HECKLING FOR TWELVE YEARS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 690, 15 June 1929, Page 16

HECKLING FOR TWELVE YEARS

AUCKLANDER’S UNUSUAL HOBBY AN INTERVIEW WITH "SHORTY”

KNOWN to half Auckland as “Shorty,.” Mr. F. Harrowell, a diminutive but energetic champion of the cause of j Labour, has heckled his way through four elections in Auckj land. His pertinent and persistent questions have stemmed | many a torrent of eloquence and he is a popular figure with the many' who prefer the stodginess of political meetings to be leavened with a little wholesome laughter.

“yTR. HARROWELL is a paper-ruler ; "" and Ms age is 39. He has been 1 13 years resident in New Zealand, hailing originally from London. The ] ! growth of trades unionism in England ■ immediately before the War led him 1 I from the ranks of Liberalism to join 1 the Labour fold. “Those were the days when poli- ’ ; tical meetings were 'worth while.” he ' i said meditatively to a Sun rnan re- 1 cently. “In London we used to have * i monster demonstrations. Each side ' I would have banners and we used to * | try and tear them down. There was j no end of excitement, but out here i now—no rotten eggs or anything like ; ' that. During the last election I was 1 talking to a constable about it and 1 he agreed that the meetings were < very tame and had lost much of their 1 | interest. The next meeting that was | < \ held in Ponsonby Road the same con- 1 j stable threatened to put me out for I i | interjecting and trying to make the i - i evening a little more entertaining!” i( ARRIVAL IN DOMINION J j It was just about the time of the ] i 1916 election when Mr. Harrowell ari rived in New Zealand. The fact that | he had no vote did not deter him from | taking more than a passing interest | in the politics of his adopted coun- ! try. The campaign also helped him j to forget his shattered illusions reI garding New Zealand. He had thought 1 that in the streets of Auckland tropical fruit was to be had for the languid j strfitching of an arm to pluck it and i he had pictured life as a long succession of halcyon days. I Mr. Harrowell admitted that he j once had Communistic tendencies. “I have now come to realise that force only creates foxce and can achieve jno useful purpße,” he said. NOT PAID HECKLER Questioned regarding a charge 1 made by a candidate at the last elec-. tion that he was paid to heckle, Mr. > Harrowell became very indignant. He j explained that the candidate had since retracted his remark and apologised. “Such an idea is of course absurd,” |he urged. “I attend these meetings to show my lack of confidence in the j speakers, and I know I do a great | deal of good. Why, many people 1 have said that they will not go to < meetings unless I give an assurance i j that I shall be there.” E ! Mr. Harrowell embarked on a re- ' cital of his election experiences. Being a Ponsonby resident, he had naturally concentrated on meetings t held in Auckland West, but he had t also made numerous visits to other i electorates. Meetings held as far 1 apart as Mount Eden and Point Chev- i ! alier had received his attention and 1 so keen was he to hear Sir James c Gunson, that he walked from his home near the Three Lamps to the Avon- ( dale Town Hall, a distance of about { six miles, to a meeting held there, i His tally of meetings for the Novem- £ ber campaign was more than 20, and t he enjoyed another period of feverish f

activity prior to the municipal elections. Mr. V. H. Potter, late member for Roskill, and Mr. George Baildon, Mayor of Auckland, are considered by Mr. Harrowell to be the quickest men with an answer that he has encountered. “Of course, a man in the audience is at a disadvantage,” he explained. “By the time he has a come-back for the speaker’s retort some new point is being discussed or the chairman is waiting to jump on him.” ONLY ONCE EJECTED “No, I have never been put out at a political meeting,” he said in answer to the obvious query. “I have often been warned, but the only time I was ever forcibly removed was at a sports , body meeting held in the Chamber jof Commerce Hall. I asked one quesj lion and the chairman told me to keep | silent as questions would be dealt with later. I was prepared to do this, but a big fellow came behind me and grabbed my collar, running me out of the meeting before I knew where l was.” A slight impediment in his speech

was said by Mr. Harrowell to be the only obstacle that had deterred him from following a career of public speaking. “Still I may have a shot at the City Council next time,” he said. “What do you do between elections?” was the next question, and the little man laughed. “I am a Rationalist,” he replied, adding that he was a frequent visitor to Quay Street meetings, and that the controversy regarding Evolution is also receiving liis close attention. “I must be going now,” he said in cheerful farewell. “I have a religious meeting in Newton in a few minutes,” and the light of battle gleamed in his eyes as he sped along the road on his self-appointed mission.