QUESTIONS.

Northern Advocate, 2 November 1922, Page 6

QUESTIONS.

AT THE HUSTINGS

CANDIDATE'S BUSY TIME

Mr'J. R. Corrigan, who i> wellknown in' North Auckland, particularly by reason of his interest in sheep dog trials, is contesting the Patea seat, at the general election as a Lib-eral-Labour candidate. lfe addressed a large meeting in Hawera the,.other night, and the "Star" reports his speech at some length. The portion under the heading of "questions;" makes good reading:—

Replying to Mr Death, the candidate said that lie would never assist Air Holland to get oa the Ministerial tenches, but if his vote would put Mr Massey out of power he would get it i't.ir in the neck. (Applause.) Mr Death: You stated in your address that you would in no way associate yourself with Mr Holland. Would yon vote with Mr Holland on a no-confidence motion? Mr Corrigan: I have had to tell you before, Mr Death, that God gave you brains and I could .not give you intelligence. (Laughter.)

Mr Death: Tf returned would you act as yon did as a director of the Farmers' Co-op.? Mr Corrigan: How did I act in the Co-op.? A voice: Come on, Jim, tell us how .you are gUng to "hact." (Laughter.) Mr Corrigan: Whatever I have done ' have, done in the best interests of the concern I have been on. (Loud applause.') Mr Death: I challenge you (Uproar.) The chairman: .We do not want challenges. We want questions. Mr Death: I have a perfect, right to ask any questions about Mr Corrigan 's public life. Voices; No. no. Mr Corrigan invited Mr Death to come on the platform, but the in vita-

{ion was declined. Mr Gawith: Will you givo us your I'views on proportional representation? Mr Corrigan: I would support preferential voting, by which a majority would rule. I am not in sympathy with proportional representation. Ho further stated that he would leave, the I electorates as they vrere. The chairman here announced that he had a written question, and Mr Corrigan on looking at .it said: "I think the man who wrote this question should stand up and ask it. If I met ' him outside he would not. be game to ask it." . Mr Gawith: Can you answer it? Mr Corrigan: That is my business. The question does not deal wi'th politics. Mr Brown asked if Mr Corrigan favoured a system of election by which minorities would be represented in Parliament. Mr Corrigan: As I favour majority rule I cannot support minorities. Mr Sheat asked if Mr Corrigan's party leader was not in favour of proportional representation. Mr Corrigan: There are political conundrums the answers to which I air- not yet familiar with, but I will bo a very apt pupil when I get to Parliament. What I think" is in. the best interests of the country I will snppprt. I will not be a blind sup-

'porter of any man. Mr Win..Brown: Was not a Liberal responsible for the defeat of the Dairy Produce Export Bill? Mr Corrigan: Mr Massey could have put it through if he liked. He (Mr Corrigan) was not responsible ; for what happened at Stratford. Mr S. Blake challenged the statement that the same people that valued soldiers' lands before were valuing them now. Mr Corrigan: I know you are a Reform valuer, and I did not want to tread on your corns; but the very man who valued the property at the back of Waverley is valuing it again. Mr Blake: I challenge you to px - ove it. Mr Corrigan: You are on a bad wicket, Sam; the pitch has broken up under you. 'Mr P. O'Dea: If there are only two parties, Labour and Bcform, which will you ally yourself with? Mr Corrigan: While I am in the House that situation will never arise. There will be one Liberal-Labour member. , Mr O'Dea: What do you think of Mr Isitt's arrangement with Mr Massey? Mr Corrigan: I am not here to answer for Mr Isitt's or Mr Massey's sins. I am here *to answer for Jim Corrigan's sins. (Applause and laughter.) Mr O'Dea: You are flogging a dead horse. Mr Corrigan: Well, I have not been on you yet, Pat. (Loud laughter.) Mr O'Dea: I will ask one iuoiv question. Mr Corrigan: Xot too hard a one Pat. I'm only a new chum, you knmv-. (Laughter.) Mr O'Dea: Will von explain why

the Liberal Party litis been weaker and weaker since i!>OS, and will you tell us how many followers Mr Wilford lias? Mr Corrigan: It is camouflage. Mr Massev by his hypnotic powers had many blind followers, and i: was justabout time they got a clear vision. Mr O'Dea: Yon s:-id tlfat Mr Holland was disloval. In what a;i i how?

