HECKLERS SILENCED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 74, Issue 279, 25 November 1931, Page 6

HECKLERS SILENCED

MR. VEITCH AT GONVILLE A LADY CHAMPION LABOUR DENOUNCED There was a band of hecklers at Mr. \V. A. Veitch’s meeting at Gouville last night, but tho candidate allowed them no chance to upset the trend of his speech. The first interjection caused him to take a stand. It came when he was proving to the audience how the theoretical policy of the Labour Party had worked out in Australia. Wages and salaries there had been cut 20 per cent., he said. A voice: But they cut tne high “nobs” there. Mr. Veitch: They cut everybody. That remark awoke a jeer or two from the back, and prolonged ironical laughter. “We must have an understanding about this meeting,” Mr. Veitch challenged. “I hope the blackguardism that has been shown at other meetings is not going to be perpetrated here.” A voice: That talk was all right in 1911, Bill. Another voice: Give him a fair hearing or get outside. Mr. Veitch: We will have to get the police in. I will not have my meetings broken up by a gang of hooligans who keep following me about. It is grossly unfair to attack a man on the platform when he comes before yo. to state his case.

A voice: You were a Labour man yourself once, Bill. Mr. Veitch insisted that British fair play should bo accorded him. The leader of the Labour Party had come to Wanganui and had not been subjected to interruption. The “back-seat” clement wore quiet for a time and the speaker proceeded evenly over the main points of his policy, pointing to Labour’s example in New South Wales. When he turned to analyse Mr. H. E. Holland’s financial policy, Mr. Veitch received a championing from an unexpected quarter—an elderly lady, lone occupant of the third row from the front. She had displayed intense interest in the speaker’s denunciation of Labour and when he got to the point of saying “if” Mr. Holland found power, there came a dramatic outburst. “Pardon me Mr Veitch, Mr. Holland will never get into power. My husband and 1 have helped to make New Zealand and will never let. Labour in.” This declaration was supported by repeated smiting of the floor with a walking stick. The lady gave her name and address. Mr. Veitch: What this lady has to say is the spirit of New Zealand, which will be exemplified at the ballot box on December 2. (Cheers). A voice (in the lull which followed): Labour will get there every time. The lady of the third row (smiting with her stick): People who won’t work. They’ll never get there. A voice: Give the lady the platform. Another lady’s voice: You’ve sold us. Mr. Veitch repeated that if Mr. Holland borrowed £25,000,000 .... A voice: You have been wasting millions for years. You had seventy of them. Mr. Veitch: And we won’t let you get away with any of it. Continuing, he said that the time had come for him to make a stand with regard to repeated purposeless questions. “As you know,” he said, “this is my seventh campaign. ...” A voice: And your last. Bill. Mr. Veitch: Not by a tong way. Proceeding, he said that he had always taken pride in the fact that he had answered every question put to him. A voice: You didn’t answer one at the Opera House. Mr. Veitch replied that there had been “tho father of a row” at the Opera House on the night in question and ho had not heard tho query put to him. He had since seen the questioner and had apologised. Continuing, he said that a crowd of Dervishes kept following his meetings round with the sole purpose of asking a long string of questions in the hope that they would tire his supporters out and get a snap no-confidence vote carried against himself. He was sorry that he had to depart from his usual methods, but he had no other choice He would devote a quarter of an hour to dealing with questions and any that he did not consider were fair ho would not answer at all.

Thereafter tho meeting proceeded smoothly. The interjectors occasionally mumbled among themselves, but the candidate was accorded a good hearing. He commented on the fact afterwards. So did tho chairman (Mr. J. Morrison), who said that he was proud to have been associated with such a meeting, which had done honour to Gonville. The old lady of tho third row used her walking stick to good effect to ensure that the vote of thanks and confidence in Mr. Veitch was carried. This was moved by Mr. H. Higgs and seconded by Mr. A. Larsen. A minority voted “no” when the motion was put.