HOOTS AND CHEERS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 124, 21 November 1931, Page 14

HOOTS AND CHEERS

REFERENCES TO LABOUR

(By.Telegraph.—Press Association.)

DTFNEDIN, 20th November. Mr. Fortes many times was counted out. Only, portion of the crowd, however, was hostile, and hoots were, mingled -with cheers. j Mr. Forbes was not dismayed by his TeeeptioE, and after about ten minutes the tumult had subsided sufficiently to allow him to be heard through loudspeakers. Every reference to economy or to the Labour Party produced howls of protest, w3iich drowned the speaker's voice. As time went on the police commenced' to caution a number of the most active demonstrators, but every move in this direction brought forth storms of booing. Mr. Forbes said the other side must be remarkably weak when they could not afford to let him give his side of ■the picture which Mr. Holland had painted in Dunedin a few nights before.- He outlined the economic position of the country. Within the last two years there had been a falling off of £20,000,000 in prices for primary produce, and it was absurd to claim that the country could be administered in. the same manner as if it had that money. In spite of that, Mr. Holland would add an extra £10,000,000 to the expenditure of the Dominion. Other remarks in regard to statements by the Labour Party Leader produced practically continual uproar, only those in front of the platform and near the ]oud-3peakers being able to hear a word of the Prime Minister's address.

The speaker said Mr. Holland claimed to have all the courage, but he (Mr. Forbes) was not afraid to face that meeting, and did not mind telling the electors what the true position of the country was, whether they liked it or not.

Mr. Forbes quoted figures to show that since 1925 the use of "VVest Coast coal on. the New Zealand railways had increased from 94,000 tons to 367,000 tons, and that in the same period the importation of Australian coal had fallen from 313,000 tons to 40,000 tons.

The time had come to make a forward movement in connection with secondary industries, and every effort •would, be made to place them on a sound footing. Storms of booing greeted a reference to tho Arbitration Court system. Mr. Forbes said the intention was to make it more in accordance with the needs of industry to-day. Ho was not out to abolish tho Court, but tho time had xomo when awards and regulations which had grown up within the last thirty years must be revised.

While Mr. Forbes was concluding his speech storms of booing, stamping, and hooting completely drowned hia voice, and. time after time he was counted out. As he finished and made liis way to his chair on the platform, however, the other section of the crowd gave him a great ovation, and tho hostilo demonstrators for the moment were completely drowned.