Motion and Amendment

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 238, 8 October 1938, Page 5

Motion and Amendment

Mr. Hamilton Speaks m Invercargill NOISY SECTION IN EVIDENCE Per Press Association. INVERCARGILL, Last Night. A stormy reception was given Hon. Adam Hamilton, the National candidate for Wallace, at Nightcaps. More than 400 persons waited for more than half-an-hour until Mr. Hamilton, who had been delayed at his Ohai meeting, arrived. When Mr. Hamilton entered the hall he was greeted with booing and cheering, and it was obvious from the outset that a big section of the audience was determined to heckle the candidate and ridicule almost every criticism of the Labour Government policy. It could be said, however, that Mr. Hamilton was accorded a good hearing. Much of the interjection was either fair questioning or good humour, and at no stage could it be said that the candidate was not allowed to proceed with his address. Mr. Hamilton made many points which were warmly applauded by not a small section of the audience. His repartee was good and more often than not he scored. Mr. Hamilton laid particular emphasis on some of the provisions of the Social Security Act and the compensated and guaranteed prices. When tho chairman, Mr. W. Excell, asked for a motion, there was eagerness on the part of several in the audience to move one. Mr. A. Prendiville rose and, addressing the candidate, said: “Mr. Hamilton, you have put up quite a good battle here, and as we expected this to be your last appearance, we came along to sec and hear you.” Laughter and cheering greeted this remark. Mr. Hamilton: It’s all right; you’ll see me again.

Voices: Nothing doing! We have eeea the last of you. There was general uproar, and when the noise subsided, Mr. Prendiville pioved a motion of thanks to Mr. Hamilton for his address and no-con-fidence in him as a political candidate Cor Wallace, and no-confidence in the National Party. Mftre fheering broke out and several in the hall seconded the motion. There was another outburst by a noisy section of the audience. Mr. John A. Beck then stood on the stage and endeavoured to move a motion in favour of Mr. Hamilton. After the chairman had appealed for a hearing for the mover of the amendment, Mr. Beck moved that Mr. Hamilton be accorded a hearty vote of thanks for his instructive address, confidence in him as a fit and proper 'person to take tho position of Prime Minister of New Zealand, and confidence in the National Party. The amendment was received with boos and applause. Mr. Prendiville protested about acceptance of the amendment, saying it was a direct negative. The chairman appealed to the audience to “take it in a sporting raanner.” “Wo are all friends here, irrespective of our political leanings,” he said. “Mr. Hamilton is entitled to a vote of thanks, and that is asked for. The ballot box is the place to show confidence or otherwise.” Amid more uproar the chairman declared the vote “fifty-fifty,” whereupon a section of tho crowd clamoured for a show of hands. That was the final incident in a meeting characterised by persistent interjection anJ divided applause and booing. UR. McMILLAN REPLIES TO MB. S. G. SMITH’S CLAIM PENSIONERS NOT SUBJECT TO TAXATION Per Press Association. OAMARU, Last Night. Speaking on the age benefits under the Social Security Act at the Opera House to-night Dr. D. G. McMillan (member for Dunedin West) stated that all cash benefits were exempt from wages tax. Broadcasting from New Plymouth, Mr. S. Smith stated that old age pen sioners would not receive 30s a week but would receive 30s less the wage tax of Is 6d. Mr. S. G. Holland said the same thing in Oamaru last night. Mr. Smith challenged anyone to show where a pension was exempt in the Act, staling he would publically apologise if he was wrong. Dr. McMillan read from : the Act page 7, part 2, clause 10, reading: 11 Income does not include any benefit received under this part of the Act of any pension or allowance received under any Act repealed by this Act. ’ ’ “If the National Party,” said Dr. McMillan, spent only half the time reading the Act that they did in concocting criticism there would be no criticism.” He hoped Mr. Smith would apologise and admit he did not know what he was talking about. NOT MADE ONLY TO HOTELKEEPERS EXPLANATION BY LABOUR PARTY Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Last Night. Following the publication of an Auckland message that the Labour Representation Committee w'as appealing to hotel-keepers for funds on behalf of the Labour Party, a letter has been received from the national secretary of the Labour Party, Hon. D. Wilson, M.L.C. The letter is as follows: — “I noticed a Press Association message in which it is stated that the Auckland Labour Representation Committee had issued an appeal to hotelkeepers for donations to the Labour Party’s funds, and as this action would be in opposition to the practice of the party, either locally or nationally, I telephoned the secretary, Mr. T. P. McCready, for an explanation. He assures me there is no truth in the insinuation

