UPROARIOUS MEETING.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17329, 28 November 1919, Page 8

UPROARIOUS MEETING.

CANDIDATE SHOUTED DOWN. MR. THOMAS DENIED HEARING CHEERS FOR LABOUR PARTY. The meeting addressed by Mr. J. Jolley Thomas, Government candidate for Auckland Central, in St. James' Hall, last j evening, was boisterous in its nature. The , speaker was not given a hearing for the remarks he attempted to make. A constant stream of interjection, suggestion, and "chaff' flowed from one section of the well-filled hall, and that particular portion of the audience was so determined to carry the meeting in its own. way that the appeals of neither the chairman nor tlio candidate himself succeeded in producing sufficient quietness to permit of the delivery of a n ordered address. Mr. J. Joiner presided. Mr. Thomas began by saying : "On the 14th of next rnontti—" A chorus of voices suggested that he meant tho 17th, and a. noisy argument began in the back concerning which date the speaker really meant. When this died away the candi- i date objected that the audience bad not > waited to hear what he did mean to say. I He continued that the fourteenth of the j month would be the last day on which ! the issues could be placed before the electors, and the seventeenth the day on which the new Parliament was to be selected. He then reviewed the possible selection in Auckland Central, mention of the Labour candidate bringing loud applause. I Mr. Thomas replied by quoting tho I clause of the Labour manifesto advocating the socialisation of all means of production, distribution, and exchange. To this he said he was opposed. He believed in as little Government interference with the people as pos- , sible. What he advocated was equal rights i for all and special privileges for none. His j idea of freedom led him to object to too much interference with the rights of ; the individual. He claimed that no man had worked harder for liberty and demo- j cracy than he had done, and he did not think it right that he should be shouted at and "booed" as a section of the audience was doing. Belial is Equal Bights. Continuing, he said his belief in equal rights for all was the reason for his support of proportional representation. He proceeded to discuss this amid a constant tire of interruption. Asked if he was a ; supporter of Mr. Massey, he said he ■would answer questions when question time came- To an objection that Mr. ' Massey did not advocate proportional representation, Mr, Thomas said that Mr. : Massey had put- it into the law as regarded the elective Upper House. Before i many present were born he had been an i advocate of manhood suffrage. Prior to ' its introduction oniy those who had property qualifications were allowed to vote. A Voice : How do you know I haven't got it? In answer to further persistent interjections, Mr. Thomas said he was an accredited representative of the Reform Party. He proceeded to give his* reasons for not supporting the .Labour Party. The declaration that it had not succeeded in Australia caused considerable uproar, rclerencea to its wording in Queensland pioducing particularly emphatic dissent. More, said the candidate, must be ■ done for returned soldiers. This produced a remark from the audience that not much had been done so iar. j ] Mr. Thomas : It would not be good for : them if they were left to yon, my friends, i' An interjector here said heatedly : " I ' ' will give a quid to a returned soldier if ' you 11 do the same, and I'm only a work- i' ing man." ; A lull occurred, which enabled the speaker to declare his belief that there musL be a more active nolicv of construct- . '

I must, or a. more active puuey ox constructing roads and railways. The period of quiet did not last long, and, after another ! r.oisj interlude, Mr. Thomas ( appealed for ; sufficient order to allow those who wished jto hear his views. If the interrupters did not wish to hear him, let them go out. Why did they remain there? A Voice : This is better than Fuller's. (Laughter.) Challenged to a Debate. The speaker resumed by saying, The next item on the programme," and this produced an outburst which culminated in the suggestion that the next item bad better be a song and dance by the chairman. crief lulls occurred after this, the interrupters apparently taking breath tor further efforts. During this time Mr. Thomas advocated Vigorous prosecution of the hydro-electric schemes and further attention to the claims oi education. The uproar resumed again, and the speaker finally sat down, announcing that he was prepared to answer questions. A number ot these were forthcoming. One questioner persisted in an endeavour to make a speech in putting his question, and was finally told Dy the chairman that if he wished to engage in a debate with the candidate he had better come up on to the plationn and do so. 'ihe oner was not accepted, but another member ot the audience who had asked for .vir. lhomas' views on the Irish question immediately challenged him to debate that topic, or tne lanu question, a col.ection to be taken up and given to the hospital. Another questioner asked whether Mr. Thomas was still an advocate of single tax, and, if so d.d he hope to convert, Air. Massey and his party to that view. There was considerable uproar when the candidate said he would answer ii his questioner would explain what was meant by single tax. After a few more questions had been asked, a motion of thanks to and confidence in Mr. Thomas was moved. The member of the audience who had challenged the candidate to debate the Irish - question, moved as an amendment:— " lhat this meeting thanks Mr. Thomas for his address, -but seeing that there are great issues at stake does not think he has the qualifications to represent Auckland Central, but pledges itself to return Mr. Parry triumphant at the poll." The chairman refused this as a direct negative to the motion. Another amendment, thanking Mr. Thomas, but declaring him not a fit and proper person to represent the electorate, was moved. On a show of hands the chair- j man declared the motion carried and the meeting broke up after a section had cheered the Labour Party. '< GREY LYNN. An address was given by Mr. F. N. Bartram, Labour candidate for Grey Lynn, at the Empress Theatre last evening. Mr. P. G. AuseU presided, and about 500 people were present. The candidate dealt with the various planks in the Labour platform on the lines of his previous speech. In moving a vote of thanks and confidence, Mr. J. J. Sullivan said the ; Labour Party stood on the surest road to happiness for every man, woman, and i child in the Domnion. The motion was carried amid app'ause. and cheers were given for the Labour Party. PARNELL. An address was given by Mr. J. S. Dickson, M.P., (Joverument candidate for Parnell, at St. Heliers Bay last evening. There was a very large attendance; in fact, the meeting was the largest ever held in that district. Mr. K. R. Pilkington, chairman if the West Tamaki Road Board, presided. Mr. Dickson, in the course of his address, dealt with the policy of th Reform Party, and the legislation it had placed on the Statute Book. On the motion of Mr. H. E Harding, seconded •by Mr. Hedges, a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. About 300 electors assembled at the" Epsom Public Library last eveivng, when Mrs. F. E. Baume, Opposition candidate for Parnell. gave an address. Mrs A. Kidd presided. Mrs. Baume received a very attentive hearing, and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. t