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Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 123, 20 November 1935, Page 12

AIMED AT THE WICKET

MR. MAZENGARB'S REPLY

A reply to Mr. R. Semple's complaint that he had indulged in personalities was made by Mr. O. C. Mazengarb, National candidate for Wellington East, in his address to a crowded meeting in the Miramar tennis pavilion last night. Mr. Mazengarb said that the contest on his part had been entirely devoid of personalities, but in his address on Monday night Mr. Semple had alluded, in characteristically picturesque language, to "bouncing the ball." "Every ball I have delivered," said Mr. Mazengarb, "has been directed at the wicket and not at the man. Mr. Semple is entitled to deliver any balls he likes at my wicket, but I warn him that I will hit hard at any loose ones. HITS TO THE BOUNDARY. "Seven of them I have already hit to the boundary when dealing with his Kilbirnie address. If he proposes to depart from the rules by indulging in body-line bowling, he may rest assured that I will not copy him. "In what respect does he consider that my fight has not been clean? What are the things that he says I have stooped to? His comments about me are probably prompted by the knowledge that I have a reputation for being fair and just. His supporters have been gracious enough to say, when they hear my speeches, that I am fair in my criticism, and he has no doubt heard their comments. I have not failed at any meeting to command a hearing. Even those who differ from, me respect me and listen to me. "I began this campaign as a gentleman, and I will continue it as such. Should I lose through a splitting of the vote I will at least have, the satisfaction of knowing that my committee and supporters and the electors generally considered that I have played the game. "It is Mr. Semple who has descended to personalities. He says that I can turn a murderer into a saint and a saint into a murderer. I'm not as clever as that, but I am able to present facts and figures so that they can be easily understood. "Mr. Semple says that I play pitch and toss with words. My retort is that he has been playing fast and loose with facts. When I show where he is wrong and I am credited with scoring seven points, he says that I am full of points and that he can't waste time chasing all of them. To only one of these points did he attempt to make any reply—and again he was astray in his facts. He stated that the only time the British Parliament extended its life was in the war years, and that it had not done so during the depression as the New Zealand Government had done.. He made two mistakes there. The occasion when a British Parliament extended its own life was in 1716 —when the life of the existing and all future Parliaments was extended from three to seven years. There was no call for the British Parliament to extend its life during the depression, because after the commencement of the depression a National Government was formed and on appealing to the electors was returned for a period of seven years, and that seven years has not expired even yet. A FALSE ANALOGY? "Is it not a* false analogy to compare the position or the New Zealand Parliament which was elected for three years with that of the British Parliament which was elected for seven years? A better analogy is from the fact that the British people have during the past few days re-elected the National Government and almost wiped out the Liberals and Independents? Mr. Semple pointed to England for his example. Then let us follow the British example and precedent by here in New Zealand electing a National Government for the national good." The meeting was attended by some 200 electors, and though there were some interjections, mainly, however, from one man, the candidate was in good form. He particularly emphasised the danger of the Labour Party's policy, which, he said, involved inflation and with it grinding, relentless poverty for the working people and the middle classes of the community. Mr. E. Watkins presided, and at the conclusion of the meeting Mr. Mazengarb was accorded a unanimous vote of thanks.