VERY BUSY DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 283, 3 November 1925, Page 8

VERY BUSY DAY

PRIME MINISTER IN AUCKLAND* WON I)ERFUL RECEPTION RECEIVED. CARRIED SHOULDER HIGH BY DIGGERS. A MEMORABLE OCCASION. (Per Press Association.) AUCKLAND, Nov. 2. Tho Prime Minister spent a very full day in Auckland to-day. Arriving by the Limited express at 9.26, he motored to the large construction camp on the railway deviation at Tamaki and addressed a large open-air meeting of Public Works employees and people from the surrounding districts. A few Labour supporters among the camp men showed in small ways how tlic/ir sympathies lav, but Mr Coates received a good hearing and a vote of thanks to him, and confidence in the Reform candidate for Mamikau, Mr John M assey, was carried without opposition, and Mr Coates and the Government candidate were heartily cheered. At noon the Prime Minister addressed the employees at the Newmarket railway workshops. His audience was rather critical and a number of questions were put. He was accorded a vote of thanks, some of tho men cheering in support of Labour. After lunch lie addressed a most enthusiastic meeting at Mangere east, Mr John Massey being present. He was entertained at dinner by the first battalion of the Auckland Regiment, N.Z.E.F., and his health was drunk with the utmost enthusiasm. A further meeting at Onehunga was attended by many Labour supporters who went in for much good-humoured interruption, which Mr Coates took in good part. He was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence by a majority. All unprecedented demonstration marked the proceedings at the Town Hall in the evening. There was a crowded attendance of 3000, while 2000 more outside listened to broadcast speeches. The Prime Minister arrived from the meeting at Onehunga at nine o’clock, at the close of speeches given by Auckland Reform candidates, Mr Coates was given a remarkable reception by tho audience. He was carried into the hall shoulder high by comrades of wartime days, amid a scene of great enthusiasm, hakas by his soldier friends, the singing of .“For Hehs a Jolly Good Fellow” and the presentation of a bouquet to Mrs Contes. The mere preliminaries were carried out in a memorable fashion. In his speech, Mr Coates said that the Government was out to give equal opportunities to the humblest citizens in the land and to carry out the progressive policy which had been given in the form of its manifesto. There were brighter days ahead than they had ever seen in the past. If tho Government was returned to power definite schemes for hydro-electric, railway, telephone, land drainage and irrigation extensions would be put into operation. Cuts in the civil servants’ wages had been necessary, but thes present Government gave an assurance that there would be no further interference with the civil service salaries. He denied that the Government had increased indirect taxation. The greater amount of customs duties was due to greater importations. The Government wanted to give the right to the individual to make his homeliis own. The Government had never suggested that workers wages should be reduced 7s 6d per week. The Government’s idea was to give assistance to a man with over twe children from the Consolidated Fund and from no other source. Ho issued an appeal to support candidates who would form a strong, stable and patriotic Government, and no others. No Government, no section of an army, no platoon, ever did any good unless it had discipline. They coujd not without it present a united front. The Prime Minister was loudly applauded at tho close of his speech. Sir James Gunson, in moving a vote of thanks to Mr Coates and confidence in tho Reform Government, said that Mr Coates had outlined his policy in a. statesmanlike way. The motion was carried practically unanimously and the gathering concluded with prolonged cheers.