ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 262, 5 November 1928, Page 11

ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

MR. LYSNAR OPENS FIRE

WILD TIME AT ST. MATTHEW'S

A HAIL OF INTERRUPTIONS.

CROWD OUT FOR AX EVENING'S FUN.

There was more pandemonium than politics at the opening meeting of Mr. F. Lvsnar, the official Reform candidate for City Central on Saturday. St. Matthew's Hall was crowded, and notorious as this electorate is for lively meetings it is doubtful whether it has ever had » noisier one. Mr. C. A. Wilson presided over an audience that not only filled all the seats, but blocked up exits and half the aisles. Mr. Lysnar, who was born in the electorate, explained his reasons for standing, and instead of delivering the usual ambitious policy speech of the politician he contented himself by referring to some of the more outstanding questions of the hour, in which he thought his hearers would be interested. He considered unemployment the most serious problem of the day. The trouble with business to-day was that it was not employing as many men as it could owing to lack of money to put in fresh plant and so on. Farmers could not launch out as they would like, and the result v/as that all the people drifted to the cities nd caused unemployment. What was wanted was cheap money and the best way to get ; was oy issuing State no'es., not bonds. Tho Government could lend money at three and per cent, and all classes of industry would be given an impetus if money could be obtained at that rate. The crowd, principally at the back of the hall, where it was obvious The political colour wu3 not Reform's, grew facetio.is at the idea of cheap money, and called out all sorts of silly questions. The Cost of Living. Mr. Lysnar contended that cheap money would bring down the cost of living, which was so unnecessarily high at the present time. Of course his scheme would have the opposition of the big moneyed people, who had their money in the banks and' were wanting something for nothing. They could keep their money once the State issued State notes. "We don't want their money," said the candidate, reverting to the hoarders, "let them send it elsewhere." He went on to say that with cheap money bringing about a more prosperous state of things, taxation would drop and then we could establish free hospitals and free maternity homes. Of course a voice from the back of the hall asked: "How about free beer?" "If you're not a Labour man, according to what you are saying, what are you?" called out a man, and this question was repeated with variations a score of times as Mr. Lysnar unfolded his programme. The candidate went on to sav that with the hospitals free, and maternity homes, there should be other extensions of the same idea. The children, for instance, should have free medical What about > i When the candidate said that if. he Were elected he would fight tooth and nail, a youth wanted to know which Bail, and then followed' a merry scene of jDproar. "Order! Order!" called out the chair, man, but he was about as successful as Canute with the incoming tide. "If there is another war,'* began the feandidate during one of the temporary lulls, and then the fun began again, but ithe candidate managed to make it clear that he was against conscription, and considered the land forces obsolete—in fact they should be scrapped. When he reached the question of land tenure, Mr. Lysnar advocated the lease* bold with the right of purchase. Lease' hold by itself was no good; a man would Hot look after leased land as he would after his own. There again cheap money was the secret of success. Amid a host of interruptions a question about prohibition was loudest, and the candidate said he was not in favour of it. Drink might be a great curse, but you would never make a man good by force. He did not favour the Bible in schools, being of opinion that it was the mother's place to teach the child its religion. An Orgy of Questions. At this stage a man who kept his hat on wanted to ask a question as he wanted to get away to another meeting, and the crowd seized this as an excuse for another outburst. The interrupter bad friends and enemies, was applauded, and howled down with equal gusto, and finally he was counted out. The candidate spoke until twenty minutes to nine, and then followed an orgy of questions, a few of which seemed intended to be taken seriously. One man in the audience walked up to the platform with the intention of presenting an arum lily to the candidate and another to the chairman, and another rather dishevelled person actually got on the platform, with what purpose is not known, as he was removed by a police officer before he could give Utterance to his action. One man caused much amusement by peristing in referring to "Mr. Lysander." A woman at the back suggested that the questioner must have been at the races. The rest of the evening was one continuous buzz, and at times everybody in the hall seemed to be talking at once. Finally after a boisterous hour and a bit, a vote of thanks and confidence was Carried, and lusty cheers for Labour closed one of the noisiest meetings of the Campaign.