Mr Coirigurj; I kept this one for you, Pat. it is a good one. (Lau<jhrer.) Mr Corrigan tlien read a speech delivered by Mr Holland on December ; >. 1.91 S, and reported" in Hansard, in which ho stated that he did not pose as a pacifist, but as a revolutionary socialist.

O'Dea: ' That is not disloyalty. I did not like that reference in your otherwise good speech.

Mr Corrigan: Mr Massey stated in the House on July 13 that Mr Holland was one of the best political friends I he had. I Mr Gawith asked why the Liberal Party had changed its name —to "united, progressive, and so on." Mr Corrigan replied that the Liberal Party had always been united; it was also progressive, as its legislation proved. • Mr O'Dea: Will you explain why the Liberals cannot get candidates for the city and suburban seats? A voice: Give someone elst? a chance. Why can't the Labour Party get one for Hawera? Mr Corrigan: The Liberals have candidates for practically every seat. A voice: Mr O'Dea has been a Liberal himself. Mr Corrigan: Mr O'Dea is where the money is. Mr Sheat: The principle of ' proxy voting had been introduced in Queensland: would Mr Corrigan favour its introduction into New Zealand? He understood Mr Corrigan had found the principle useful in connection with the Hawera Dairy Company.

Mr Corrigan: Whenever I have used proxy voting I have not abused it.

A man, who .said lie had been scrutineer at the Ho.wera Dairy Com-' panv's election, gave figures to showthat Mr Corrigan had used proxies fairly. Mr Gawith: Would the candidate support State aid to sectarian schools, or would he stand foursquare for State education? Mr Corrigan: If sectarian bodies liked to establish schoels he saw no objection to their doing so, inasmuch as they would be saving the i State expense. If it would be cheaper to the country to give grants to private schools he saw no harm in doing it. The candidate was asked by a questioner what his views on the licensing question were. Mr' Corrigan replied that the issue was there for all. ''Vote as you think fit." A voicc: I want to know how" you would vote. Mr Gawith: Suppose it wa? a Parliamentary measure? Mr Corrigan: I'm sure you don't want to know my views, Mr Gawith. I know you have no intention of votii.g for me. (Cheers and laughter.) Replying to a further question on tin's matter, Mr Corrigan said he did not agree with the measure on the Statute Book. The general elections were overshadowed with the licensing pell, and he favoured extending the period between the polls from three to ' nine years. Mr Gawith rose again, but. was howled down and counted out. ' At Mr Corrigan's request Mr Gawith was allowed to put his question, and asked if the candidate was in favour of increasing racing per-

nvits. Mr Corrigan: I am in favour of carrying out the report of the commission—a report which cost thousands of pounds to obtain and has not' been used. A voice: Would you favour publishing dividends in the daily papers? Mr Corrigan: I could never see that cutting thein out had done any good. There was a lull at this stage, and Mr Corrigan asked if there were no more hecklers. Mr Harrison asked if Mr Corrigan '.bought it fair to pay casuals in dairy factories 10s a day while the unemployed were offered lis. Mr Corrigan pointed out that the dairy factory worker obtained perlcs which brought his wages up to l.'ls or 14s a day. A voice: Xo. : Mr Corrigan: When I asked you to do extra work, did L pay you extra or not?

Mr Harrison: Yes, you did.' A voice: Are you in favour of State lotteries?

Mr Corrigan: Thousands of pounds were sent out of New Zealand everv year, end other countries got the benefit. They had the totalisator, and to be consistent they might as well legalise State lotteries. Mr O'Dea: Would Mr Corrigan be in favour of legalising the bookmaker? A oiees: Of course he would. (Loud laughter.) Mr Corrigan: Xo, I would not. At the close of the meeting Mr Taylor moved, and Mr Murphy seconded, that the speaker be accorded a very hearty vote of thanks for his aide address. Mr O'Dea moved as an amendment: That tb:s meeting, while tendering the speaker a vote of thanks for his good :nldi'(;<- >'.;nl answers to questions, is

of the opinion that the time has come when 1110 Liberal Party should definitely ally itself with the Massev Party. Mr Gawith seconded the amend*ll rat. r i lie UMidmrMit was hist on a show of and on bein;;- put the motion was earned by a large majority.