EDEN SEAT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19761, 12 April 1926, Page 7

EDEN SEAT.

INCIDENTS OF THE ELECTION. (F.eom Oob Own Correspondent.) AUCKLAND, April 10. The electors who attended Miss Melville'* [ meeting at Point Chevalier on Friday even- . ing had a good evening’s entertainment, , Tne candidate spoke at length of her treati mem at the ballot for the selection of the t Reform candidate. She termed the whole > a^ air “-A piece of gratuitous impertinence.” r lired of hnaring hei grievance one of the ! audience remarked that this Eden must [ really be a garden of corruption. I certainly think it wants clearing, te- . torted the canaidate. . A Voice: If you had been chosen, would ' you have brought this up 7 j N'o, certainly not. There would have been no necessity, said Miss Melville. Asked what difference there was between herself and Sir Janies Gunson, the candidate said she was n true Reformer, and always had been. Sir James had been converted . apparently from March 1. I got 6000 votes , in Grey Lynn at the last election, and if I , get as many this time I will be well pleased, , she said. A Voice: Vou are not carrying the Ro- . form banner this time, Miss Melville, ; That is a matter of opinion. Th e leaders i the parties are coming to Auckland, i X ou ar e going to have a wonderful feast in Eden next week. A Voice: Strawberries and cream. , Miss Melville went on to speak of the good that women might do in Parliament. , | There were many matters they could attend > 1 to which could not be understood by men. A Voice; '1 he trouble is we cannot trust . women [ Mr V. H. Potter, member for Roskill, ; briefly addressed thp meeting. He characterised Miss Melville as a staunch Reform supported who would do much gwod in the interests of women in Parliament. There was a roar of laughter when the member was told by a woman elector that his tic had gone squint. * That is the only thing that does go squint with a good politician replied Mr Potter. \\ hat might have been a serious split in the Labour Party was averted last night at Mr H. L. Hollands Mount Albert meeting bv good humour and tact. The Labour candidate for Eden, in criticising the Auckland City council, unwittingly attacked the chairman of the meeting. Mr Tom Blooduorth who is a member .of the Council Mr Blood worth acknowledged his share of the blame and did not retaliate. Mr Mason who entered the hall late in Mr Holland’s speech, contented himself with giving a local instance of the need for an active Opposition. The Bill authorising the construction of a waterfront road to Orakei he said, authorised the local bodies concerned to raise unlimited loans by special order without consulting their ratepayers, l hat this extraordinary provision had been included was due to the fact that there had no oPP°siti°n in the City Council, which had functioned as an autocracy and a mutual admiration society. A small croup of men had been able to work the whole thing behind the people’s backs. It was autocracy imposing its will on the people. “I feel somewhat nervous,” remarked Mr Bloodworth. rising when Mr Mason had sat down. “I happen to be a member of the mutual admiration society, and so I am one of the guilty. However, the act which Mr Mason has mentioned was as much the work of Sir James Gunson s brain as of anyone else’s.” Mr Bloodworth added that as a city councillor he knew and liked both Miss Melville and k-ir James Gunson personally. He had worked with them for six years, and in that time be had never known of any disagreement between them. There would be none now, hut for the fact that they not both sit on one seat.—(Laughter.) ‘lf there is one thing worse in the world than a Conservative man.” said Mr Bloodworth. “it is a Conservative woman, and I know this particular lady to be a Conservative woman.” MR COATES LEAVES FOR AUCKLAND. (From Ouh Own Correspondent.) _ „ . April 11. The Prime Mimster_ will leave for Auckland to-night. He will give one address in the Eden electorate in reply to the leader of the Labour Party.