LYTTELTON ELECTORS PROVIDED WITH PLENTY OF VARIETY

Stratford Evening Post, Volume II, Issue 353, 9 September 1933, Page 5

LYTTELTON ELECTORS PROVIDED WITH PLENTY OF VARIETY

Invasion ef Coalition Members to Address Meetings RECEPTIONS ACCORDED BY NO MEANS ENCOURAGING Difficulty in Forecasting Result of By-Election Press Association —Copyright. Christchurch, September 8. of LyUeltcn were provided with plenty of variety « last evening when, in addition to speeches by three candidates, two United members of the Coalition Party, Messrs. W. J. Broadfoot (Waitcmo) and W. A. Bodkin (Central Otago) appeared on the hustings in support of Mr. F. W, Freemar.-., the Coalition; candidate. The receptions accorded them were by no means encouraging.

in the afternoon there were only five present at a women's meeting which was addressed by Mr. Broadfoot at Lyttelton, while in the evening, v/hen he went «:\o the Labour stronghold at Woolston, an audience of about 200 persons kept him fully occupied with interjections, and after passing him a vote cf thanks gave three cheers for Mrs. McCombs.

Mr Bodkin had an audience of 35 at Cashmere, who gave hint an attentive hearing while he vigorously defended the Government and explain cd Hie reasons why the United Party had joined the Coalition. A couple of men plied him with questions at the conclusion of his spaech, and proceedings were, brought to a close when the chairman proposed a vote of thanks. Mrs McComhs was given another • flattering reception when she spoke at West. Lyttelton to an atidkuce of 120 electors, a large proportion of whom' were women. The speaker was presented with a bouquet and a vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. No questions were asked.

deriding factor when the poll i tali on.

A case in point is the Christ church North scat at the last general election; when Mrs McCombs, though she had outwardly a very much better hearing was easily defeated by Mr Henry Holland.

Two other factors, both very, difficult to assess, are the extent of the anti-Government feeling, which is characteristic of all periods of depression, and the consequences of the Labour candidate being a woman. A large area of the electorate in Banks Peninsula is occupied in fanning pursui's and the recent recovery of prices may retain the farmers' support for the Government.

In the afternoon Mrs McCombs received a bouquet and a remarkably enthusiastic hearing at a meeting of about 50 women at Heathcote.

Forty electors assembled at Redcliffs to listen to Mr E. L. Hills, the Independent Labour sandidahe. There were lew interjections, and he war. accorded a vote of 1 hanks. At question time he was asked why hiei \\)u> attempting to split the voles of the working people and if he was receiving' nmey for conesting Ihe election. The candidate denied that he was receiving money for contesting the seat, and declared that he could claim that other candidates were splitting his votes. LA'QOUR'S PROPOSALS ATTACKED "Labour's proposals are not of a constructive nature, and many statements made by their speakers are most inaccurate," said Mr F. W. Freeman, the Coalition candidate, in launching an attack on the Opposition in his lighting speech at St. Martins. "Labour are pullers-down. They are full of criticism and abuse, and en deavour to make strife. I have not. said that before much, but it is dawning on me asi the campaign draws to a close. They will say anything if they can get away with it. My attention was drawn to that by the chairman of one of my meetings in the Bays. That chairman informed me that the organiser for the Labour party had told a meeting that if Labour got into power they will restore vagos and guarantee farmers boom prices which would cost millions of pounds." The Labour man, said the speaker, had then gone on to tell the audience that they would get new boots, new suits and now carpets in their homes. Su'ch clap-trap had never been heard before. It was a fact, however, that some of the public could be told those things and would believe them, but the statements did not go down .with the hard-headed Bay farmers. Turning of the Tide

"For reasons of their own.'' continued Mr Freeman, "my opponents laugh at any suggestion that the tide nan turned. They don't want to see it. The more chaos, the more difficulty, and the more' trouble there is the better it is for their trade union secretaries. 1 assure you the tide haa turned and signs are not lacking that the position is steadily improving. Labour want to get out of the slump by inteirferiing with currency, but experiments such as they propose were tried by the Lang Government; In Australia, and the result was that. New South Wales was ruined as far as business was concerned. The Labour party has a series of nebulous promises and suggestions, but if they get into power they will be worse than Was the Lang Government in Australia."

MR. COATES REACHES SEAT OF WAR

Several Meetings to be Addressed Press Association.—Copyright. Christ church. Today. At least 14 members of Parliament will he in the Lyttcltou electorate for the last two days of the byelection campaign. In the last fortnight public internist in the contest lias been steadily increasing, and every effort is being made by organisers on both sides to bring the electorate to a lull sense of its responsibilities. A heavy poll is anticipated on Wednesday next, September 13. An important event in the campaign Was the arrival today of Hon. J. 0. Coates, to address meetings in all parts ol the elect orate in support of the Coalition candidate. Mr Freeman. Other Government, members who have entered the contest, are Mr W. J. Broadfoot, Mr W. A. Bodkin and Mr A. E. Ansell, whila the Leader ol the Opposition, Mr IT. E. Holland, Mr. F. Langstono, Mr P. Fraser, Mr R. Semplc, and the Rov. Clyde Carr have all come lo the support ol Mrs McCombs. In addition, the local members on both sides are actively engaged in (lie campaign. 11 the result ol the election were to be determined entirely by demonstrations at political meetings, then the Labour candidate might bo favoured. But it is to be demembered that anti-Labour candidates alwaysmeet, with stronger opposition in public than Labour candidates, that lar?e numbers of electors never bother to attend these meetings, and that it is often their fcilcat vote which is the