QUERULOUS ELECTORS.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXIV, Issue 17732, 4 December 1919, Page 5

QUERULOUS ELECTORS.

MR VEITCH HECKLED

FIRE OF INTERJECTIONS

ADDRESS AT ARAMOHO

Mr W. A. Veitch's political address at Aramuho last ni£"«t was marked by .1 wordy duel between the candidate and persistent questioners. There v.afc a small attendaTiee, over which M" A. Halligan presided. The candidate referred to profite«rinK. an:! f-aid it was a difficult matter to"deal with. A Voice: How are you going to stop

Another Voice: With a Labour Government. A Thir-1 Voice : Mr Veitch supported a profiteering Government right ■through the war. M/Veitdi: That is not true ' snd yOU know it-.

The Voice: Yes you did. Mr Veitch: You read Hansard, lentil last session it was posted to you.

The Voice : And you cut it out. Mr Veitch : Yes, and I will tell you the reason wliy. I defy you to prove what you said. It is absolutely untrue, and if you read Hansard you would know it " 1 only supported the National Government on its war policy. Now I will tell you why you were struck off the list. 'You made the same statement at the Opera House. If .you read Hansard anl misrepresent it it is no use sending if-'to you. The Voice • You are wrong. A'ncthei* Elector: I came here to hear the speaker. ,111 The Other Voice: Well, he tackled me. Mr Veitch: If a man makes a statement that is untrue, 1 must defend myself. UNHOLY ALLIANCE. Mr Veitch went on to say that an attempt had been made to form an unholy alliance between the Reform Pa;*ty and the Official Labour Party. Mr Cuttle had denied its existence. Wanganui's Reform journal was trying to bring about that alliance. It was speaking very nicely and playing up to the other side. A Voice : What rot! Proceeding, Ma' Veitch said T,he idea was to try and split the vote and give the Tory candidate a chance. That Was the scheme. It was an interesting fact that two newspapers had picked that particular phase of the Wanganui election. Th<2 Manawatu Times said the local Reform journal was playing one of the candidates against the sitting member in a way that exceeded, the bounds of fair play, i A Voice : Rot! Another Voice : You are quite wtrong. Mr Veitch: The Wairarapa Age says the Reformers have joined with the Labourites. A Voice: Both Tory papers. /; Mr Veitch: No. 1/ Voices: Yes. Mr Veitch: It might hurt, but I. am here to speak the truth. I am the only candidate that has received serious criti. cism. . A Voice: are going back. Another Voice: To his farm. (Laughter). ■Mr Veitch: They want.to get rid of me because I carry more weight than a, new chum would'for years to come* A Voice : Rot! Mr Veitch said he was not a brilliant man, but ho played the gaiine and stood to his principles. A Voice r You have no chance. A Veitchite : Shut up!

TWO DANGERS

Mr Veitch went on say there were dangers ahead —vested interests controlling, the Government for the next few years or the irresponsible section getting the balance of power. God forbid that would happen. A Voice : Don't make it too hot! Mr Veitch said lie would exercase his power to prevent it happening. A Voice: You are talking rot. Mr Veitch: Don't get angry. lam speaking the truth. The Voice: I had enough sense for you last election, Veitch. A Veitchite: Chuck him out.

Continuing, Mr Veitch said the irresponsible men were the greatest friends the Reform Party had, as they were splitting the vote. Men were being put up in the name of the Official Labour Party without a ghost of a chance of winding.- His idea was to pull together the loyal democratic foi'ccs. The two great reforms of the future should be a national housing scheme and an antiprofiteering crusade.

TOOK HIS "HOOK."

Question time was a great opportunity for those in search of knowledge. "'Would the candidate support the T/fiivnir Party if Mr Paul was the leader:"' Air Veitch sakl he was hopeful of associating himself with Moderate Labour men returned. A Voltes: Who? The candidate went on to explain that he objected to allying himself with a party of men like a machine. Messrs Holland and Fraser had voted against th« soldiers' gratuities, and if he had been with them ho would have had f..0 vote witn them, lie was not proud of their company. " You voted against 4s a day for the soldiers." Mr 'Veitch : I did not rote against it. Another Voice: 'Quite right-. You took your hook. Mr Veiteii. Messrs Holland and Fraser voted against the Bill, and if they h:i'l succeeded, there wouid have been no gratuity. ■ A Voice- Are .you quite sure? Mr Veitch: Yes: I have Hansard here. A Voice : Rub it in Bill. Another Voice: They voted against it with a view or petting more. Mr Veitch: Oh,"no, I have got yqu nicely this time. A Voice: Is it right or wrong, the Labour Party voted for 43 a day? Mr Voitch : Quito right. The- Voice: Well, why don't you say so? (Laugh:.t). Mr Vt-ifcch : I have said it about ten times. You haven't been to some of my meetings. The, Voice: No, I followed you round last time. Mr Veitch said when 2s a day was rejected, the Labour members moved to increase it to 4s. They did not expect it to be curried, an,d were looking for votes. It was an act of insincerity. That was why he did not vote lor it. He went outside until the silly farce was over. Th« Voice: According to you, then. 4s is too much ? Mr Veitch: That is absolute misrepresentation. T. have not said so, and I don't think bo. The Voice (persistently) : But why didn't you vote for it? Mr Veitch: Because I knew they would not get it. _ The next question wan anent the Roman Catholic property in the Avenue, formerly known as the Alexander Estate. "There will be an effort to get n Bill through to tax'it." said the questioner. "Now, how will you vote? Do you understand me, Mr Veitch?"

The Candidate : Certainly. The same question was put at the Opera House. The Questioner: But you did not answer it clearly. Mr Vt-itc-h : I did not try to dodge it. I said I would investigate it and give a clear answer later. I answered it two weeks ago. Continuing, he said the law (provided for the exemption of private schools from taxation tip to four acres. Four acres of the Collegiate School property escaped taxation. They should all be taxed or none. There were too many exemptions from taxation, and there should be an alteration in the law.

THE LONELY FURROW

"How do you intend to carry out your views if yon won't ally yourself to a party?" was the following question.

Mr Veitch : I hare 7iever failed to get any leeis'fiiion through Parliament that was for Wnngnnui. The Questioner: But that is no good to me. It might he alright for the Har. bor.r Board and County Council. Mr Veitch : I claim as a private member I have had as much of >my own way as any private member. If you want a rubber stamp to represent you, you can get one for 9d at Willis's. A Voice: Now you are talking nonsense. Tiie Voice : Don't you think you would get Bills through better if you were allied to a party? Mr Veiteh : Yes, if I were Prime Minister. The Voice: Oh, camouflage again. Mr Veiteh : Well, why don't you get behind me and make a party. The Voice: We did last time, but tr? found yon wanting. (Laughter). The next emery took n personal turn, an acrijrievetl voice stating: "You cut* my Hansard off because I joined the Labour Party."

Mr Veitch said it was rsretty rough, after a man got Hansard sent to him to come to a meeting and make statements tint were, untrue.

The Questioner: I said what I read. Mr Veiteh: Perhaps you did not understand what you read? The Questioner: Too right, I did. Mr Veitch was given a vote of thanks and confidence, but there was a strenuous "No from the elector who had been deprived of his Hansard.