POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 144421, 8 July 1914, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

GOVERNMENT AND WORKERS. MR. VEITCH CONTRADICTED. E : TELEGRAPH OWN COEES3PONDENT. WELLINGTON, July 7. The assertion made by Mr. Veitch (Wanganui) last week that the present Government’s policy is hostile to the interests of the workers, is being vigorously combated by a number of working men at Ngaruawahia. One day after Sir. Veitcnis speech Mr. Young (Waikato) received a telegram signed by nine employees of the New Zealand Dairy Association’s central factory' at Ngaruawahia slating that Mr. Veitch’s statement was “sin.ply boeh.” On the following day Mr. Robertson (Otaki) read a telegram which he said had been received by Mr. Veitch from some workers at the same factory confirming Mr. Voitoh’s view, and insinuating that the message that had been sent to Mr. Young was a joke. Mr. Robertson did not read the signatures to his telegram, but ho said that they were no doubt'the signatures of the same workers who had sent the telegram to Mr. Young. Mr. Robertson’s statement led to several further telegrams from Ngarnawahia being sent to Mr. Young on Saturday last, but owing to his absence in his constituency during the week-end he did not receive them until These messages dispose of the “joke” story, and show that Mr. Veitch’s statements have met with vary strong opposition from a large number of the workers at Ngaruawahia. Mr. E. J. Moffitt, who had previously telegraphed to Mr. Young combating Mr. Veitch’s statement, stated in a further message on Saturday : “I read the report of Mr. Veitch’s speech to my yards, and I asked was it correct? They stated ‘No,’ and I suggested that they should wire you. Mr. Myles wrote the telegram, and the hands signed their own names. There was no joke. Mr. Myles, Messrs. Fitness Bros., and Mr. Lucas also telegraphed confirming Mr. Moffitt’s statement.” The following message was also amongst the batch received by Mr. Young to-day: “Wo central factory workers congratulate you on your reply to Mr. Veitch.” This is signed by Vv. Fitness. A. Fitness, A. Chalmers, T. Oillander, H. C. Petersen, H. Goodwin, E. J. Moffitt, jun., and B. J. Moffitt, sen. WORK FOR UNEMPLOYED. To-day, while members of the Opposition and Labour members were declaiming in the House that the Goveminent stands for monopoly and oppression, the Minister for Public Works was considering ways and means for the relief of distress owing to unemployment right through the winter. The Minister has done a great deal to provide for those in need of work by finding employment for them on^ various Government works. Mr. Eraser has authorised the expenditure of between £3OO and £4OO on the painting of Government property in Wellington to relievo the unemployment m the painting trade. He also authorised a considerable expenditure on the painting of public buildings in Auckland. In Dunedin he had found employment for some 80 labourers, 30 of them being married men. MR. ISITT TALKS. There is probably no man in the House of Representatives, who is more respected and admired fojr his sound comraonsense and scientific attainments, than Mr. G. M. Thomson (Dunedin North) yet in his speech to-night Mr. Isitt referred to him as “a pedantic erudite fossil,” and yet Mr. Isitt said he did not wish to be too hard m his remarks, and just a few minutes previously he had been talking in answer to an" interjection about upholding the dignitv of Parliament. Mr." Isitt to-night referred to the statement made some time ago by Mr. Massey that the brewers were against Mr. Mascy: Three-fourths of them. Mr Isitt said ho had taken the trouble to get the share lists of the two principal breweries in Christchurch and he declared that there were not four men in the whole list that were not known as supporters of Mr. Massey. He was quite prepared to produce those lists and to lay them on the table of, the House and yet Mr. Massey said the brewers were against him. He, Mr. Isitt, asserted that they were with him. 1 An hon. member: lhats not so in Parliament anyhow.