OUT OF THE BLUE

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 73, 23 September 1943, Page 8

OUT OF THE BLUE

SHOWER OF PAMPHLETS

"MOREWILLBEHEARDOFIT" O.C • AUCKLAND, This Day. Election propaganda fell literally out of the blue on Auckland yesterday when, during one of the day's fitful periods of sunshine, a large American aircraft showered parts of the city with leaflets. How in these particular N times an aircraft, a large and modern one and American at that, was made available for the purpose is one of the minor mysteries of the election, and the war. Some of the leaflets carried the Democratic Labour Party's manifesto. Others were in support of the party's candidates for Auckland sEast and Auckland Central, Flying Officer L. S. Dromgoole, and Mr. L. A. Wheatley. If official denials of the party officers are to be taken at their face value, nobody at all had anything to do with the introduction of this novel note into the election. Apparently the only thing that happened was that a machine took off from a nearby aerodrome, found its way to the city, picked out the constituencies of Auckland East and Auckland Central, and, from convenient heights to ensure an t equitable distribution, gave the electors j something to read. Then the aircraft [went home again. Since no one would accept official responsibility for this, display of enterprise, or for the aircraft suddenly becoming an election robot, various unofficial explanations were proffered. In keeping with the robot theory, one was that the aircraft had decided that the Democratic Labour Party was entitled to greater use of the air than the one broadcast allocated it by the Government, and had taken a flight to redress the balance. I LABOUR MINISTER'S COMMENT. | The assurance that serious conse-1 quences would follow the scattering of political leaflets over Auckland yesterday was made by the Hon. W. E. Parry, Labour candidate for Auckland Central, when addressing an audience of about 150 at the Masonic Hall, Queen Street, last night. , "Tonight I must make reference to my opponents," said Mr., Parry, in opening his address. "Today, there was I brought to me a circular dropped from1 the air.. Thousands, I believe, were dropped round Auckland, and in my electorate, and a lot, also, into the sea." A voice: The proper place for them. ■ "I don't much mind what is in the pamphlet," Mr. Parry continued. "It is a typical piece of Lee-ism that I will leave to the electors to deal with. But I am complaining at the way in which ,the circular was distributed." Mr. Lee's candidates were .unable to get well-attended meetings, or helpers to deliver printed matter, Mr. Parry contended. Because of this, the Lee party had been forced to resort to other means of spreading their propaganda. He wondered if Mr. Lee would deny that he had entered into an arrangement. "It is a serious offence. More will, of course, he heard of it," he added.