MR HOLLAND AT HUNTLY

Evening Star, Issue 25730, 1 March 1946, Page 7

MR HOLLAND AT HUNTLY

NATIONAL LEADER FORGES A HEARING NOISY OBSTRUCTIVE AUDIENCE (P.A.) AUCKLAND, Feb. .28. Pandemonium reigned in the Huntly Town Hall for -nearly two hours last night when an overflow audience of almost 1,000 people booed, catcalled, whistled, and stamped their feet to such effect that the' National Party candidate for the Eaglan seat, Mr H. Johnstone, was unable to deliver his address. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr S. 6. Holland, who followed, managed to complete his entire speech in the face, of vociferous opposition and a continual din of unintelligible interjections. Exceptional interest was taken in the meeting, and the hall -was nearly filled more than half an, hour before the starting time. When Mr Holland arrived, accompanied by Mr Johnstone and Mr W. S. Goosman, M.P. for Waikato, the crowd gave vent to deafening evidence of its disapproval, interspersed with scattered applause. Three cheers were given for the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and the audience sang " For he's a jolly good fellow." After \ God Save the King ' had been played, the Mayor of Huntly, Mr G. Smith, -who presided, appealed for a fair hearing, but as booii as Mr Johnstone rose to his feet the crowd gave tongue in no uncertain terms. • With the aid of a public address system, Mr Johnstone was heard to give the opening sentence of his address before his words were drowned by a chanting chorus which counted him out. " Never let it be said that a Huntly audience would not listen to a man," said the Chairman. Mr Johnstone rose again, but, apparently deciding that he could not be heard, sat down amid cries of " Oh, sliut up I" and " Bring on Holland!" Mr Holland was greeted by piercing whistles, raucous catcalls, and the stamping of feet, but there was a proportion of applause. He waited patiently with a smile on 'his face as men jumped up in their seats gesticulating and shouting unheard remarks. " I came here to-night for three reasons," Mr Holland was heard to say. " I think it was the proper thing to do, that you would expect me to come, and that I should answer the fellow who said I was not game to come. (Applause.) It is right and proper in a democratic country for both sides to be heard, and I have come here to enjoy myself, as much as you. I also came to Huntlv to get to know the coal miners." (Roars of sardonic laughter.) > For fully an hour the audience remained in full cry, and Mr Holland was counted out on innumerable occasions. A storm of protest greeted his statement that some men who were now Cabinet Ministers went to prison, rather than go to the First World War, and yet in the Second World War they sent men to prison because they would not go. It was reasonable .. for people to lose faith in the system of government when they saw such a change of front. " I want to say something about strikes)" said Mr Holland, who added that the National Party, would not tolerate any compulsory direction of man power or woman power. "I believe that it is the British right of every citizen to strike ii he wants to, just the same as it is, the right of an employer- to engage'-br discharge a worker. ■' ••' PENAL TAXATION. "Taxation has reached such a level that a firm which wanted to start in Christchurch and employ 500 men, half of them ex-service-men, found that, although it would have a capital expenditure of between £20,000 and £25,000, if it made a profit of £I,OOO not less than £949 would be taken by the Government. (Loud cheers.) ■' We should increase the. size of the cake instead of squabbling over the distribution of a smaller cake," said Mr Holland when urging the need for production. " Nothing is more vital than harmonious relationships in in- . dustry between employer and employee. I believe that 95 per cent, of the working people are decent, honest, and upright men and women. (Loud laughter.) I have nothing in common with the greedy, money-grabbing capitalist." (Renewed jeering.) Mr Hol"land made reference to a very small band of trouble-makers, but his words were lost in the ensuing uproar. " I pay the miners a triblute for achieving a record coal output. Mr Nash has asked for more production, but he would have a better chance if he had not made your taxation, so heavy." (Laughter, mingling with applause.) " The time is ripe for an overhaul of the industrial system, and if the workers increase production they •- should not be penalised by paying more taxation." Mr Holland referred to housing and to some aspects of his party's policy. He said sales tax would be removed from all building materials and) a wide range of- everyday commodities, such as furniture, refrigerators, clothes, and shoes. As Mr Holland persisted, the audience, although far from passive, became rather moresubdued. There was. however, still the occasional cry of " Shut up! " and " Sit down! " " I am not sitting down until I have finished my speech," said Mr Holland. In .conclusion, he thanked the audience for the warmth of its welcome and) hoped that all had enjoyed it as much as he had. After question time a member of the audience rose to propose a vote of thanks to the speaker,, but his words could not be heard above the uproar. An amendment of no-confidence in the speaker and the National Party and of complete loyalty to the Labour Party and its candidates was carried bv a chorus of cheers and whistles.