MR. COATES' STAFF

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22260, 7 November 1935, Page 15

MR. COATES' STAFF

PERSONAL ATTACK DENIED STATEMENT BY MR. CAUGHLEY ADVICE ON EXCHANGE POLICE [by telegraph—OWN correspondent] DARGAVILLE. Wednesday The Democrat candidate for Kaipara, Mr. J. Caughlcy, has completed his campaign in the southern portion of tho electorate and is now in the Dargaville district. He addressed two meetings yesterday, ladies in the afternoon at Dargavillo and a general meeting in the evening at Tangiteroria. A feature of Mr. Caughley's meetings has been the number of questions. At meetings at Awakino Point and Tangiteroria he was subjected to a barrage of questions. chiefly relating to tho Democrat platform. At Tangiteroria, Mr. Caughley took tho opportunity of replying to Mr. Coates' reference at Port Albert to personal attacks on Mr. Coates and his staff.

In explanation, Mr. Caughley Btated that he felt compelled to contradict a statement in the manifesto of Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates published on October 29. 111 framing its policy, it was stated, "the Government called on prominent business men and technical experts to investigate and advise." Mr. Caughley said that in adopting an inflated exchange policy Mr. Coates acted in opposition to the advice of the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Sir James Al'eri, Sir Francis Bell, Sir Otto Niemeyer, Treasury heads and experts, nearly all bank authorities, and almost every leading newspaper in New Zealand, as well as most chambers of commerce. It was in contradistinction to this array of admittedly expert and soundly experienced advice that Mr. Coates acted under tho guidance of a group of men who, whatever their academic distinctions, had no experience in business, commerce or practical finance

Mr. Caughley said, on the other hand, ho (Mr. Caughley) had frequently agreed that these young men had high academic qualifications and made no gratuitous personal attack when he contrasted the really experienced advice which Mr. Coates rejected with that by which he was guided.