A MERRY GAUNTLET.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 248, 19 October 1928, Page 9

A MERRY GAUNTLET.

CANDIDATE UNDER FIRE.

DOMraiOH ROAD MEETING.

MR. POTTER'S OPENING ADDRESS

Scenes likened by the speaker himself to a circus were witnessed in the Empire Theatre, Dominion Road, last evening, when Mr. Vivian H. Potter, M.P., opened his campaign for the Eden seat, which he is contesting in the interests of Reform.

The candidate traversed a wide variety of subjects, but his speech was lacking, in construction, for the simple reason that he had to submit to a continual barrage of interjections that kept him hard on the defensive. The meeting was the stormiest of the present campaign, being punctuated with boo-ing, heckling, ranging from the happy to the hostile type, applause and suggestions that Mr. Potter was a "twister" and a "corkscrew."

An indication of the turbulent time in store for the candidate was given from the moment Mr. E. H. Potter (Mayor of Mount Eden), who presided, commenced to introduce the candidate "I would like to remind you that the candidate has served the district for nine years," he said.

"Too long," was the ready response that was greeted with laughter.

The chairman added that Mr. Potter had on occasions been a critic of the Government.

A Voice: And they gave him the cane too!

Rising on the crest of a wave of renewed laughter, the candidate asserted that his record in Parliament indicated that the people of Roskill were satisfied with his ability to represent them. A Voice: Not next time though. Irrespective of what the electors had heard, the speaker said, he was prepared to place in froni of them for comparison the doings of the Reform Government against those of the opposing forces.

A hubbub greeted Mr. Potter's reference to the Labour party, and brought from him the sally: "I am quite convinced I can bring a bale of hay to soni* of the people, and the rest of the audience will be able to listen." Continuing he said the Reform Government haa been accused of colossal borrowing, but ho intended to show how the country had benefited by the expenditure. A Voice: You" gave a man £3500.

"Perhaps he is worth it," retorted Mr. Potter. "I make bold to say Mr. Sterling has saved more in the five or six months he has been in the railway service than what his salary will be for the next five or six years. "We haven't a job to go to," called an interjector.

Mr. Potter: I am beginning to think some of you want the jobs to come to you. A Voice: What about yourself. Mr. Potter: lam not complaining. 1 am satisfied. United Party's Loan Scheme. A storm of protest and cries of "be fair" were made when he mentioned Sir Joseph Ward's "guarantee to secure £70,000,000 in twelve months," and lend the money borrowed at 4} per cent for 4} per cent. It had to be remembered, however, explained the speaker, that New Zealand at present secured money at London parity—£s 3/7 per cent, so how was Sir Joseph to get it at £4 10/ per centf A Voice: He know's he's onions. (Laughter.) Mr. Potter added that it was absolute nonsense to tell an intelligent audience that £70,000,00 of money could be borrowed at } per cent cheaper than London parity. A Voice (helpfully): Perhaps you get it cheaper by taking a quantity. Mr. Potter: The problem is just about as good as buying eggs—you get some rotten ones.

Further commotion a moment later prompted him to say that anyone woaid think the meeting was a circus. Touching on finance, he said New Zealand was in a fortunate position in regard to its national debt because half of it was domiciled in the country, and the interest remained here. Switching rapidly on to pensions, Mr. Potter said the Liberal* were responsible for placing only two on the Statute Book—old age and widows pensions. Reform introduced the remainder.

A persistent "front bencher": What about the blind pension? Harry barracked for that.

Mr. Potter: He should have brought in one for the dumb, too.

Mr. Potter said the Government had done a great deal to assist the fanners, who were the backbone of the countrv.

A Voice: Why have so many walked off their farms?

Mr. Potter admitted there had been a decrease of farm employees, but said production on the other hand had increased tremendously. Reverting to unemployment, he explained that New Zealand had the lowest unemployment per capita of any part of the British Empire. America had one in every 84 of her population unemployed, England 1-38, Australia 1-190, New South Wales 1-169, Queensland 1-63, against New Zealand's figure of 1-300. Reform and Unemployment. Once more Mr. Potter was forced to discuss unemployment, and on the defensive said: "I have been in New Zealand 50 years and have never been out of a job yet. I am going back to Parliament again and won't be out of one." (Laughter and applause.) The Government, he mentioned, had spend £800,000 in the last eighteen months on relief, unemployment and subsidies to local bodies.

"And given 9/ a day," called an elector.

Mr. Potter: There is a reason for that. If we paid the basic wage the employers would be starved for men.

A Voice: What about Sterling? Mr. Potter: If Mr. Sterling had some of you under him he would earn £10,000 a year. His biggest job would be to make you work.

Continuing, the speaker described the Labour party's "usehold" land policy as "most criminal" jn many instances. A Voice: That is dead.

Mr. Potter said Mr. Lee said the Labour party had not altered its land policy, but only its phraseology. A Voice: Give us some more confidence.

The candidate, despite the repeated interruptions, maintained that Labour's principal plank remained the tame —the nationalisation of the means of production, distribution and exchange, which left nothing. Referring to improvements effected to various Government Departments as indicative of the fact that Reform was keeping abreast of the times, the speaker drew attention to the development of the school dental system, there being 73 rimn established to-day. _ _

De' '''Tip the ! imigration policy, he claimed that ; grants had only replaced New Zealand's losses in population during the war. Since 1912, 21,271 men had arrived in the Dominion, while 16,696 men had been killed and 5000 maim- 4 in the service of their country. "No Frills and Furbelows." Sent on another tangent, Mr. Potter declared the individual was becoming less reliant every day. A Voice: Don't be silly. Mr. Potter: You don't want to be nursed by the Government, which is trying in every shape and form to relieve unemployment. He further contended that New Zealand's credit was being ruined by the continual harping on the statement that the country was going to the wall. The Government was going to carry on with the identical policy it enunciated in 1925, with no frills and furbelows, and with a policy that was satisfactory to the vast majority. They were satisfied that the rational electors were perfectly satisfied with a sane Government administering their affairs. A Voice: That's not Reform. The candidate was bombarded with questions at the conclusion of his address, and the meeting closed in an uproar when a motion of thanks and confidence was declared carried.