SPEECHES BY THE CANDIDATES

Press, Volume LXXI, Issue 21534, 25 July 1935, Page 14

SPEECHES BY THE CANDIDATES

ENTHUSIASM FOR MR MCCOMBS

Mil LYONS AND Mil HILLS HAVE i DIFFICULT TIME ! The .successful candidate was given a particularly enthusiastic reception from a crowd of some thousands when ho appeared on the balcony of Warner's Hotel after the result was known to offer thanks. The Government candidate, Mr M. E. Lyons, was not so .fortunate and, as was the case with Mr 'E. L. Hills (Independent Labour), he was frequently interrupted by sh'outs, jeers, and hoots. For both Mr Lyons and Mr Hills it was a very noisy reception. For Mr G. 3. Hamilton, the other defeated candidate, the crowd was apathetic. Mr McCombs thanked the electors for returning him with such a majority, congratulated Mr Lyons on his fight, and thanked all who had helped him in his campaign. He mentioned particularly the work of Mr I l '. Langstone, M.P., the organiser of the Labour campaign, and other members of the Parliamentary Labour party. "I trust I will be able to keep up the standard of service to the people setby my mother and father, and I thank the Lytteiton electors for permitting me to carry on the work they so nobly started," he said. "Not Dismayed" Mr Lyons v/as immediately received with shouts and jeers when he appeared to speak. For some sections of his speech his voice could not be heard on the balcony because of the noise. He congratulated Mr McCombs on his win. "No one knew bettor than I did that in this contest I had a hard row to hoe." he said. "Any Government, in days of adversity, has such a hard task. I arn not dismayed by the results at all, particularly since the working people of Woolston pulled down the Labour majority_ in their district (prolonged shouts of disapproval from the crowd). I am glad to know that the Government has made definite strides in this electorate (more shouting) . . , and when the final figures are computed (Mr Lyons had to repeat this and was also counted out) it will be seen that the Government vole has increased by one thousand." Mr Lyons said that he was looking forward particularly to the contest in November. He was talking about the 3000 Government supporters who had not recorded their votes when there was such a combined shout of disapproval that he could not be heard. Mr Lyons concluded with congratulations to the returning ofiicer for the prompt returns and thanks to his supporters. Shouted Downs Mi* Hills had to speak to a sustained shout from thousands of throats. Above the din he could be heard congratulating the candidates, and talking about the apathy of the people. There v.'ere renewed hoots when he referred to his reception at meetings, and said that it appeared that the supporters of the Labour party believed in free speech only Tor Labour candidates. It was quite evident, thai someone had tr> bring up the rear, and he Uvjuuht that he had done it well, said Mr Hamilton. He hoped that Mr McCombs would be able to benefit by what he (Mr Hamilton) had brought forward en the platform (there were a few ironical jeers), and told the crowd that a political campaign was an excellent means of securing brondrninded-

"What is the oilitor of 'The Press' l:<:in!.; to say 10-nvrrovv morning?" asked the Mayor (Mr D G. Sullivan. M.P.) when ho v/as asked to speak. "They were so sure of victory. But | the writing is on the wall. What happened at Lytteiton to-day is going to happen all over the Dominion in November. After all. poor old Frank Lnngstone'f plan could not have been so bad." Mr Langstone had been scurri'ousiy abused in the columns of the opponent newspapers, Mr Sullivan said. [ Mr W. Nash, M.P., president of the i Labour party, congratulated the .successful, candidate on his win. The party needed your.:,' men like him, Mr i Nash said, to carry the Dominion I through the trying years it had been experiencing. Mr Nash also congratulated Mr Lyons on his tight, "Guaranteed Prices" "You have a guaranteed candidate on top of a guaranteed price," said Mr Frank Langstone, M.P., "and 'The Press' can put that in its pipe and smoke it, I even believe that Mr Lyons will not call for a recount this time." Mr Lyons: A thing he has never done. Mr Langstone spoke of the work done by Mr E. J. Howard, M.P., in the organisation of the campaign, and this led to the crowd calling for Mr Howarri. He spoke briefly about the financial side of c"''e'ising the campaign. All the debts /C J paid, and the candidate home, sj what more could the electors want?' he asked. Mr Howard also had something to say about "The Press." " 'The Press' has treated this young man absolutely unfairly," ho said. "There is no other word for it —absolutely unfairly. We will leave it at that." Mr R. Semple, M.P., spoke briefly, prophesying the downfall of the (Government in November. . '