EDEN BY-ELECTION.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XVI, Issue 89, 31 March 1926, Page 5

EDEN BY-ELECTION.

CAMPAIGN LIVENING UP. MISS MELVILLE MAKES ALLEGATIONS. Auckland, Mar. 30. The Eden by-election campaign is livening up. Last night Miss Melville addressed a lively meeting. There was much noise at times, but the candidate had a large measure of support. Miss Melvill e declared that a paid organiser of a party was going round the electorate and trying to discredit her. His statements had not been made at the public meetings, but he made a special ity of addressing small meetings of; Women. The organiser, she declared, had stated to a recent meeting of women at Avondale that she had been, offered £l5O a year for three years and then a safe scat if she would retire from ' the contest. He had named the seat which was to be offered her, and had added that sh e had refused to retire. ‘ ‘ What, ’ ’ he had asked, ‘ ‘ could you do with a woman like that? ” “ That might be someone’s idea of me,” remarked Miss Melville, “but I believe in honourable dealing. I was not going to tell anyone about it, but Mr Davy nas done so, and I will speak about it now. Mr Wilson came into my office, but he did not put it in the bald way I have given it you. Mr Davy did not mention my reply. I said: ‘Mr Wilson, it is no use making an offer like that to me. The proper person to make it to is Sir James Gunson.’ ’’ MR POTTER’S VIEWS. Later in the meeting Mr V. H. Potter, M.P. for Roskill, who was presene, said he made no apology for coming forward in support of Melville, who really needed no one to plead her cause. “I know my responsibility in this matter’’ he continued. “A candidate is asked sometimes to support his party right or wrong, but the party is not responsible for what has happened. It is a small coterie of business men who are so anxious to get a certain gentleman in that they are using methods which they have no use. It is the same little financial and commercial coteri e that supported Sir James Gun son as a Progressive Independent that wanted to turn out Mr Massey and put in Sir James Gunson and his platform.” The speaker became involved in heated exchanges with several people over alleged packing of Reform meetings. He declared that he was convinced that Mr Coates knew nothing of what had been going on. Eventually a vote of thanks and confidence was put and declared carried, “ayes” and “noes” making nearly the same amount of noise. Th P candidate was cheered by a section of the audience.