A LIVELY MEETING

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 124, 21 November 1935, Page 28

A LIVELY MEETING

MR. TREADWELL AT ARO §T.I MUCH INTERRUPTION The Aro Street Mission Hall was packed to the doors last evening, when Mr. C. A. L. Treadwell, National Government candidate for Wellington North, gave an address. The candidate was subjected to a good deal of interruption but he was irequently applauded, and at the conclusion of the meeting, the chairman, Mr. J. V. Stacey, declared a motion of confidence carried unanimously. A section of the audience, however, gave cheers for Labour. The candidate claimed that the National Party was entitled to a renewal of confidence after four years' magnificent work in the interests of the country. (Applause, and some dissent.) "If the Government has kept its promise over the last four'years, we are entitled to a continuance of the confidence of the public," he said.

SERIOUS ELECTION.

Mr. Treadwell said that those who had a sense of responsibility would realise that this was the most serious election they had ever been asked to vote at. The Labour Party was putting forth an experiment, and if that experiment failed, then the country would be back in a depression. (Jeers and applause.) He, himself, and Mr. Chapman would not descend to personalities in the campaign. It would be a clean, good, fight. (More applause.) A voice: What about Mrs. Gilmer? She is standing, too. You are overlooking her. "I was overlooking her," replied the candidate. Mr. Treadwell said that the unemployed were now within measur/ble distance of being absorbed, and remarked that there was a shortage of some skilled workers. "Just because the election is on," interjected a'man.

The interest burden had been greatly reduced,. said the candidate, also rents. National production had increased by £15,000,000, and the aggregate private income had increased by £10,000,000. Wages had increased by £6,000,000. (A voice: For how long?) The Government ■ had achieved very fine work. (More and louder cries of dissent, mixed with hearty applause.) "It may surprise you to know that 13,000 have been absorbed in factory production," said the candidate. If Labour's inflationary- scheme were put into operation, not only the banks and the wealthy people would be affected, but the assets of the people would be affected also—life insurance policies and deposits in the Post Office Savings Bank. The effects of Labour's policy would be to water down the currency and to reduce the value of assets. After inflation had taken place in New South Wales

"We're in New Zealand, and you're in Aro Street tonight; tell us something of your policy in New Zealand," suggested a man in a back seat. Mr. Treadwell said that the effects of the Labour policy would make life insurance policies one-half or one-quar-ter of their value, and widows would be left with little or nothing to live on. (More cries and applause.)

-The farmers, Mr. Treadwell contended, would be paid for guaranteed prices by the secondary industries, and that would mean that the men and women in the c>/es would have to provide the guarantee. Voices: We are doing it n0w — £14.000,000 a year. "Aw, leave little Mickey alone," pleaded a man when the candidate referred to Mr. Chapman, the Labour candidate.

UNIONS AND ARBITRATION. The candidate's suggestion that Labour unions were opposed to compulsory arbitration brought forth a storm ol denial, and his remarks in favour of unionism called forth simulated gasps of surprise from some of the audience. Mr. Treadwell referred to the number of votes not cast at the last election, and also to Mr. Chapman's majority. "He will double it this time," he was informed. Mr. Treadwell: Mr. Chapman was elected on a 31 per cent, minority vote. "It will be 131 this time," interjected an optimist. Mr. Treadwell: Your member stands elected

A voice: We believe that. Mr. Treadwell: On a3l per cent, minority vote, which is not very creditable to the electorate.

Mr. Treadwell finally appealed on behalf of the Government,. which, he said, had shown that it deserved a continuance of the confidence reposed in it, and resumed his chair amidst applause. The candidate answered a number of questions.

LABOUR UNDER EIRE

CRITICISM CRITICISED

Various points made by the Labour Party against the Government and its policy were criticised last evening by Mr. O. C. Mazengarb, Nationalist candidate for Wellington East, speaking at the Roseneath Presbyterian Church Hall. The speaker was given a hearing relatively free from interjections, and at the close of his address a motion of confidence was passed. The candidate opened by saying he had been criticised by Mr. R. Semple of descending to personalities and fighting anything but a fair fight. "In can assure you of this: as far as I am aware, I have not made one comment of a personal nature concerning Mr. Semple," said Mr. Mazengarb. "I have taken the opportunity to hit, and hit hard, at various loose statements and various extraordinary statements he has made, because I feel ihat numbers of people in the district have been misled by certain of the statements which he has made."

Speaking of the Arbitration Court, Mr. Mazengarb said the Government had not smashed the Court, as was alleged. The Arbitration Court was still operative. The Act had been amended to withdraw the clause making arbitration compulsory, but still functioned after the Conciliation process. At the annual conference of the Alliance of Labour in March it -had been decided unanimously against an amendment to the Act restoring the power of compulsory arbitration. Yet the Government was accused by the Labour Party of smashing the Arbitration Act and leaving the majority of workers unprotected. The candidate, referring to the statement that. 80,000 people had lost their savings in the Post Office Savings Bank last year, explained how that figure was accounted for by the closing of accounts of people who had not been heard of for twenty-five years, after efforts had been made to trace them.

Mr. Mazengarb further said that it was wrong to say that the policy of the Government was deflationary. The speaker said he was against inflation and against any further assistance to rural interests at the expense of the town dweller; and he did not approve of raising the rate of exchange.