A LIVELY MEETING

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 508, 10 November 1928, Page 10

A LIVELY MEETING

MR. HARRIS IN OPEN AIR Mr. A. Harris, Independent Reform candidate for Waitemata, had a busy time with hecklers and interjectors when he addressed an open air meeting at Devonport last evening. For some time the audience was kept amused by the antics of a former member of the New Zealand Socialist Party, who gesticulated with energy as he kept up a running fire of queries, and addressed the candidate as Alex. At first he confined his remarks to mock surprise exclamations such as, “Oh, Alex, how can you say it?” and “Now, Alex, cut out the soft soap,” but in the course of time he threatened to “get angry soon,” unless his demands for information were satisfied. Finally the audience took a hand and advised the interjector to “dry up” and “go home.” Mr. Harris then had 10 minutes of peace. Having answered a number of questions, he was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence, on the motion of Mr. Chas. Stevenson. An assertion that the Reform Party had done more for the man of moderate means than any other party brought forth a chorus of dissent and cries of “prove it!” Mr. Harris gave figures to show that the Government had found £10,500,000 for homes, at cheap rates of interest; of that sum £8,000,000 had gone to those defined as workers under the Act. The Government had designed legislation for the workers that was an immense advancement on anything that had existed previously.