Disgraceful Conduct of Hecklers

Northern Advocate, 5 October 1938, Page 3

Disgraceful Conduct of Hecklers

{ [Special: to '’Northern Advocate”} AUCKLAND, This Day. Immediately Mr. D. Pool, National candidate for Eden, stepped on to the platform at the Jubilee Hall, Kingsland. Cn Monday night, he met with hooting and booing, the stamping of feet, and ironic laughter. Three times during the meeting the chairman, Mr. H. A. Anderson, Mayor of Mt. Albert, appealed to the audience for fair play, but with little effect. Eventually a man , was arrested by the police. I The meeting commenced' with three ; cheers fer Mr. Savage. After the noise had quietened down, Mr. Pool was Introduced, and said that the fundamental differences between the National l>arty and the Socialist Party were—

An Uproar That was the signal for derisive shouts, hooting and cries of “Labour, not Socialist.” Mr Pool repeated his statement, and said it was the difference between private enterprise and State control. Voices: Call that off. You can’t get away with that. No one believes it.

Mr Fool: We of the National Party stand

Voice: You will never stand for Eden, don’t you worry. Mr Pool: I’ll be there, all right. You’re going to have it, so you may as well listen to the rest. The National Party is democratic, entirely democratic. Voices: Rot. Where did you get that one from? You don’t believe that bunkum. A Heckler Ejected. Booing broke out again when Mr Pool began to speak upon the Social Security Scheme. When he said the Labour Government was fooling the people, and that all the friendly societies were not in favour' of the scheme, the noise was so great that the people in the front seats could not hear what the candidate said. For some time he faced the shrieking of women and the angry shouts of men. The Mayor appealed once more to the crowd, which at last .responded, but a man jumped to his feet, and began to shout. He was taken into custody by the police, and ejected from the ball. His supporters, men, women and girls, followed him out, and as they left the hall they shook their fists and jeered at the candidate. Mr Pool replied: You can’t take it.