PERSONALITIES.

Waipawa Mail, Volume LI, Issue 36, 9 December 1929, Page 3

PERSONALITIES.

IN THE HUTT CAMPAIGN. WELLINGTON, Last night. Declaring that from beginning to end of the campaign he would never descend to personalities of any description, Mr Harold F. Johnston (Reform) expressed regret at his meeting at Moera that Mr Kerr, the United candidate, appeared to be in danger of falling into a career of personal abuse, which, in Mr Kerr’s own interest, lie hoped would not continue. Mr Johnston said that he ha had handed to him a verbatim report of what Mr Kerr said at Koro Koro the previous night. It wa* as follows: “The Reform Party have such a case to answer in this election that they were afraid to put their case in the hands of a clean, decent young man who would fight this election as clean a* I fight. They held a meeting to choose a candidate, and this young man, who served the Reform Party by conviction, was turned down and a very astute lawyer was put in. He is hoodwinking to the best of his professional ability the electors of this* country. He is a man who thinks he is talking to a jury, but 1 will tell you this: lie is talking to a jury who can understand him and can see the lawyer in him. He can turn argument; that is his profession. Tie can talk on cases in the Courts, and try to make black look white. He i* attempting the same* tactics to-day, but is failing miserably. People realise Reform has no ease. An honest man, a politician, would have been ashamed to stand on a public platform and advocate the Reform Party’s policy, because such a policy is not what I hi* country needs.”

Mr Johnston said that insofar as the statement contained any reflection upon the legal profession, that profession could afford to regard it with contempt. (Hear, hear). “So far as it contains a reflection on my honesty, or integrity, or my character,” proceeded Mr Johnston, “I will leave it to my friend* to answer. 1 make no comment. So far as it contains a suggestion that 1 have unfairly displaced Mr Jacobson, who is the chairman of my combined committees, from the position of Reform candidate for this seat, I make no comment, but Mr Jacobson, who is my personal friend, and than whom I have no more loyal supporter, will himself reply.”