OAKLEY BROWNE'S CAMPAIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 246, 17 October 1925, Page 14

OAKLEY BROWNE'S CAMPAIGN.

A LIVELY MEETING. CONSTANT 1 XTERRUrriOXS. There was a crowd of nearly 200 at the open-air address delivered by Mr. (Jakley Browne, the Liberal candidate at the junction of Newton Road and Symonds Street last night, and the meeting was an extremely lively one plentifully interspersed with interjections. At times it developed into a conversazione with the candidate endeavouring to make himself heard above the din. Portion of the audience indulged a great deal in personalities and irrelevant questions, and although speaking under diliiculties Mr. Oakley Browne received a fair reception from the majority of those gathered about. Comparing: the administration of the present Government with that of tht Liberal Government, the candidate stated in regard to the birth rate that they had this year the lowest for years. A voice: It's the starvation system. Another voice: Doesn't that apply to other countries? Tiie candidate said that in the term of the Liberal Government they had move contentment, better homes, and as long as they had the present conditions the people would be anything but contented. He then referred to the fact that NewZealand w;is (;od"s own country. A voice: What rot. It's a .lew's country. 1 have two children and I live in a hut, and my children are starving. The candidate: 1 sympathise with you. I know the conditions are had, but if wp had better statesmen things would be different. (Applause and ironical laughter). Dealing with the Arbitration four:, the candidate was pointing out that 1 "it. larger body of working men were not extremists, when he was interrupted by i man who wished to know if the Labour party was extremist. The candidate stated that its policy was wrong, and that its land policy was impracticable. (Cries of dissent). A voice : The Labour party's land policy is the only policy. Jt is usehold and that is the only policy. (Applause). Another voice: How much is the Liberal party paying you to go against Lee? The candidate: That is not a fair question. Voices: Hear, hear, withdraw that. give him a square deal. At this stage the meeting was particularly noisy and one interjeetor who had become persistent in his remarks was invited by the candidate to address the meeting. The offer was accepted, but the one who knew so much was howled down and counted out in great style. The Liberal party built lip this country, continued the candidate when peace settled on the crowd again. A voice: I know what it did. It gave a great battleship costing a million. The speaker was going on to explain what good the H.M.S. New Zealand had done for the Empire, when he was interrupted by cries of: "No more war. Cheers for Harry Holland." Mr. Oakley Browne: (turning on the interjeetor who said he knew so much): "Y\ hen you have the monopoly of intelligence in this country how can anyone else know anything?'' " (Laughter"and applause). ~ The interruptions were frequent now and the hecklers were taking a b:p part in the address. A volley of questions was hurled at the candidate from some men and the former turning angrily, shouted: "For God's sake keep quiet. You are enough to make a Saint mad.'" (Laughter and cries of 'Give him a chance.'") Shortly afterwards another member of the crowd wanted to speak and he too was invited to address the people. He did not last lonnr and retired to the accompaniment of hoots and yells. The shipping strike was touched upon by the candidate who stated that if Mr. Holland had been a strong man he would have stopped it. Wild disorder ruled. A voice: He was not silent, and if lie had done any more he would have been imprisoned. (Loud applause). The candidate continued to address the gathering but he was subjected to constant interruption from a certain section of the crowd. He concluded after tracing the policy of the Liberal party on the lines of his iormer speeches and was accorded a round of applause.