman of the School Committee) presided. The candidate adversely criticised the Government's legislation to regulate the price of commodities, and declared that its object had not been carried out. The Government was more concerned with the welfare of the monopolies than with that of the people. The Labour members of Parliament, he said, had succeeded in thwarting an attempt to throw down the Labour legislation of the country by permitting interference with the Arbitration Act. Three Labour Bills, he said, had been passed by the Lower House last session, but every one of them had been rejected by the Masseystuffed Upper House. Regarding the Huntly disaster, the candidate said that by their maladministration of the labour and mining laws the Government could not escape responsibility for the occurrence. He advocated a State bank, which, he said, was desirable from every point of view. The time had arrived "when the people should consider the question of the nationalising of the shipping service. Every interest in the country was being exploited by the shipping monopolies. The Government should have a fleet of steamers to carry the country's produce Home, should have distributing depots at the other end, and should endeavour as far as possible to create a reputation for the articles New Zealand was exporting. Dealing with the Education Act, the candidate condemned the paying of less wages to women teachers than to men teachers when both did precisely the same work. The incidence of taxation, he said, re- ; quired very radical alteration, indeed. There should be more revenue raised from the land and less from the taxation of necessities through the Customs, i

Mr Massey had declared in 1911 that he favoured the application of proportional representation to both Houses, but when the opportunity to put the thing into practice came he voted against it. The only assumption was that the Massey Party wanted to get back into office on a.minority vote. He dealt at some length with proportional representation, and; said that it not only ensured proper representation,, but ensured majority rule, which majority representation did not ensure. The dominant party under proportional representation could place legislation on the Statute Books only after it had heard the full voice of the people. 'file candidate was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks and confidence. RICCARTON. MR BERTRAM BUNN. r Mr Bertram Bunn,, Government candi : [date for Riccarton, addressed a large' meeting of electors in the Oddfellows' Hall, Upper Riccarton, last evening. Mr J. J. Dougall presided. 7 Mr Bunn, in opening his address, said that since he last spoke in Upper Riccarton his political opponent had been before the electors. He, the speaker, now had the right to reply, but really there was very little to reply to. The Opposition maintained that the present Government had done very little in the interests of the masses of the people, but he maintained that it had done more during the short time it had sat on the Treasury benches than any other Administration. Mr Bunn dealt at length with the question of finance, and then proceeded to say that in regard to the Government 's second pledge to reduce taxation as far as possible he made no apology for their failure to effect this as yet, owing to the very unsatisfactory state in which the finances were found when the present Government came into office. The increase in 1912-13 was 3/4 per head, made up in respect of the graduated land tax, the income tax, and death duties. This increase was placed upon the shoulders of those able to bear it.

A Voice: They squeal about it, though. Mr Bunn: They may squeal, but they only squeal out of enjoyment. They like it. Dealing with the present shortage of wheat, Mr Bunn commended the action of the Government in importing wheat from Australia and Canada in order to keep down the price. Fifty thousand bushels liad already arrived from Australia and had been milled, while 200,000 bushels would arrive from Canada in January. The speaker assured his hearers that the Millers' Trust would not get the benefit of it. The price of wheat had been fixed at 5/3 a bushel and flour at £l3 a ton.

A Voice: Have they compelled them to sell at that price? Mr Bunn: They are selling at that price.

The Voice: They won't sell at that price.

Mr Bunn: You don't look very starved, anyhow. He's over-fed. Another Voice: You ma.ke a mistake. He's a Red Fed, Sir. (Laughter.) As instancing what the present Government had done for the workers, Mr Bunn dealt with the Workers' Homes Act, the Labour Disputes Investigation Bill, and the substantial increases in the wages paid to railway employees, school teachers, the police, post and telegraph employees, and Civil Servants. The Government was setting an example to other employers in this direction. They had also increased the pay of the members of the Expeditionary Force by I/- a day in advance of the amount paid at the time of the South African war, and another splendid measure which had been introduced was the Shearers and Agricultural Workers Act.

After instancing various other improvements effected by the present Administration, Mr Bunn asked what the people who had stood by the Liberal Government for years liad received? A Voice: Nothing! Comparing the policies of the Opposition and the Government, Mr Bunn then submitted that the only things provided for in the policy of the Opposition not found in the Government's policy were proportional representation for the Lower House and the baby bonus. Would the people change the Administration merely for.this 1 ? Never! The people were never told of anything that the Opposition contemplated doing in the future. The present Government was going to deal with the questions of local and naval defence; to continue

on the same sound system of finance; 1 proceed with vigorous land settlement; check the drift of the people into the towns by means of the Workers' Homes Act; put trade and commerce on sound lines by setting up a B<9ard of Trade and Commerce; encourage the iron and oil industries; also irrigation policies, especially in Otago; encourage the fruit industry; and overhaul the railway fares and rates with a view to reduction.

