WELLINGTON CENTRAL SEAT.

Colonist, Volume LX, Issue 14875, 25 September 1918, Page 3

WELLINGTON CENTRAL SEAT.

ME. "MACK'S FIRST MEETING

CONTINUOUS HECKLING.

' (United *. Press Association.)

* :' -'VWeSUngton, September 24. r , A section of the audience at the open- " ing meeting of Mr Mack, Independent I Labour-candidate for the Wellington 3' Central- seat' la st night were extremely | rowdy. There were continuous inter- ! jections, and these and other noises ! prevented the delivery of -the • speech. f Mr Mack was kept answering questions , until the chairman declarea the meeting closed. He said that as the candidate had been refused a nearing by a section of the audience, he would not put any motion. During tho singing fcof the National Anthem at the beginb ning of the meeting the hecklers sat/ i One marred the .singing with a loud, j discordant' Socialist song. Mr Mack 5 explained that he was not a member of i;tho Protestant Political Association nor -!of the Prohibition party, and was not'i connected with Orange Lodges. If any »i organisation decided" to support him j'that was its own business. Ho was ;, responsible only for his own actions and j words. He claimed the right to re-' .' present reasonable Labour, as distinct t from the extremists. Though person- ! ally opposed to compensation of the .liquor trade, he favoured the National i Efficiency Board's recommendations as Li sound business. Answering a question •! about a guinea a day as a 'mem'oor c • | the Military Service Board, ho said ho I 1 paid this money into tho A.S.R.S. | funds. He declined to be bludgeoned , into withdrawing from the contest. He I would go on if 99£ per cent, of the railj way men requested him to stand down: