LIVELY MEETING AT THE BAY

Evening Star, Issue 18136, 28 November 1922, Page 9

LIVELY MEETING AT THE BAY

’ —' ' ME STATHAM’S LICENSING attitude; ' HIS WIFE TAKES PART IN CONTROVERSY. REFUTES MB MASIAN'S CHARGE. At the outset of Mr W. S Alaslin s mooting at Anderson Bay last eveningthere' wore only some lifty electors present; but tho attendanee ( incrc.xs*d considerably -during the evening, and nt tho close there were fully 100 present. Air W. H. Down, who presided, stated! that it was Mr Alaslin’s purpose to reply to tho speech delivered there a few evenings ago by Mr Statham. ■. „ Mr Maslin began by attacking the Reform Party, claiming that its members in past years had opposed various pieces of Liberal legislation for which it now desired to claim credit. He also vigorously criticised tho impracticable platform put forward by -the Labor Party. Although ho was in sympathy with and supported manv of the planks taken separately and judged on their individual merits, yet as a whole thb platform was of so extreme a nature that a practical men could not subscribe to it. It appeared that he (Mr Maslin) had been laboring under a mistalc© in supposing that there were only three political parties on the -horizon today, whereas there was a fourth, tho National Progressive Liberal-Labor Party. Mr Statham had told them that that party was still in existence, but apparently the solo representative of it wax to be found in tho person of Mr Statham himself. m A Voice: What about Tommy Wilford? Ho is a member of it. Mr Maslin: No; ho never was. Any way, I'm not standing as fi Tommy Wilfordite. A Voice: Ho wouldn’t have yon. \ou were turned down before three times. Mr Maslin: I never was turned down in my life. I have a lot,tor in my pocket in winch Mr Wilford asks me. to aland for Ashburton, but I declined. Argument ensued between Air Maslin and Air Brockie about how much of Air Statham’a speech was to be read, till Air Maslin demanded: “ Are you tho gentleman that carao up to my meeting in Carroll street and asked mo to road .this?’ Air Brockie: I am. I am tho chairman of Air Statham's Central Committee. Air Alaslin remarked that he would not send men round to other people’s meetings. Air Brockie: I beg your pardon. vou rent your son up to Air Statham’s meeting in Mornlngton with a list of questions as long aa your arm. Air Maslin said that his son was an elector of the district, and free to ask any questions he liked l . Mr Maslin, jun., added to the unexpected turn of events by rising and warmly declaring: “ Those were my own questions. I put them to Air Statham, and he answered them as a gentleman.” (Applause.) Tho wrangle) about reading Mr Statham’s speech continued. Air Alaslin quoted Air Statham as saying on the Licensing Committee’s report: “ I found myself in the position of having to remember that I had made certain, pledges at tho last election; and even if 1 changed my mind in the meantime, I considered myself bound to vole on the committee in accordance with - the pledges I had given.” Ho went on to declare that the pledges referred to were not given to any temperance organisation. He had asked Air Statham through the Press what the pledges were and to whorn they wore given, but Air Statham had failed to reply. The report of the Licensing Committee was opposed in every way to the Prohibition platform, and he left them to draw their own conclusions. Further controversy led to Air Maslin, inviting Ala 1 Brockie to call a meeting of

Ilia own and state his position, when he (Air Alaslin) would bo pleased to reply to him.

Mr Alaslin proceeded to criticise Air Statham’a published platform clause by clause. He concluded by announcing himself as a lifelong temperance worker, and said: “On polling day I shall strike out tho top line, as I have always done.” A Femalo Voice (anxiously): The two (.op lines! (Laughter.) Air .Alaslin admitted the slip. Air B-rookio returned to the attack with his demand for the reading of certain paragraphs .from ‘Hansard.’ Eventually Mr Alaslin asked: “Does Air Statham deny that ho -was ono of -the seven members of tho 'Licensing Committee who brought down the report?” Voices; Yes! Air Alaslin ; I am glad to have a, femalo barracker. Airs Statham (rising) s I am Airs Statham, Air Maslin. Air Alaslin: I congratulate any lady who will stick up for hor husband. (Applause.) Mrs Statham: I happen to know what I am speaking about. ■Air Alaslin: Sometimes ladies who get their information from their husbands Airs Statham; I don’t. I get mine from tho House. Air Alaslin eventually decided to read the whole of -Air Statham’s speech, Air Brockie meantime chocking the reading from his own copy of ‘Hansard.’ When Air Alaslin returned to the question of Air Statham’s pledges Airs Statham asked : “Do you draw the conclusion that ho made those pledges to the ‘trade’?’’ Air Alaslin : That is the only conclusion I can -come to. Ho went on to quote recommendations of the report much against Prohibition. “Airs Statham: Air Statham opposed that very strongly. Air Alaslin : How do you know 7 Why did he not say eo in the House and put it on record? Mrs Statham then read a telegram -from Mr R, A. Wright, one of the throe Prohibition members of tho comm-itce, recording the detail of seven divisions on matters of vital principle on which Mr Statham had voted -with the Prohibition section of the committee. (Applause.) She asked what efforts Air Alaslin had made to find out how Air Statham had stood before ho made -these charges. Air Alaslin : I made no charges. (Dissent and cries of “Oh!”) i Airs Statham e-aid Air Statham was getting a copy of tho minutes of the committee sent down, -and -they could bo open to Air Alaslin’s inspection. Air Alaslin said ho could never accept a copy, or an -alleged copy, of a. State document, because lie know too well the possibilities in relation to those things. _ After further discussion Air Alaslin- said he knew Air Statham did not make pledges to the No-license Party. Airs Statham : Excuse me, ho did! She proceeded to defail pledges, _ such as to vote against extension of license hours beyond 6 o’clock, and to vote against extension of time for enforcement of Prohibition, which, she said, he made to tho electors at the last -election. Those were tho pledges he had referred to. Air Alaslin asked Why, in that case, Air Statham hud not dissociated himself from -the report? Airs Statham: He did .not join in with the -majority. , An elector wished to know why .Mr Statham did not tell them these things when he was in Anderson Bay before. Mrs Statham: He did. The Elector: Excuse me, my dear—(loud laughter)— friend Air Alaslin (smiling); This is what I call a real, nice, lively political meeting! When question time arrived Air Alaslin had a busy three-quarters of an hour. Air Statham’s supporters fired questions at him thick and fast; candidate was quite equal to the occasion, and entertained the audience with his quick replies and good-humored sallies. Tbe meeting closed with a hearty vote of thanks to Air Maslin, a similar compliment being paid to the chairman.