WHY HE "RATTED."

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVIII, Issue 10733, 2 November 1928, Page 4

WHY HE "RATTED."

MR CLAYTON AND THE REFORM LEAGUE.

NO LOVE FOR MR LYSNAR

The electors who attended Mr Clayton's address on behalf of the United Party at the City Hall last night wore entertained’ at some length with some of his views on Mr Lysnar, tho sitting member, and no doubt will await with great interest Mr Lysnarls summing up, in turn, of Mr Clayton. The sitting member for Gisborne, said Mr Clayton, had, in reply io his question, classified himself as Independent Reform. He was pleased to hear the announcement, as he had had doubts as to the capacity, in which Mr Lysnar stood. He claimed, however, that Independent Reformers should iiot receive the support of the Reform party, for the Reform official organ, “Newsletter,” had declared that- a vote for an Independent Reform candidate was ns much a vote for Labor, the Uniteds or the Country Party. Mr Lysnar, continued Mr Clayton, had apparently a short memory concerning his political views, for, although the Gisborne member claimed he had always been Independent Reform, the speaker coiild prove that Mr Lysnar first stood as an Independent and later, in response to twitting by Sir Janies Carroll, at Wniroaj asserted that ho was a Liberal. Shortly afterwards, he rebuked the Herald for applying another political party’s “tag” to him and announced be had always been a Liberal in the past and would continue to be so. It was time Mr Lvsnar’s true political position was defined. It was, continued Mr Clayton, more difficult still to define the position of the Reform League in this district. Ho had been accused by Mr Lysnar of telling the half truth of the dispute between the local Reform League and himself at the previous election, when Mr Lysnar had claimed he had spurned the League’s offer of support because the speaker and another gentleman were members of the League, and were not supporters of his. If he had only told the half truth, as Mr Lysnar had said, then Mr Lvsnar’s statement was, in fact, only the millionth part of the truth. He did! not know who was the other gentleman on the Reform League to whom Mr Lysnar claimed be had objected. He declared that the Reform League had in 1925 openly discussed Mr Lysnar, had objected to him as candidate, and had deplored the. fact that it couldn’t get another candidate to stand against him. Then, when the League had supported Mr Lysnar, ho had left their ranks. If the correspondence and telegrams that had passed between the local League and Wellington on the matter wore published, he assured the gathering it. would make very interesting reading. The Reform League’s attitude in putting forward Mr Lysnar as its candidate, continued Mr Clayton, was purely based on its fear of I.abor. This' was, however, not a Labor constituency, as there. were no large manufactories or industries here; it was essentially a pastoral centre, and, therefore, the Reform League need have had no fear as it was improbable that the Labor candidate would exceed the figures recorded at the previous polls. A voice: “Question?” Mr Clayton. “They may poll a little more of course.” A voice: “We’ll sec Ml about that.” Proceeding, Mr Clayton said that the people nil knew about*Mr Lvsnar’s municipal record: about the bnrough loan he had floated. and about his financial operations in connection with the meat works anti in -connection with the Admiral Codrington, which, had brought distress to the community. Many people were still suffering as a result of these ventures of Mr Lvsnar’s and it was. therefore, right that there should he another candidate, through whom these electors could express themselves. His attitude to Mr Lysnar -could be summed up in Sb'dock’s words: “J. will buy with you and sell with vou, and walk with you. but ] will neither eat with you, drink with you or pray with yon.”— (Laughter.)