MORE PERSONALITIES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 257, 30 October 1928, Page 9

MORE PERSONALITIES.

HARD HITTING IN WAITEMATA "BOOT OX THE OTHER FOOT.* Mr. R. H. Greville, United party candidate for Waitemata, addressed a record gathering in the Public Hall, Narrow Neck, last night. The meeting, over which Mr. Woodall presided, accorded the candidate a most cordial and attentive hearing. Mr. Greville strongly criticised the change in the incidence of taxation, which had been going on steadily for the past ten years, with the result that the great body of the general public was being increasingly taxed through the Customs, thus keeping up the high cost of living. In speaking of his Reform opponent (Mr. A. Harris), the candidate said that there had been complaints about the introduction of personalities into the campaign. "The boot is entirely on the other foot," said Mr. Greville, in mentioning that Mr. Harris had complained. "At my opening meeting at Xorthcote, and at my second meeting at Milford I let Mr. Harris down very lightly and carefully refrained from personalities. However, Mr. Harris, in his opening address at Bayswater, devoted a considerable portion of his speech to ridicule of myself. Now, when I hit him back harder, he does not like it. "I note," continued Mr. Greville, "that the Labour candidate has also taken Mr. Harris to task for the same thing." Mr. Greville said he was glad to learn that Mr. Harris had paid his subscription to the Harbour Bridge Association. "I express my regret that I was misinformed, and I unreservedly withdraw the statement I made. However, I hope Mr. Harris will now do the right thing and withdraw the false statement he made at Bayswater to the effect thai I had absolutely nothing to do with getting the £500 grant from Parliament for the bridge. Mr. Harris knows that his statement was false," said Mr. Greville, who read a letter from the Bridge Association, dated October 18, thanking the speaker for his attendance before the Public Petitions Committee of the House of Representatives, and for the successful result of the evidence there given. "That," said Mr. Greville, "is a complete answer to Mr. Harris' assertion, and I expect him to withdraw and act the gentleman." Turning his attention to Mr. Harris' declared position as an Independent Reform candidate, Mr. Greville said it was remarkable that his opponent was prepared to support the Reform Government on a no-confidence motion, when he had accused that Government of corruption. Mr. Greville quoted the latest issue of the "Newsletter," the official Reform journal, which had included Mr. Harris' name among the list of official candidates. Again, Mr. Harris' name had been included in a large advertisement of official Reform candidates which had appeared in the Auckland Press a few days ago. Surely, said Mr. Greville, that was not compatible with Mr. Harris' assertion of independence.

The United party had been accused of vote splitting, yet it was a remarkable fact that during the past two general elections Labour had been placed third in more instances than had the Liberal candidates. Mr. Greville said that at the 1925 election Labour, by putting up a candidate in six difficult electorates, had been responsible for the return of Reform by a small minority vote. The action of the Labour party was therefore largely responsible for the overwhelming Reform majority. Had there been straight-out contests in these six electorates the Reform majority would have been reduced by at least twelve.

Mr. Greville was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, a mere handful only voting against the motion. An amendment of thanks only was overwhelmingly defeated.