FIRST WEEK

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23157, 1 October 1938, Page 17

FIRST WEEK

OLD ARGUMENTS free SPEECH denied NATIONAL' CANDIDATES NOISY LABOUR ELEMENT The first full week of the general election campaign hap been completed and so far the majority of , speeches from both the Labour and National sides hi}ve largely re-echoed political arguments which were advanced in Parliamentary debates during the final session. However, the appearance of policy manifestoes from the two party leaders has given candidates a certain amount of new material on which to work, but in the main the Labour Party has been forced into the position of defending its past administration and, apftrt from one or two points, its members are not paying much attention to, future activities. As far as Auckland is concerned, the campaign to date has been chiefly not,f able for apparently deliberate attempts to hamper National Party speakers. In spite of appeals from Government leaders for fair play for the Opposition, strident pro-Labour groups haVo attended most National Party meetings in . the city and suburbs and havje defied the candidates the right to a fair hearing. * Persistent Heckling Experience during the past week has shown that the interruption of National Party meetings has gone far beyond the stage of good-humoured interjections. which are only to be expected in any election campaign. Heckling of the - worst type lias been employed at the meetings addressed by Mr. C. R. Dodd, in Auckland Central, Mr.. J. A. Govan, in Grey Lynn, Mr. J„ Park, in Onehunga, Mr. D. Pool, in Eden, and Mr. W. P. Endean, in Remuera. Although interjections have been unusually frequent at Labour meetings, they have not grown to the extent of organised interruption, and there has never been any suggestion of denying the candidates a hearing. Stand by Police - With the firm, stand taken by the Commissioner of Police, Mr. i>. J. Cummings, it was thought that order would be preserved at meetings during the campaign. Unfortunately," this has not been so in Auckland city and |i| suburbs. From all reports, it seems that the tactics of organised interruption have been confined largely to AucklandLively meetings have been experienced i)i most southern centres, but intensive heckling has not proceeded to anything like the same extent.

"PURE VANDALISM"

PUBLIC WORKS ACTIVITY ROADS IN MARLBOROUGH •- ■■■ • . - ' STATEMENT BY CANDIDATE ;'«T TELEGRAPH OWN CORRESPONDENT] WELLINGTON, Friday "The curse of the people of New Zealand will be on the Labour Government and their irresponsible Minister ei Public Works for many years to some," said Mr. W. L. Barker, National candidate for Wellington East, ad an address at Melrose, when he described a speaking tour in the Marlborough Province from which he had just returned. ■■ "Public works at present being carried on in Marlborough, as in other parts of New Zealand, are non-produc-tive, are a scandalous waste of public money, and in rfianv cases can be described as pure ana simple vandalism," said Mr. Barker. '"A cutting is being |)ut through Lion Back Hill in the Soddon district and beautiful productive farm land 'is being wasted just lo take a slight bend out of a good road for the benefit of the leisured class. This type of vandalism is to be seen in many places—it is shocking." Mr. Barker said that in several districts he saw 'beautiful plantations which had been ruthlessly cut down for no necessary or valuable purpose. Near parts of two farms had been co» so that another road, running jarallel to a road already existing, could be put through. At Spring Creek four new bridges, each a mile long, were to be rebuilt although they had no value. Two bridges were being built ovei< Dry Creek, in which there was about "enough water for a cat to wash its face." ,At Massacre Hill —a cherished spot ~ri beautiful plantation had been hacked down, added Mr. Barker. A Kood fence along' the railway line from Blenheim to Seddon had been pulled down and a new one put up merely to provide work for men who were unt employed because of the Government's Policy of taxation. INTER JECTIDR WARNED MANGERE LABOUR MEETING Occasional interjections by two members of an audience of 30 drew protests from others present at Mangere Central Hall last night, when Mr. C. R. Petrie, M.P., Labour candidate for Otahuhu, spoke on the Government's Policy; Mr. W. Hamilton, who presided, warned one of tho interjectors. Mr. Petrie said that, in spite of what the Nationalists claimed, the issue was Dot Socialism against freedom and private enterprise, but whether or not the present prosperity was. to be safeguarded against inroads on the people s standard of living. The test of good Rovernment was the contentment and Welfare of the people. »A vote of thanks and confidence was Carried, there being two dissentients. OHEERS FOR NATIONALIST / I THE CAMPAIGN IN RAGLAN [from our o,wn correspondent] HAMILTON, Friday There was a large attendance at Is Kowhai last evening, when Mr. A. ». I:Sutherland, National candidate for tin. Raglan seat, spoke in furtherance ot «« campaign. Mr. R. E. Harris preyed. Mr. Sutherland stated that ho in favour of subsidising the rates PiMd to county councils pound tor the monev to be spent on suhsiuiary roads, and not on tho main .{"Shways, which were at' present maintamed by the Main Highways Board. Sutherland, who was give ll aJI : . hearing, was accorded a vote of thanks and co l ifiueiiee, ' < i 1 vote of , confidence m the Hon. -'Hamilton as leader of the fealty also carried. The meeting closed "•h cheers for Mr. Sutherland.