ELECTION CAMPAIGN

Southland Times, Issue 23634, 8 October 1938, Page 15

ELECTION CAMPAIGN

LABOUR’S APPEAL FOR FUNDS EXPLANATION GIVEN BY SECRETARY LETTER NOT SENT TO ONE SECTION ONLY (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 7. Following the publication of the Auckland message that the Labour Representation Committee was appealing to hotelkeepers for funds on behalf of the Labour Party, a letter has been received from the National secretary of the Labour Party, the Hon. D. Wilson, M.L.C. The letter is as follows: I noticed a Press Association message ' which it is stated that the Auckland Labour Representation Committee had issued an appeal to hotelkeepers for donations to the Labour Party’s funds, and, as this action would be in opposition to the practice of the party, either locally or nationally, I telephoned to the . secretary, Mr T. P. McCready, for an explanation. He assures me there is no truth in the insinuation that the letter was sent to hotel-keepers only, but, on the contrary, the letter was sent to all business people who were believed to be in sympathy with the policy of the Labour Government. On behalf of the Labour Party, I resent very much this attempt to mislead electors and to infer that the appeal was made to any particular section of the business community, and I can assure you it was sent, among others, to business men who were strong advocates of prohibition. Please give the same prominence to this denial as was given to the Press Association message. Thanking you in anticipation, Yours faithfully, D. WILSON, National Secretary. DEBATE ON PUBLIC PLATFORM MR DOYLE’S CHALLENGE TO MR HARGEST f I A challenge to Mr J. Hargest, M.P., the National candidate for Awarua, to debate the National Party’s policy against the Labour cause on a public platform was made by the Hon. T. F. Doyle, M.L.C., of Bluff, in an address to the electors at Hawthomdale. Mr • Doyle’s challenge was in reply to an 1 invitation by Mr Hargest at Winton to ■ step out from the sanctuary of the Upper House and contest the Awarua seat against him.” • “I am not speaking here as a mem- ! ber of the Legislative Council but as an elector of Awarua and a citizen of 1 New Zealand,” said Mr Doyle, who ' stated that he had been accused of ; “sniping” from the “sacred precincts” of the Upper House. “I was so thor- ■ oughly disgusted with the misrepre- ■ sentation by the National candidate for ■ the district that I deemed it my duty ' to counter these statements on the • public platform. . “I am prepared,” said Mr Doyle, to debate with Mr Hargest from any public • platform in any town in the Awarua * electorate at any time on any of the following points:—The guaranteed price ’ versus the compensated price, the public works, social security, education or defence policy of the Government 1 against the same policies of the. Coalition 1 Government, or the entire policy of the 1 Labour Government against the policy of the Coalition Government or the ’ National Party.” Mr Doyle addressed electors on various phases .of the Government’s policy, and outlined the extensive legislation of the past three years, particularly the Social Security Bill. There was a big and enthusiastic audience. Mr R. M. Ferguson was chairman. At the close of his address a vote of thanks to the speaker and a vote of confidence in the Labour candidate for the district, together with ? resolution to do all in their power for the return of the Labour Government was carried on the motion of Mr Skenzett, seconded by Mr Bromley.

STORMY RECEPTION FOR MR LEE POLICE INTERVENTION NECESSARY (United Press Association) HASTINGS, October 7. A stormy reception was given the Under-Secretary in Charge of Housing (Mr J. A. Lee) when he addressed a meeting at Havelock North tonight. Mr Lee was greeted on entering the hall with a series of boos on one side, and cheers on the * other. More than half the audience showed themselves sympathetic, but throughout the address, and particularly in the early stages, Mr Lee was prevented from speaking by interjections and questions. At one time it appeared that a disturbance was likely as people on the two sides of the hall stood and argued heatedly among themselves. The intervention of a policeman was necessary on occasions. Mr Lee said that it was obvious that there was an attempt among National supporters to disturb his meeting. He spoke principally on the improvement' of conditions in New Zealand, which, he said, had followed the advent of the Labour Government. SUNDAY DEMONSTRATION IN AUCKLAND ARRANGEMENTS MADE BY TRADES COUNCIL (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, October 7. Concerning the Labour demonstration arranged for Sunday and the protest by the churches, it was explained today that the demonstration had been arranged by the Auckland Trades Council and not by the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Labour Party. Mr H. Campbell, secretary of the Trades Council, said they had received no protest about the demonstration, and added that New Zealand was the only country in the world where similar demonstrations were not held on Sundays. They had been held, to his knowledge, for the past 30 years in Britain. Sunday was the only free day when all unionists could be got together. Another point to be considered was the question of traffic arrangements. Mr T. P. McCready, secretary of the Auckland branch of the New Zealand Labour Party, said he was unable to comment on the matter, as all arrangements were in the hands of another organization.

