POLITICAL.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 15978, 21 November 1919, Page 6

POLITICAL.

WELLINGTON NORTH. (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, November 20. Mr J. L. Luke, sitting member, and candidate for Wellington North, addressed a crowded meeting to-night. A minority of the audience interrupted almost continuously and subjected the speaker to a running fire' of noisy interrogations. Mr Luke thought the lime had come for settling industrial differences by means of industrial committees. It was absolutely necessary for the safety of the Dominion that eld differences of opinion, social unrest and misunderstanding should be settled. He advocated nationalisation of coalmines and State-owned colliers and ferry service between Wellington and Lyttelton. He stood for the present free, unsectarian national system 'of education. He favoured development of the back country and the speedy ‘completion of main lines of railway. A vote of thanks was accorded to the speaker, WAKATTPU* SEAT. <a» DUNEDIN November 20. Mir Scott, candidate for Wakatipu, spoka at St. Balkans on Wednesday. After defending the National Government, he asleep why it was not continued after the war, when the country wag faced with a multiplicity of complex problems. Referring to the Labour Party, he said there was a danger' that possibly sufficient members would be elected to hold the balance of power, put Mr Massey out, and then dictate their own terms. He considered there was no - fundamental difference betwen the Liberal and Reform parties. He was not in favour of a State bank until stable government was formed. The speaker said the sooner the party system was dropped the better, but he saw no nope of doing it. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried. THE CHALMERS SEAT. DUNEDIN, November 20. Mr J. Gilchrist, Labour candidate for Chalmers, addressed a. meeting at Mosgiel to-night. He enlarged on the planks of the party's platform, emphasising such matters as a- State bank, the prevention of aggregation, reduction of the cost of living, State-owned steamer servee and other matters. The platform, he contended, meant the unity of the human race, a league of peoples as agairut a league of nations The great objective of the party was to secure to the people the means of life. At the conclusion of the address he was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks. THE WESTLAND SEAT. GREYMOUTTT, November 20. Mr Seddon delivered his first address at Grt vn.onih to a fa ir]y large meeting. He had a good hearing. He dtf'uvled the Liberals’ coalition actions, which, saved the cost of an election (~£'11,000) The cost of living had mainly been increased by profiteers, Mr "UicUonald was the author of the Beard of Trade Bill. Arterial roads should be nationalised. limber export I'piitatims were unfair, and retarded ’•articular districts. He was opposed to four monihs’ military (raining, which Sir James Allen alone wanted. Ho favoured the pre-war territorials. He was oppos’d to Hie Coal-mines Act cia”Se permitting inexperienced - men to take charge of colliery pits. Indentured labour must go frem Samoa. War finance legislation treated Grcvmonth Harlo”r Board unfairly. The Board needed reVions with the Government readjusted. NAPT.I" SEAT. NATTER, November 20. Mr H. Hill, Independent progressive candidal© for Napier seat, addressed a large audience in the Municipal Theatre to-night. He commended the Government’s work in the settlement of the soldiers in business and on the land. He urged the reduction of the cost of living from the workers’ point of view. He thought high prices inevitable. He advocated the establishment of suburban homes on reclaimed swamp lands in the vicinity of Napier. Tariff reform was urgently necessary. He commended the notable legislation carried by the National Government and urged the seHtement of waste lands. He put in a strong claim for the completion of the East Coast railways and immediate wi rk on the Wa.ilcffrcraoana hydro-elec-irio scheme. The speaker received a vote ■ i thanks and confidence. THE A YON PEAT. CHRISTCHURCH, November 20. The Hon. G. W. Russell, member for Avon, received a mixed reception at the opening of his campaign to-night. He s?ad that after the war stalled the main parties, which were evenly balanced, were united for the purpose of administering war measures, and tho Liberals had played the game fairly, all hough there was generally a feeling that that party was m the minority iu the Cabinet and no Liberal Minister had an important Sir Joseph Ward seceded from the Government in the exercise of his rights. While the speaker had administration of the care of sick and wounded soldiers, no criticism was raised. He did not chink it right that sick and wounded soldiers should be placed under the control bf the military authorities. A large percentage of tire physically unfit for military service was, _he thought, due to insufficient medical observance of children, and he considered that the Education and Public Health Departments should Ire more correlated. The State should see that no person should suffer on account of inability to nay for medical service. The present bureaucratic system of governing education from Wellington should" be changed, and more money should be at local disposal for educational needs Dealing with finance, he said Sir Joseph Ward had built up a .£35,000,000 surplus mainlv from income tax. He had not taxed the necessaries of life except tea. He strongly condemned the miners go-slow policy, and said lie would support any Government which would ensure sufficient coal being produced for the country’s needs. The speaker’s remarks in this matter were subjected to much uproar, _ and cries of “Give us the cost? of living.” Concluding, Mr Russell said it mattered little to him whether Sir Joseph Ward or Mr Massey was returned to power, but he would not support any party which depended for support on Labour extremists or men who were disloyal to the Empire. Towards the conclusion of the address the extremist element was much in evidence. A vote of confidence in Mr Russell and admiration for his administration of public health and internal affairs was declared carried amid' uproar.