FINAL SPEECHES.

Auckland Star, Volume LVI, Issue 261, 4 November 1925, Page 8

FINAL SPEECHES.

CANDIDATES CONCLUDE CAMPAIGN. Mr. Oakley Browne's final meeting at St. Benedict's Hall was enthusiastically for the candidate, who was loudly applauded. There"*was no interruptions, and at the conclusion of his speech, a wee girl, dressed in white (Miss Mavis Bell), presented Mr. Browne with a handsome floral tribute in the form of a horse shoe for good luck. Mr. R. T. Michaels, who presided, said he had been connected with Liberalism for 45 years and had never been more proud of any candidate than he was of Mr. Browne, who had shown great platform ability and knowledge of political questions. It was the cleanest fight he had ever known. (Applause). The meeting closed with loud and prolonged cheering for the candidate. Mr. J. W. Yarnall, Labour candidate for Roskill, addressed a few people in the Regent Theatre. Mr. J. A. Lee, M.P. for City East, also spoke, and referred to the criticism levelled at Labour, which he repudiated strongly, and urged 'the electors to return his party in their own interests and the interests of the Dominion. With an audience of fully 800 in the . Capitol Theatre, and an overflow gathering outside of about 400, Mr. Hall Skelton, Liberal candidate for Roskill, made his final address to tht electors, and received a wonderful reception* He severely criticised the Reform party and its mismanagement for the past thirteen years, and impressed upon his audience that it was in the interests of all except the big landowners to vote for Liberalism and the party with the policy of graduated land tax. At the conclusion of the meeting he was cheered to the echo, the enthusiasm being really remarkable. A well-attended meeting in St. Matthew's Parish Hall was addressed hy Mr. Charles A. Wilson, Reform candidate for Auckland Central, who was accorded an attentive hearing, save for a goodnatured interjection at intervals of every few minutes. The candidate assured his hearers that whether or not he was returned he would be the friend of "tho people of City Central. At question time Mr. Wilson was asked why Mr. Coates changed his political coat, and that Mr. Coates left Liberalism because he thought it had had its day. A young man rose to say that Mr. Wilson had described Mr. Coates as a man of ability. That might be so, but Dick Turpin .was a man of ability, and he was a highwayman! (Applause and laughter.) Ability was frequently misplaced. Mr. Wilson *aid he despised a question which linked the name of a highwayman with that of the Hon. J. G. Coates. Mis 3 Ellen Melville, Government candidate for Grey Lynn, delivered her final address in the Empress Theatre. The candidate again passed strong criticism on the Labour party' 3 land policy. At the conclusion of the meeting she was presented with a golden horseshoe, with a card attached wishing her good luck. Soanfc interest was taken by Otahuhu in the political meetings held there last eTening by the three candidates for the Franklin seat —Mr. E. D. McLennan (Reform?, Mr. C. E. Major (on behalf of Mr. J. Rea, Liberal), and Mr. D. McClymont (Labour). Only a small attendance was registered at each of the meetings, and the atmosphere, far from being that of excitement and expectancy, was one of indifference and quietness. The Reform candidate for Auckland West, Mr. S. Oldfield, concluded his campaign in the Britannia Theatre, Ponsonby. He was accorded a good reception, although at times the meeting was decidedly stormy. While dealing with the Labour party's land policy a number of Grammar Old Boys who were assisting the candidate began to sing "Usehold mouldering in the grave." The song seemed to irritate an old man, who created a scene until the police attended to him. Another man was then ejected for his pugilistic tendencies. At Milford Mr. T. Lamont, Nationalist candidate for Waitemata, was asked, "What about Wairau?" "I had nothing to do with it until Ist June, when I was elected chairman of the North Shore Boroughs Water Board," replied Mr. Lamont. "I their thought that the most democratic move was to convene a conference of the four borough councils, some forty men to discuss the whole question, not to support it. What more could I'do? (Applause.) And yet Mr.. Harris has stated that he would not put his name to a bill to turn a muddy stream into Lake Pupuke. He has not told us what bills he has put his name to during the last 14 years. You have not heard of him bringing down a bill in connection with geltting water from / ___l~'k-® Taupo." (Applause.)