UPROAR AT PETONE

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 79, 30 September 1938, Page 15

UPROAR AT PETONE

MR. ANDREWS HECKLED

AUDIENCE IN HOSTILE MOOD

One of the liveliest meetings ever held in Petone was that addressed by Mr. J. W. Andrews, Nationalist candidate for the Hutt seat, in the Oddfellows Hall last evening. The hall was crowded, many people standing at the back. The candidate was subject to a running fire of interjections, people popping up in the hall every few minutes and hurling questions at him. Mr. Andrews was able to make himself heard with the aid of amplifying apparatus, and presented the National Party's policy, but anything in the way of a calm statement of his case was impossible. The Mayor of Petone (Mr. G. London) was in the chair. Mr. Andrews said that the National Party was an entirely new party. (Cries of "the old gang".) There were some members who had given a great deal of service but there

were many new faces, continued the speaker. At this stage there were cries from the hall about what the speaker was supposed to have said about relief workers. "I never said £1 a week was enough for relief workers," stated Mr. Andrews in reply. At the invitation of the speaker a man who disputed this statement came up to the platform and made a statement about the treatment of a relief worker. Mr. Andrews denied the allegation and the questioner sang out, "Was any constructive work done under the regime of Forbes and . Coates. Wasn't money squandered?" Mr. Andrews said that during the depression he lost more money than any man in the district. A voice: You'll lose more when Savage goes back. Mr. Andrews: Yes. And so will you. Lose everything. (Applause.) A questioner asked Mr. Andrews what he meant by insisting on co-op-eration between employer and employee. Mr. Andrews said that every means should be tried to secure co-operation. A voice: Coercion. IMPORTATION OF CARS. The candidate read a letter in which it was said that certain cars could be imported cheaper than those assembled by local firms because of the effect of high wages and short hours here. Mr. Nash had begged those making representations not to say anything until after the elections and then he would do something. "Name him! Who wrote it?" sang out several members of the audience. Mr. Andrews said he would challenge Mr. Nash to deny that representations had been made to him. Amidst booing and cat-calls, Mr. Andrews pointed out that the present dictators were formerly Socialists and all Socialists developed into dictators. A man stood up in the hall and said, "'You paid many favours to men as a man." (Applause.) '"But I'll say this, that you are standing for a party whose policy is suppression of the workers," continued the man, who went on to speak in favour of the Government houses. Mr. Andrews stated that better and cheaper houses had been built by a syndicate in Onslow Road. In reply to questioners, Mr. Andrews said the wages then were 2s 9d and up to 3s an hour for skilled men. The award today was 2s 9£d and up to 3s. "Is there any man in the audience who denies that wages were as good in 1929 for skilled labour? Will he come up?" invited the candidate. A man who came up and made a statement about wages in the motortrade asked Mr. Andrews if he was opposed to the 40-hour week and high wages. "No," replied Mr. Andrews, who said that every motor works in the district was putting off men and facing up to putting off more every week. Another man said that he was now earning 3s 5d an hour. The candidate shook him cordially by the hand. A yell from the audience greeted the statement, "The National Party will advance to every couple . t ." (A cry of "Rock-a-bye baby." "How would a man get on who had twins?" added a questioner. "It's easier to pay the Hamilton way," said another. Mr. Andrews went on to read out the policy, despite the steady stream of interjections of "What about slave camps?" and "The balloon loop." "I never approved of slave camps," said Mr. Andrews, but his remaining remarks were drowned in disorder. When order was restored, a man said, "There is a slight" disorder in the meeting, but it is the agonised wail of people who have been tortured by the National Party." Mr. Andrews said that during the depression the people in New Zealand were treated better than anywhere else in the world, although the treatment was not all that was desired. . Criticism of Socialism and the social security scheme was treated with cries of disapproval. When the candidate quoted Mr. Nash as saying in Bonar Law College in England that he did not favour immediate immigration, as he feared there might be another slump, an interjecter yelled, "He was cleaning up the mess the Tories left." "Friends, Mr. Nash is the most muddling financier this country ever had," the speaked added, amid further roars. "The National Party never taxed the children," continued Mr. Andrews. (Voices: "Who taxed the paper boys?") COMPULSORY AMALGAMATION. If the Socialists were returned to power Petone would face compulsory amalgamation," stated the speaker amid dissent. , "Then we will have George London as Mayor," said an interjector. 'And a jolly good Mayor, too. He is the best Petone has had for many years," answered Mr. Andrews. A little later, as Mr. Andrews described Mr. Lee as the biggest dictator in the country, members of the audience stood up and yelled defiance. A member of the audience came up and spoke to the candidate. "I did not know what the uproar was about. He wants me to explain that John Lee lost his arm defending the country. No insult was intended," the candidate explained. The reading of a letter by Mr. Andrews from a former member of the Labour Party criticising the party and its policy of taxation was greeted with more roars and demands for the writer's name. Mr. Andrews offered to show the letter to any Justice of the Peace. None came forward and the candidate and the chairman asked a police officer to inspect the writer's signature. Mr. Andrews carried the letter over to the officer. A message of encouragement was read from Sir Thomas Wilford. Many questions were answered by j the candidate and the uproar was continued when he gave his answers. When Mr. D. M. Dickson stood up to put a motion to the meeting there was prolonged disorder. At the conclusion of the meeting a member of the audience approached Mr. Andrews, and, after remonstrating with him strongly about views he was supposed to have expressed about Mr. Lee, threatened to come up on the platform and punch him if ever he repeated them again. Mr. Andrews assured the man that no insult was intended to Mr. Lee in any shape or form.