CONTEST FOR EDEN.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIII, Issue 19289, 30 March 1926, Page 14

CONTEST FOR EDEN.

ANOTHER LIVELY MEETING. M!SS MELVILLE'S CLAIMS. FURTHER COMPLAINT MADEQUESTION OF HER CANDIDATURE. A packed audience in the Town Hall, Henderson, last, night, provided a lively meeting for Miss E. Melville and Mr. V. 11. rotter, M.P.„ who is supporting her candidature for Eden. There was much noise at times, but the candidate had a very large measure of support. Miss Melville began by expressing astonishment at having been handed a leaflet advocating the claims of Sir James Gunson just as she entered the hall. £ho displayed the leaflet, which was a reprint of the Prime Minister's letter endorsing Sir James Gunson's candidature." "I was surprised," she remarked, "for I do not-, distribute printed matter at other people's meetings." The candidate went on to declare that the paid organiser of the party was going round the electorate and trying to discredit her. He had not faced her. His statements had not been made at public meetings, but he made a speciality of addressing small meetings of women. His utterances had not been made from the public platform. A Voice: They will be. Miss Melville: I very much doubt if they will. Candidate's Allegation. The organiser, s! declared, had stated to a recent meeting of women at Avondale, that she had been offered £l5O a year for three years, and then a safe seat if she would retire from the contest. He named the seat which was to bo offered her, and had added that she had been so unreasonable that she had refused to retire. "What," he had asked, "could vou do with a woman like that?"

" That might be someone's idea of me," remarked Miss Melville, "but I believe in honourable dealing. I was not going to tell anyone about it, but Mr. Davy has done so, and I will speak about it now. Mr. Wilson came into my office, but he did not put it in the bald way I have given it to you. Mr. Davy did not mention my reply. I said, 'Mr. Wilson, it is no use making an offer like that to me. The proper person to make it to is Sir James Gunson.' " Miss Melville next ridiculed Sir James Gunson for, as she declared, bringing out a large contingent of city people in motorcars, with four constables, to his Henderson meeting, which wa3 a kindergarten lesson in the rudiments of the Reform policy, a lahoured exposition of Sir James' newly-acquired political creed. As a matter of fact, all that he had in common with Reform was the party tag now attached to him. In 1919 he had stood ajrainst an official Reform candidate as,an "Independant Progressive," with the slogan, "New Men and New Methods." He was one of a group which was trying to oust Mr. Massey and tho others who had done the hard work of war-time. The Kosfcill Contest. A Voice: That's why you stood against Potter! Miss Melville explained at some length Ihat she had stood for Roski.il against Mr. Potter in-1922 in response to the imperative demand of a body of women, following -the passage, of legislation admitting women to Parliament. She had contested Grey Lynn for the party in 1919, but in 1922 had been turned down for a former ■ Liberal, and that without notice. She attributed this to the little group that was causing trouble to-day. She knew, that Roskill was a safe Reform seat and that she could not beat Mr Potter. He was broadminded enough to Acknowledge her reasons for acting as she had done. Miss Melville, after demands from various people that - she should -give them some politics, concluded this part cf her address by appealing to the rank and file of the Reform Party to assist themselves and refuse to let other people make up their minds for' them or stampede them with party cries. Mr. Potter's Position. Mr. Potter said he made no apology for coming forward in support of Miss Melville, who really needed no one to plead her causel ' I know' my responsibility in this matter," he continued. "A candidate is asked sometimes to support his party right or wrong, but the party is not responsible for what has happened. It is a small coterie of business men who are 'so anxious to get "a certain titled gentleman in that they are using methods which they have no right to use. It is tho same little financial and commercial coterie that supported Sir James Gunson as a Progressive Independent, that wanted to turn out Mr. Massey and put in Sir James Gunson and his platform." The speaker became involved in heated exchanges with several peoplo over the alleged, of Reform meetings. He declared that he was convinced that Mr. Coates k<iow nothing of what had been going on! Eventually a vote of thanks and confidence iva> pqt and declared carried, tho ayes and noes making nearly tho same amount of noise. The candidate was cheered by a section of the audience. SUCCESSFUL MEETINGS. GOVERNMENT candidate. ENTHUSIASM FOR SIR j. GUNSON. Sir James Gunson, the official Reform candidate in the Eden by-election, continues to hold successful meetings in the course of his campaign, and at his two meetings in the Morningside area of the electorate yesterday he met with a very favourable reception. In the afternoon Sir James and Lady Gunson met the ladies of the district at a public meeting in Hirst's Hall, Morningside, at which Mrs. Street presided. There were about 40 ladies present, and after hearing the candidate, and approving of his exposition of the policy of the Government, those present carried a motion of confidence and formed themselves into a committee to work in the interests of Sir James' candidature. In tho evening Hirst's Hall held an audience of about 150 people, which was about the capacity of the building, and Sir James was listened to throughout with the closest attention'. One or two interjections by Labour supporters enabled the candidate to give greater force to several of his more important points. Mr. Jv Proctor Blair presided. Ie speaker emphasised his adherence policv S A U P P + r of , lhe Government's :F had no banking affiliations hut felt" that the community was well served by the siring , faCllltics provided by the ulv food E\ C h r k l bein * ni Rood, bt&te banks, he said, had not The candVl " her ° had been tied asUc\X nl T? accorded an enthusi--1 d! ll i" T e ! " Kl the meeting Lady Gunson. f ° r Slr James CANDIDATES' MEETINGS Candidates for the Eden seat will address meetings to-day- as follows:- , S^ r James Gunson. ladiss' meeting Avondale small Town Hall, 2.30 p.m?: Eosie .Theatre, Mount Albert, 8 p.m. Mr. H. G. R. Mason, Swanson Town Hall, o p.m. Labiyir gathering, Glen J£den pubbc 8 p.m.