The candidate expressed himself as being in favour of the present system of military training; the 55 per cent, on the liquor question; and thg? referendum on the Bible-in-sehools question. After answering various questions he was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and given three cheers, counter-cheers being called for Sir Joseph Ward and given with more or less heartiness.;. KAIAPOI. MR D. JONES. Mr David Jones, Government, candidate for Kaiapoi, spoke at Kaiapoi last evening, the audience being very large and enthusiastic. He dealt with criticisms levelled against the Government by Mr G. W. Russell in connection with the Royd Garlick appointment, the Westport Harbour Board, etc. He also showed how the Government had increased the wages of the workers and improved their conditions generally. A vote of thanks was carried.

The Kaiapoi No-license Council has an- ! nounced that Mr D. Buddo has no claim on the votes of No-license supporters in the district. council's questions had all been satisfactorily answered by Mr Jones, whereas Mr Buddo's response was very unsatisfactory, only one .question being answered. SELWYN. MR J. HAMLET. Mr J. Hamlet addressed a meeting of electors in the Fyvie Schoolhouse last night. Afterwards he replied to several questions. Mr J. Skinnings proposed a vote of thanks, which was seconded by Mr J. A. Kilso and carried unanimously. Mr C. Jessop occupied the chair and was accorded the usual complimentary vote. Mr Hamlet afterwards met a large gathering of electors (in the Hororata Hall. He made his speech shorter than usual in order to give the electors a good opportunity to cross-examine him. For upwards of an hour he was occupied with questions and answers. A section of Red Feds, sought at the outset to discomfit the candidate, but the quick retort rebounded to their own discomfiture. Mr J. Bruce moved a vote of thanks, which Mr A. Gardiner seconded. An amendment of no-confidence in the Government candidates generally, proposed and seconded by the Red Fed. element, was lost, a large majority voting, against it. Mr B. Oliver took the chair, and was accorded a vote of thanks.

AUCKLAND SENSATION. BRIBING A CANDIDATE. THE EDEN SEAT. Press Association. AUCKLAND, December 9. A sensation has been caused by the circulation of a document purporting to disclose an offer made in writing by the secretary of Mr C. J. Parr's committee in the Eden electorate to Mr Wesley Richards, one of the two Liberal and Labour candidates, of £IOO, conditionally on Mr Richards going to the poll. In to-night's "Star" Mr Parr publishes the following advertisement:— In am informed that yesterday, while I was absent at Cambridge, attending the funeral of my sister, C. W. Harris made a signed offer to Wesley Richards conditionally on his going to the poll. I desire most emphatically to say this offer was made during my absence from town, without my knowledge, sanction, or authority. I utter]}' repudiate the transaction ami all or any connection with it. C. W. Harris is no longer secretary of my committee.'' TO-NIGHT'S MEETINGS. Mr H. F. Toogood (Christchurch North), at Knox Church Schoolroom. Mr L- M. Isitt (Christchurch North), at St. Albans Band Rotunda. . , Mr Iliram Hunter (Christchurch East), Band Rotunda, Victoria Square (8). I

Mr P. B. Hughes (Christchurch South), corner Edenbridge and Edinburgh Streets (7), corner Colombo and Stanley Streets (S). Mr 11. G. Ell (Christehurcli South), corner Strickland and Colombo Streets i ((5.45), Edenbridge and Edinburgh Streets (7.30), Redruth Avenue and Strickland Street (S.lu), Bourke and Sclwyn Streets (9.1-"5). "Mr 11. D. Ac-land (Avon), corner Vogel Street and Stanmore Road (7), Hast Belt Methodist Schoolroom (5.15). Mr G.'W. Russell (Avon), Harris's store, North Avon Road (7), New Brighton Pier (S), Cashel Street and ! Stanmore Road (9). ! Mr D. G. Sullivan (Avon), corner Worcester Street and Liu wood Avenue (7), | corner Mile Road and Gloucester Street extension (7.30), North New Brighton, " Uncle Tom's Cabin" (8), New Brighton, from committee rooms' window (5.35), final rally, corner Hereford Street and Stanmore Road. Mr B. Bunn (Riecarton), corner Cutler's Road and George Street (7), corner Mandeville Road and Lowe Street (7.45), corner Clarence Road and Dudley Street (s.;jo). Mr George Witty (Riecarton), railway, Norman's Road (7.30), near Church Schoolroom, Feudalton (8.30). Mr J. McCombs (Lyttelton), at Norton's room, Lyttelton (7.30), Oddfellows' Hall, Lyttelton (8.30). Mr David Jones (Ivaiapoi), at Rangiora. Mr G. W. Forbes, for Mr, D. fluddo (Kaiapoi), at Cust (7.30), an<l at Rangiora (5.30). Hon. R. Heat-on Rhodes (Ellesmere), at Leeston Town Hall. Mr J. G. Free (Ellesmere), at Akaroa. Mr W. A. Banks (Hurunui), at Waikari. Mr George Sheat (Selwyn), at Hororata. \ Mr Joseph Hamlet (Selwyu), at Peu- j darves (6), and at Allenton (8). | Dr Thacker (Christehurcli East), at: Choral Hall. ;

Mr G. IL Whiting (Christchurch South), Church Square," Addington (7), Fairfield Avenue and Braddon Street (7.510), Montreal and Walker Streets (8.10), final, Band Rotunda, Sydenham Park (9).