MIXED RECEPTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 269, 13 November 1928, Page 12

MIXED RECEPTION.

MR. COATEB AT MOUNT EDEN.

CHEERS FOR SIR JOSEPH.

PRIME MINISTER STRIPS FOR

ACTION.

An admixture ef boo-ing, cheers for the popular leader of the United party (Sir Joreph Ward), and cheer* for the Prime Minister, heralded Mr. Coates* , arrival at Mies Melville's meeting in St. Leonard's Road. What promised to be a rowdy meeting, however, proved quite a tame affair , , and once Mr. Coates had got into his. stride there were ringularly few interjection*. On entering the crowded building the Prime Minister dramatically peeled off his coat and helped himself liberally to • jug of water with the observation that "one get's thirsty at this game." "Good luck!" "Cheerio!" and "Turn ft on!" were good-natured crier from the rear, and "Don't take your coat off!"

Mr. Coates: There is no need to do that in the slightest.

Asked about' bus regulations, Mr. Coates said the public would ultimately have cause to be pleased with the steps that had been taken under the Motor Omnibus. Traffic Act. Passing on to reference to the land, lie asked if the depression could have been avoided? ■

A voice: Yes, by a little forethought. Mr. Coatee: How could thai keep the prices on the world's markets up?

Touching on unemployment, he denied' that there were 30,000 unemployed in New Zealand as his political opponents suggested. The maximum number was 5000.

A voice: Half don't register. Another voice: What is the wet Mr. Coates: We have multiplied the number who have registered by two. The soloution to the problem as we see it A voice: Nine and twelvee bob a day. Mr. Coates: That is purely relief work. He denied that the Government was trying to force down wages, giving as. a specific instance of this that Government servants' salaries had not been reduced during the past three years. He spoke of the ideal of conciliation In the settlement of disputes in industry, and of the advantages of adopting a eliding scale of wages.

Another interjector: Yon are a farmer. How do you treat your farm hands? Mr. Coatee; I don't know. Have you heard any complaints. I haven't, but perhaps you have heard something fresh. Mr. Coates concluded his address by appealing to the electors on Mis? Melville's behalf, and by engaging in an argument with an elderly prohibitionist in the front benches on the licensing question.

A motion thanking Mr. Coates for his addres?, and expressing confidence in him as leader of the Government, was declared carried by the chairman, Mr. R. McK. Morison, although a section of the crowd clamoured in favour of a prior motion expressing a desire for a change of Government. *_. ..,