POLITICAL

Western Star, 11 October 1938, Page 2

POLITICAL

MU HAMILTON GIVES ADDRESS AT RIVERTON.

CORDIAL RECEPTION RECEIVED.

LABOUR FACTIONS AT WAIRIQv

CRITICIZED

Although the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) addressed antagonistic but good-natured audiences at Colac Bay and Wairio on the last day of his campaign in the Wallace electorate on Saturday, his evening, meeting at Riverton was ~in sharp . contrast, his supporters outnumbering his opponents by an overwhelming majority, and expressing their approval in no uncertain manner at various stages in his address. The Riverton meeting was held in Fleck’s Hall, .which was packed, many people, standing at the back. ‘

All” Hamilton ■ was piped into the building by the Waimatuku Pipe Band, and as he walked up to the platform the crowd cheered, many people reading out to shake his hand. The meeting was presided over by the Mayor (Dr N. G. Trotter) who extended a cordial welcome to the candidate. After the official party had taken its place on the stage two small girls presented a bouquet and a buttonhole tp Mrs Trotter and Airs Hamilton

“I want),tp.,express,my,,regret* at los-? ing Riverton from Wallace,’ ’. • Mr. Ham. iltoh said. “That is my. loss, and a misfortune thajt came about through a change of boundaries.” The candidate mentioned ( that •:. that was his last meeting for the Wallace campaign;. He had spoken at Wairio that day, and the Labour representatives had arrived in force and had attacked him, but he had been able . to hold his own. “On the whole they were a good-natured lot and went out after giving three cheers for Air Savage,” Mr Hamilton added.

The candidate said that he;was leaving Wallace with the'.utmost (Confidence that all would be well. '

A voice: And y,6u’re right, boy, too. Mr Hamilton added that he thought they would see. 1 him stll the member for ,Ayaliace when the numbers went «P. ,

When he. was appointed leader some of.the Auckland people thought he was; too far • away. To-day, he thought, those people .were the most enthusiastic supporters the National Party had,| and he thought the Auckland group would give them 18 seats out of 27 and in i South Auckland alone nine out .of 10. They had supporters in all parts of New Zealand such as they had never had before, and they ■ were well I organzed. \ “We are out to clean the Labour Party up,” he continued. “The Labour Party was well - organized last time, and got in because we were badly organized. To-day our ranks have filled .up into a loyal cohesive fighting party. This is perhaps the most serious ' election in New Zealand .' history, , when, the electors will determine for good or ill the destiny of their country.” AIINISTERIAL TOURS. The candidate' said .that'they had had a lot of attention paid , to them in Southland by Cabinet Ministers and even the Prime Minister. ■

1 A voice: They paid you a wonderful compliment, boy.. ; .*. > e'Wes, and they are still coming,” Mr Hamilton ' said. VI say let them all come. In my judgment this election has been fought reasonably cleanly. Now the stage is well set. The privilege of self-government is a wonderfully valuable one. and we want, to fight to retain it.; But if we don’t handle democracy wisely and well we will be apt to lose it too.” ; ■ . ■ ■; : Mr, Hamilton told the electors that they nlust determine for themselves the fight course and should not be misled by a lot of pleasant promises of, wonderful 1 free benefits. After Parliament dlosed down the National Party had had to frame a policy for an election. It had received thousands of opinions On what should go into the policy and it was the party’s job to. sift them. That policy was published two o r three days after Parliament closed.

“I would have liked you to have .been at Ohai,' Nightcaps .and Wairfo/’ Mr Hamilton continued. .‘‘There you would have seen organized labour in action.' Many people think Labour represents the workers. It doesn’t., It. represents organized industrial labour as we see it there. . Why, they almost go as far as to prevent o!fe from speaking. That is not. ,ihe voice of,, the working people hut of an organized section .which sets itself out to crush anyone who disputes its authority. It is the voice of the Government ruling New Zealand * to-day.” The candidate added that his party would not submit to coercion or intimidation. It would allow reasonably free speech and an expression of opinion from those who differed from it. ' ;

“It took me all my time to make myself heard to-day,” he said, “and there were some women among them. Indeed I think- some of-, the worst of them were women; I. have nothing byt the best ‘of good feeling for these people, but at the same time 1 tel! my friends elsewhere that it is a good thing that' they ' are not all ‘Nightcaps’ and ‘Ohai’ in • Wallace. It is a good thing to mix opinions and to see, things, from different angles, but don’t let us try tb prevent the other person from expressing his political opinion.” He concluded by saying that to-day in New Zealand they had a valuable heritage from their pioneering l legislators, and they had the best standard of living in the world. On the motion of Dr E, S, Fossey, seconded by Mr' W. B. Hopcroft, the following motion was carried unanimously:—“That this meeting of electors in Riverton and surrounding districts expresses its unshakable confidence in Mr Hamilton as Parliamem tary representative and its loyalty to liim for' Ids inspiring leadership of the National Party.”