that the letter was sent to hotel-keepers only, but on the contrary the letter was sent to all business people who were believed to be in sympathy with the policy of the Labour Government. “Ou behalf of the Labour Party I resent very much this attempt to mislead the electors and infer that the appeal was made to any particular section of the business community and can assure you it was sent among others to business men who were strong „•©- cates of prohibition. Please give the same prominence to this denial as was given to tho Press Association message. —Thanking you in anticipation, yours faithfully, D. Wilson, national secretary.” MR. SAVAGE CHEERED TO THE ECHO BIG AUDIENCE HEARS HIM AT NEW PLYMOUTH Per Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, Last Night. One of the largest political meetings ever held at New Plymouth was addressed to-night by the Prime Minister (lU. Hon. M. J. Savage), between 3000 and 4000 people in three halls and the street listening to his exposition of the Government’s policy. Mr. Savage visited both overflow meetings, and both there and at the main assembly ho was cheered to the echo. The meeting terminated with a vote of confidence, and the crowd gathered outside the hail and at Mr. Savage’s hotel to cheer him again. Thousands of people lined the streets while Mr. Savage was driving from hall to hail. HOSTILE RECEPTION FOR MR. LANGSTONE GOVERNMENT RECEIVES NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION Per Pi ess Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, Last Night. A hostile reception was accorded the Minister of Lands (Hon. F. Langstonc) when he addressed a meeting of about 300, most of whojn were farmers, at Manaia to-night. The Minister's review of the Labour Government's activities and policy for the future was punctuated by interjections and at times booing. A motion of no confidence in the Government was carried. TWO WATERSIDERS FINED MIRAMAR MEETING DISTURBED Per Press Association WELLINGTON, Last Night. Declaring that it was very important indeed that the law regarding the proper conduct of meetings should be enforced, Mr. J. H. Luxford, S.M., fined each of two watersiders £3 and costs for disturbing a meeting in the Capitol Theatre, Miramar, on October 4. Accused were Jeremiah Condon and Henry Flynn, and the meeting was a political address by Mr. Barker, the National candidate for Wellington East. The police said that several people were spoken to during the meeting, which was a packed one, and behave! after that, but the two defendants were carried away with themselves and did not seem as if they could behave after they W'ere spoken to. Condon, to the Magistrate, when he said that Mr. Barker was there as a candidate to express his views and the people to listen or go out: That may be so, but it is a very nard thing to sit down and listen to lies. Mr. Luxford: I had to do it for many years, and also the truth, too! INFLATION INEVITABLE IF LABOUR GOES BACK MR. POLSON’S VIEW From Our Own Correspondent. HASTINGS, Oct. 7. "The plain figures set out fn last week’s Gazette tell the tale of where New Zealand is heading financially,” said Mr. W. J, Poison, National candidate for Stratford, in an address at Huiroa. The proportion of reserve to note* and other demand liabilities, he said, in the statement of assets and liabilities of the Reserve Bank had fallen to 60.785 per cent. The pool of sterlinj exchange in London which constituted New Zealand’s real reserve had never been so depleted since the foundation of the bank. It was down to £11,449,447. The lowest it had ever been previously was £16.534,425 in December, 1936. It meant that the fund? were dangerously reduced. There was likelihood of a further reduction before the new season's produce was sold and it began to be clear why the Minister of Finance had cut down the committee’s recommendation regarding the new season's guaranteed price by over a million and a-quarter. He ventured to prophesy that if the Labour Government was returned $ plunge into the facile but fatal path of nflation was inevitable. The fund* were not there to sustain the strain of extravagant expending the Government had engaged in. A* shown in this week’s Reserv* Bank statement, sterling exchange ha* further decreased to £10,505,000, and the proportion of reserve to notes and other demand liabilities has decreased to 57.259 rpnf