REFUSAL TO PRESIDE

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22519, 29 September 1938, Page 15

REFUSAL TO PRESIDE

NATIONAL PARTY MEETING DECISION OF MAYOR OF WESTPORT STATEMENT MADE TO BOROUGH COUNCIL [TUB PRESS Special Service.] WESTPORT, September 28. “Although they have elected me Mayor of Westport, the people have not bought me body and soul, and I definitely refuse to associate myself with any person in a movement opposed to the Government which has done so much for the Buller district and New Zealand in general." This statement was made at the monthly meeting of the Westport Borough Council tp-night by the Mayor (Mr J. Kilkenny), when he declined the invitation of the local National Party Committee to take the chair at the Westport meeting of Mr T. O. Maddison (National candidate for Buller). He said that recently the Borough Council and the Buller County Council had passed motions of confidence in the Hop. P. C. Webb, member for Buller, and in the Government. He took this as a gesture of appreciation of all that had been done for the electorate. Other governments had promised everything through their candidates before the elections, but these promises were never honoured. , “I am not going to beat about the bush, and J am not going to ask for and take advice "from anyone, but I refuse point blank to take the chair at Mr Maddison’s meeting," said the Mayor. “I will not assist any person or organisation contaminated by those responsible for the introduction of slave camps in New Zealand, especially on the, West Coast, during the depression.” In the next 24 hours, continued the Mayor, the people might be plunged into war to preserve the democracies of the world, such as those of other years, when battles raged to abolish slavery in America and other countries. New Zealand had a fight of its own, however, against the rejnstitutjon of slavery as adopted by the previous Government.

The people behind the National candidate, said the Mayor, must know that he had no chance of beating Mr Webb. He would leave the result of his action that night, to see what happened, and if anything did -happen he would he able to look after himself well. When asked if a motion was necessary, the Mayor said that he had made up his mind, and no motion or instruction could alter it. Cr, O. L. Nahr said that with all due respects to the Labour Government, he considered that people who were living in a free country should have a right to vote for whom they desired. The Mayor; I never suggested that people could not do what they liked. I am doing what I think is best for Westport, even if not one other Mayor in New Zealand adopts a similar action.

Cr. G. Taylor expressed regret at the Mayor's action, and said it would be an act of courtesy to preside at the meeting.