"POLIITICAL KELLY GANG”

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 292, 19 November 1931, Page 5

"POLIITICAL KELLY GANG”

i- MR. POISON AND HIS 7 " CRITICS t t jr NATIONAL PROBLEMS frO 1 TIME FOR PERSONAL!- ’- TIES ' Mr. W. JV Poison, M.P., had good meeting at Motohui, Uruti and Tariki ■ yektbrday, and in the course of his address .remarked that he had been attacked with a battery of small-arm f flye, but proposed to ignore all per- ' .tonal attacks. 1 it mk audiences desired, after hear- ’ fog him. to deal with any of these * Watters, they could ask him ques- / ttehs, but the subjects he had to discuss were too important to allow him waste time with personalities. ’. Mr. Poison stated that it had astonished him to find the men who were standing as Independents themselves were so full of indignation that lib should have exercised his judgment as an Independent. He scouted the suggestion that because he, as ‘ a farmer’s man, had stood for interest reductions along sound lines, he was guilty of inconsistence, because he refused to follow Mr. Wilkinson „ into the “No” lobby on a no-confidence motion against the Government he whs supporting, over the crude, illconsidered and impraoticable proposal 4 the member for Egmont had put, for-

Ward. Because in. common with r ethers he had pressed the Government, td go as far as possible, as the respit of which a measure had been put on the Statute Book that would be a ' repi relief to the distressed farmers of this country, was no reason for votIns: with Labour. 4 Mr* Wilkinson had “slunk” into the

’ “No” lobby with Labour on every con- ' gceivableV opportunity. The country wanted men it could depend on to ' think clearly in these dangerously critical times. '.When in conjunction wi_Vn other members of the House (Mr. Polpdn) had fought ©f the night through to get all Vflie relief possible Jp the Relief Bill, where , wen# the political “Kelly Gang”? No t one of the lour were in the House .during the whole night to give a hand. !All . they ; cared, , about was raising politica,! catch-crifs to embarrass the GovfjKnment. / Wheat Duties ly On tpo wheat question he had voted consistently for wheat reductions (in the same lobby with the self-consti-tuted champion of reduced duties) until the latter suddenly changed his , tune; ' and ,at a time when we were " unable to balance the Budget demanded subsidies for wheat growers,) and When the Prime Minister pointed put that this would cost more than a milL SfOp, voted with the Labour Party. pNow Mr. Wilkinson had changed his ground again. He wanted a reduc- , Uoh in the duty. The Government had reduced the duty by 13d a bushel , l at" the request of members who had negotiated the matter. But Mr.. Wilkinson's only contribution was to demand further reductions after the re- / Suctions were made. r 'v . peply to Mr. McMillan ’ i^Speakftfe 1 of.’the 'advent of his Reform opponent, Mr. Poison said he re- ' igretted his advent, but had nothing to' say against him except that he felt he must protest against Mr,. Mc- , JWlllan’s attempt to create the impresolon that he (Mr. Poison) had only been accepted as the Government can- , didate at the eleventh hour. Mr. McMillan knew the truth —that he (Mr. !Pbl»on) bad allowed his name to stand down in order to help Mr. , Coates, and the latter had admitted tajhlm that he was entitled to credit .for it*- He regretted that Mr. McMillan had made a statement which pst have known when he made lit ,tb be incorrect. 'Mr. Poison proceeded to deal with political programme outlined in W* .other speeches, claiming that he had exercised more Influence on legislation than any member of Parliament

outside the Cabinet, and pointing out that tie Government bad now included in its legislative programme several reforms which he had originally advocated. Mr- Poison was everywhere accorded enthusiastic support, and committees were formed to further his ' candidature. INDEPENDENT-REFORM w ' ' - WITHDRAWAL mb: WM. JONES, OF ' " v WHANGARBI f,.!T ' WHANGAREI, To-day. Mr, William Jones, who was announced as Independent Reform Coalitionist has withdrawn from the con- • test. ■ MR. J. O’BRIEN POP WESTLAND '/ HOKITIKA, Wednesday. ;My. James O’Brien, the Labour sitting 1 , member, has been nominated for Westland. !JI. A. NASH FOR PALMERSTON Press Association. —Copyright. PALMERSTON N., To-day. , Mr. J. A. Nash, the official Coalition candidate, was to-day nominated for Palmerston North.