THE MOTUEKA SEAT.

Colonist, Volume LVI, Issue 13622, 10 November 1914, Page 6

THE MOTUEKA SEAT.

(Fn.>fo Our Own Correspondent.)

'Mr R. P. Hudson, th<> Government candidate for Motuekn, closed Ms campaign for the Tapawera, Korere, ati 4 Glenhopc distrirt, ;vith an address at Tapawera on -Friday night, after a very craccessful round, he.- having been received all through this portion of the electorate with votes of thanks and confidence in the Reform party. In bis addrcps at Tapawera Mr Hudson dealt with the financial position -of tlie country now as compared with its position at tlio titH© .when. the..Ueform party came intc power.: Ho.'laid--stress on the condition in which New Zealand would haxo been had the present war occurred in 1512 instead of 1914. As regarded *-Jw l-enefits accruing from .the Massey Adminietratiori;, Mr Hudson poittteil ou!- in details th£ improved po-t-,;tioa of .practically every section of the , oomirrtinitv, with the except ion of -the large landed proprietors. 13 c also ox plained. Ujo fallacy of the criticism levelled against the present Government in dofteribina; it, as Tory or Consexv"itivoi a striking reply to. this being tluvano'Af*- V^y-.r-i-iil measures brought down during tboir iorm olrfp/c. rotj^ly, .:the reform of the ■Le.ffi-ist.ivo Coun-(-M' tun? the iusiicntion -of Civil S*'i-«r.v.. (o^^i^ior;. rr. Regardi^cr t--^ »iM.;)I qiK'sH-rH), Twli thtdson call(vfTfiti^sts;/" "n the rdv-a.ist.ac.->.' which it woMisi ii>- ■ -v.-'i t-;i this Hv:>itry- at the •p rc>i ...-.(. ;■•;-.. h;:?< t';o Frisco} cruiser j^n"'V'*>i! i'';ic. lir suid the pluring in-(C-OTiwstcwv of tho: Loader of the Op-po-iHicr. -Av.y- apparent in. his objectmp; •bo fch> uv.rr-^(>d ,frxp.;j)dihi>-'.' oF £50,000 a -ear towards naval d^k-nce. whilst Bir" Tosonh Ward at the bnperiaL Oonforonee hv.d proposed a contribution from thi.s country of half a million*-, annually. On the' Prohibition question, Mr Hudson .stated that, while unable, to go sio far as to say whether Prohibition would bo of.benefit to the country or not, he considered that it would.Be a -istake to carry it except'oh1 a strops,* "M>rity. If " that wefo secured V:t H ensure the moral *>uppf-rt necNeir- > make, it successful. .Referring '^ible in schools question, tho

candidate said that he could.not ao^ oe-pt the responsibility of closing tht« schools dodrs -against the greatest of all known, books, but he feared the introduction of .."anything -approaching - religious teaching would lead' to undesir-; able misunderstandings in mixed communities. Ho, however, thought that it was a question for parents and those directly interested, and therefore would support the referendum. Several questions were pi'l to Mr Hudson at the close of his speech, and answered satisfactorily. Tho mooting closed with ;fl hearty vote of thanks and confidence in [Mr Hudson as the repmsmtative of tho ; Reform*party, which was carried unani' mously vnth acclamation. Mr Goo. Maomalion occupied tlio chair in an efficient manner, and received tlic- usual vote of thianks.-at the conclusion of the meeting.