PRIME MINISTER WELL RECEIVED Cheering Crowds At New Plymouth SOCIAL SECURITY ACT DISCUSSED (United Press Association) NEW PLYMOUTH, October 7. One of the biggest political meetings ever held at New Plymouth was addressed tonight by the Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage), between 3000 and 4000 people, in three halls and the street, listening to his exposition of the Government’s policy. Mr Savage visited both the overflow meetings, and both there and at the mam assembly he was cheered to the echo. The meeting terminated with a vote ot confidence and the crowd gathered outside the hall, and at Mr Savages hotel, to cheer him again. Thousands of people lined the streets while Mr Savage was driving from, hall to hall. . Mr Savage discussed the application of the Social Security Act at some length, referring to the National Party s concern about girls between the ages of 16 and 20 years. He said that under the National Government she was paid 10/- a week, now she was getting 17/a week, so that even with the social security contribution, she was better off. The National Party didjhot mention the benefits she would receive—lo/- a week while unemployed, 10/- a week while off work sick, free hospital and doctor, to say nothing of the benefits she would get in later life if she needed them. The benefits she could receive in .later life were: Increased unemployment and sick benefits, invalidity pension and widow’s pension, and in addition she might be contributing to pensions for her own parents. , , If Labour was not returned, the Act would not be operated, the result of which would be that old age pensioners would get 7/6 less than proposed, widows 5/-, invalids 10/-, and miners 5/-, and nobody would get hospital or sick benefits. Dealing with the increased spending, Mr Savage said that was part of the Government’s policy of expansion. If a commercial house expanded its business it'would spend more, possibly, on putting on another traveller.

“FOOLISH STORY” A foolish story was being circulated that the Government /was going to wreck the Public Service superanuation funds. It was untrue. The Government’s job 'was to put funds on- a sounder basis and to remove anomalies, in which it would co-operate with the public service. A reply to Mr S. G. Smith’s assertion that pensioners under the social security scheme were, according to the Act, liable for the payment of a social security contribution amounting to 1/6 on the weekly payment of 30/— was made by the Prime Minister. “Even if there were nothing in the Act,” said Mr Savage, “I, as Prime Minister, have said that they will not have to pay a shilling in the £l, and I am not going to say one thing and turn round and do another.” A section of the Act, continued the Prime Minister, gave power for exemptions where necessary. Mr Smith knew there were any amount of Acts with that same clause in them. It was not possible to include every last detail in an Act, but that provision was there to cover the position not only of old age pensioners, but also of any other cases where exemption might be necessary. “The Minister has taken the power to make exemptions, and he will make them,” said Mr Savage. “I will see to that. What did we take that authority for if we did not intend to use it?”

DISTURBANCE CAUSED AT MEETING

THREE OFFENDERS APPEAR IN COURT (United Press Association) DUNEDIN, October 7. Three vociferous critics who attended Mr W. A. Bodkin’s Dunedin meeting and were said to be responsible for some of the disturbances there appeared in the Police Court this morning charged with' disorderly behaviour. They were Ernest Lawrence Kerr. James McAnally and Robert Cairns Reid. The first-named two were fined £2 each, and the case against Reid was adjourned for three months. ,A charge against a fourth man, William Pullar, was adjourned for a fortnight at counsel’s request. Senior-Sergeant Claasen said, there was continuous shouting and booing, Kerr being a persistent offender. After two warnings he was ejected, but went on booing when escorted out. Kerr interjected that most of the people in the hall were booing, while Mr Bodkin himself was screaming with rage and trying to get the people in the- hall excited. -

The Senior-Sergeant said McAnally was continuously shouting,- “What about your slave camps?” When a constable went over to speak to another man McAnally shouted: “Leave him alone. Can’t a man open his mouth? What about your free speech?” His conduct, said the sergeant, indicated that he believed in free speech for everyone but Mr Bodkin. TWO WATERSIDERS FINED (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 7. Declaring that it was very important indeed that the law about proper conduct at meetings should.be enforced Mr J. H. Luxford, S.M., fined each of two watersiders £3 and costs for disturbing a meeting at the Capitol Theatre, Miramar, on October 4. The accused were Jeremiah Condon . and Henry Flynn, and the meeting was a political gathering addressed by Mr W. L. Barker, National candidate for Wellington East. The police said that several people were spoken to during the meeting, which was a packed one, and they behaved after that, but the two defendants were carried away with themselves and did not seem as if they could behave after they were spoken to. Condon in reply to the Magistrate, who said that Mr Barker was there as candidate to express his views and people should listen or go out, said: “That may be so, but it is a very hard thing to sit down and listen to lies.” Mr Luxford: I have had to do it for many years, and also the truth, too.