NOT IN SYMPATHY

Taranaki Daily News, 26 November 1935, Page 5

NOT IN SYMPATHY

MISS ANDREWS AND MR. MUNRO.

REFERENCE TO RECENT ADDRESS.

Reference to statements published in the Press this week about Mr. J. W, Munro’s speech at Dunedin, Mr. J, G. Coates’ meeting at Rotorua and interference with the Friendly Road station at Auckland was made last night at New Plymouth by Miss E. Andrews, Independent candidate, who addressed an audience of more than 150 people in the Empire Theatre. Mr. P. E. Stainton was chairman over a quiet meeting. Only two questions were asked. Mr. Munro said he was misreported; the Otago Daily News maintained he was not, said Miss Andrews. She did not know the truth, but she stated emphatically that her sympathies with the Labour Party did not extend to the use of any unconstitutional measures. Such methods as Mr. Munro had been quoted as suggesting were an attack on property and might precipitate a civil war far more serious even than national war. If Mr. Coates’ meeting at Rotorua was a private meeting, then he had every right to exclude people from it, but Miss Andrews thought it was mistaken tactics on the part of the National Party if it advertised the meeting as public and yet gave acswss only to Government supporters. She also objected to- the disgraceful interference with the broadcasts of Uncle Scrim from the Friendly Road station. I hope the Government takes steps to sheet home the blame for such a petty action.” Miss Andrews explained her attitude in standing as an Independent candidate as already outlined. She criticised the. Government for being too interested in “big business.” She was not averse to seeing people in possession of wealth and position, but thought they should be alive to the fact that their safety and prosperity depended on the safety and prosperity of everyone else. The mam preoccupation of many people at present was the preservation of possessions. The Press had taken Miss Andrews to task for her criticism of the Government’s educational “policy or lack of policy.” Yet the public did not yet know how it proposed to act on the questions of five-year-old exclusion, size of classes and stabilised staffing. Capitation grants were not large enough and recently subsidies on money raised independently by committees had been withdrawn. She advocated revision of the examination system and the functioning of the four training .colleges. The number of local bodies should be icduced and those that remained given more power. Parliament should concern itself only with broad, national issues, not with questions of minoi moment. A member should not hold scats on local bodies but should regard Parliament as a full-time job. The high exchange and unemployment were attacked by Miss Andrews, who also dealt with child welfare, the preservation of the Maori race and women in Parliament. Prohibition, she said, must have the weight of public opinion behind it if it were to be effective. “I have been chastened by the Press for having no platform,” concluded Miss Andrews. “Would I be likely to trust myself to a few flimsy planks, pel haps riddled with borer? I rely on commonsense.” , A vote of thanks was proposed by Mr. Gs Lott and seconded by Mr. J. Kurta.