POLITICAL GLEANINGS

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14241, 16 December 1919, Page 3

POLITICAL GLEANINGS

PICKINGS FROTsJ THE PLATFORMS. MP. HOLLAND'S POSITION. "I want to make my postion perfectly clear," Mr Holland, Liberal candidate for Christchurch South, said on Tuesday night. "I occupy precisely tlit; same position as Mr Isitt, Mr Russell, and Mr Forbes on that point—that the Liberal Party will not ally itself with .iny men who- have been disloyal during the war—(applause)—and the issue conies down to this —loyalty versus disloyalty." "O, belli" said a member of the audience. "You know perfectly well," Mr Holland added, "that three men in Parliament now have been in gaol for sedition, and I cannot think -of any more heinous crime than it'hat of sedition. It is awful to contemplate murder in any case, but murder of the ration is worse. Therefore, I will not ally myself with this section in the House at the present time. If the Liberals have only two of a majority then it will be for the leader of the Liberal Party to decide if he can carry on seeing that he will have to elect a Speaker from his parity. But if the Liberals were two 'Short and the Reformers had a majority of two, I am not going to be a party—with the" assistance of extreme Labour —to turn them out -of office."—(Applause). LAND AGGREGATION.

Land aggregation was discussed by Mr T. A. 11. Field, Government candidate for Nelson, in a -speech at Lower Moutorc. Mr Field pointed out thai so far from the big estates having grown under Mr Massey's administration they had decreased to 33 per cent, in the years from 1911 to 1917. Sir Joseph Ward became Prime Minister in 1900 and found 90 estates of over 50,000 acres. In 1911, the nearest year to Sir Joseph Ward's defeat in which statistics were available, there were still 90 estates of over 50,000 acres. Mr Massey by 1917 had reduced these 90 estates to CI. The number of occupied holdings of over 10 acres irivreased by 5646 under Sir Joseph Ward. Under Mr Massey up to 1917 the number had increased by 8610, of half as much again as under "Liberalism." By the breaking up of big estates and the occupation of new holdings under the Massey ,Government up to 1917 occupied holdings increased by 5,250,000 acres. Under Sir Joseph Ward they had Increased by only a bare four million acres, or 25 iper cent, less. "TWISTERS." • At one of his meetings in Auckland, Mr Clutha Mackenzie, Government candidate for Auckland East, was asked by an iriterjector why he bad •gone back" on his father's principles. "What were my father's principles?" he asked.

The interjector: Liberal principles. The candidate: And what .are Liberal principles to-day? The interjector: The same as they were years ago. The candidate: No. They are not the same.

The interjector: Yes, they are. You are a "twister." i The candidate: No. The Liberals' are the "twisters." (Laughter and applause). The Liberalism of 40-day is not the Liberalism of Mr Seddon. Everybody knows how poorly , Sir j Joseph Ward has lived up to the tra- ' ditions of Mr Seddon's Liberalism. (Applause.) j MR MASSEY'S LANDING. i Friday was the 49th anniversary of the landing of Mr Massey as a boy | of 14 years in Auckland. Referring to j the fact in his speech at Thames, Mr Massey said that his parents had arrived in New Zealand a few years before, having left hini at Home at scnool. The ship in winch he arrived was the City of Auo.aanu, afterwards wrecked on Otaki beach. "I need not say," he added with a smile, "thai when 1 landed I had not the slightest notion that one day I would take to polities and become Prime Minister/but it has turned-out." (Applause).' THE VICTORY."

"The greater vc'tory—the real victory—of the war years was won by the conscientious objectors of all countries," said.Mr H. E. Holland. "The Labour movement acclaims their courage and honesty, and denounces their persecutors. Imperishably they have written their names on history's scroll of heroes." In fact Csays the Dominion) the real heroes of the war, according to Mr /luliaad, are not the men who fought and won in France; the heroes are the ir:en who preferred the seclusion of gaol to the dangers of war.

"ATROCIOUS AND ABSURD." "Party Government has grown to be an absurd and utteriy atrocious system;' remarked Dr A. K. Newman, Reform candidate for Wellington East at Roseneath, "but 1 have .no bshef that it is going to be finished. . . The sooner w & get rid of party rule and have rule by 'the House the better :t will be. The House will have to got rid of its despotic Ministers and masters." Dr Newman added that he favoured the principle of the elective Executive, and he had urged it in the House twenty years ago. As a result of recent experience he was more convinced than ever that the system should be adopted.

SAVE THE CHILDREN. "Equal pay for equal work is all right, and I do not quarrel with -he principle," said Lieut.-Colonel 'Mitchell (Independent candidate for Wellington South). "But Ido say," he continued, "that the country must have children, strong, healthy children, or go under, and it is not right—the country must suffer for it—if a man struggles to bring up seven children on £3 3s a week. The State must in some way come to a man's assistance where he has a large lamily and a small income.' HITTING BELOW THE BELT. Lieutenants-Colonel Colquhoun, whc is a candidate for Chalmers in the Liberal interest, writes to .the Otago Dailj Times: —"It has come, to my knowlodge that some person s persistent!; spreading the rumour in 'Dunedin 'tha Mr Downie Stewart never feachei France, hut was only in England.' M ! Stewart joined my company (the 14t! South Otago) as a platoon command* in Egypt, and went with Hie comp&e, to France. 'Mr Stewart served will the Ist Battalion of the Otago B#gi ment in the trenches in front o Armentieres durSag iOiO. Mr St*wa: was an officer who looked after th safety and comfort of his men. It wa on account of his devotion to duly, an because he hung on too long, "iat h is •suffering the great disadvantage c bad health to-day. In politics M Stewart and I are on opposite he is an Independent, and 1 am Liberal —but I cannot stand by and s* I a true oomrade and a brave gentlertu Lit below the belt."