LIVELY MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 121, 18 November 1931, Page 5

LIVELY MEETING

MR. FORSYTH HECKLED

ADDRESS AT MIRAMAR

I A largely-attended meeting at the Catholic ■ Hall, Miramar, last evening subjected ,Mr. T. Forsyth, Coalition candidate for Wellington East, to a considerablo amount of more or less gopdnaturcd heckling. At tho conclusion of tho meeting the chairman (Mr. £~ O. Thornton) asked for a vote of confidence and thanks, but none was forthcoming, and a motion thanking Mr. Forsyth. for his speech, but expressing tho hope that he would not be returned, was declared carried from the body of the hall by a very large majority. Mr.'Forsyth compared the principal points in tho Coalition and Labour platforms on, the lines .of ,his opening address. His referenco to the "Socialist Labour Party" was the signal for_ a bombardment of interjections and cries of "Never mind the Labour Party; give, us your platform." For a time, after the chairman appealed for a fair hearing for the candidate, tho proceed ings were fairly quiet, and Mr. Forsyth went on to criticise the largo amount of borrowing which he said the Labour policy involved. Ho was referring to broken pledges, when a voice interrupted: "Is Labour responsible for the mess we are in now?"' There was a roar of "No."

Mr. Forsyth proceeded to deal with railway construction, and said that Labour had voted last jx-ar for the work to go on. A voice: "Oh, don't be childish." (Laughter.) It was very hard to reconcile the logic of some of the members of the Labour Party, Mr. Forsyth continued.

A voice:""Of course it is, for .you." i (Kenewed laughter.) I Mr. Forsyth made another reference to a statement by Mr. Holland. i - "Three cheers for Mr. Holland!" was the suggestion made, from a seat at the back, and the cheers were heartily , given. , "We'll bo the mugs. What did ho .say?" asked another voice, to the' acI companiment of loud laughter. 1 Mr. Forsyth went on to Tefer to tho wage cuts imposed1 in New South Wales under the Labour regime, and suggested that similar action would bo taken if I Labour was returned to power in New i Zealand. His further remarks were constantly interrupted by hecklers, and ! Mr. Forsyth concluded by saying that the treatment he had received reminded him of what happened at Miramar three years ago, when the liberty of I speech was denied him. He hoped that his next address in tho district would be mado under happier circumstances. Beplying to questions, Mr. Forsyth said ho considered tho sacrifices tho country had been asked to make had been shared equally among all sections of the community. (Cries of "Oh!" and "What about Sterling?".) He agreed with the substitution of incomo tax for the graduated land tax, and thought that instead of borrowing tho country should endeavour to live within its income. Ho was not in favour of a State lottery—(A voice: "Woll, you are not going in, then.") —and if any increase in the unemployment tax were necessary he would support it. Mr. Forsyth also expressed himsolf as opposed to the abolition of the Legislative Council, but thought its strength should, be .reduced.. His reference to the interest he had shown in educational matters affecting the district-was applauded.