EVENTFUL TOUR

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 10, Issue 54, 25 November 1946, Page 7

EVENTFUL TOUR

MR W. SULLIVAN’S SOUTH ISLAND TOUR

INTENSIVE ELECTIONEERING

The National Party is not backward in making full use of its more prominent and experienced members, and it was to this end that Mr W. Sullivan, M.P., candidate for the Bay of Plenty, was invited to make a tour of the Christchurch and Timaru electorates in the South Island recently. Mr Sullivan, who arrived back in Whakatane during the weekend was at Taupo again on Monday last, where he addressed a gathering of 75 in the afternoon, and then went to Franklin, where he addressed a further meeting •f 500 electors in the Town Hall, and was afforded a most attentive hearing.

The southern trip commenced on Saturday, November 9, when after leaving Rotorua, Mr Sullivan found his car snowbound at Waiouru, and had to be assisted through the heavy drifts, before continuing on to Wellington. A rough trip to Christchurch followed, and on Monday morning, he moved to Timaru, where he was escorted by Mr Hannan, the Mayor, over the new municipal building scheme in that town, covering some hundreds of houses of highly modern designs, and with which Mr Sullivan declared himself deeply impressed. Mr Sullivan addressed a meeting of 700 at Timaru, and also had his first experience of open-air oratory, when he addressed some 200 people at Riccarton, from the back of a lorry. On the Tuesday, he was the speaker to a large crowd in the Civic Theatre, Christchurch, estimated at 500, and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. He left on Wednesday by air for Paraparaumu, and travelled to Wanganui East, where he addressed, in conjunction with Mr Merriweather, the National candidate, a gathering of 400 electors. The following day, he had a splendid meeting at Hawera in the afternoon, over which the Mayor of Hawera presided, and some 500 persons were present. Keeping to his programme, he arrived at New Plymouth in time to address a further large gathering in the interests of Mr Aderman, the National candidate. There were fully 500 persons present, and again Mr Sullivan was accorded a hearty vote of thanks and confidence.

On Friday evening, Mr Sullivan arrived at Rotorua, where he vattended the National rally at which Mr S. Holland addressed 1200 electors in the Civic Theatre. On that occasion, Messrs. Sim, and Ngata were also present on the platform in conjunction with their party leader. Saturday found him at Te Puke addressing a gathering of 200 electors, over which the deputy Mayor, Mr Donovan, presided. Mr Sullivan opened his district campaign at Te Teko last Tuesday, a report of which meeting appears elsewhere in this issue.

MR SULLIVAN AT TE TEKO

LAND POLICY EXPOUNDED

There was an attendance of just on 200 electors to hear an address at Te Teko on Tuesday night by Mr Sullivan, National Party candidate for the Bay of Plenty. Mr C. Eivers was in the chair. The candidate said that with the National Party in office, land settlement would be encouraged. The guiding principle would be settlement on productive values. The optional tenure would be freehold, leasehold and share farming, with right to acquire freehold. The share farming scheme for approved men would enable the farmer to acquire a property with little capital. The settler would work under supervision with expert advisers, the Primary Production Council, when he could accumulate sufficient capital to take over the freehold, under a long term State mortgage. The State would provide the capital to bring the farm to a productive stage, the settler providing the labour and carrying out the farm work. It was hoped in this way that many successful settlers would be established within a short period. After a number of questions had been answered, a vote of thanks and confidence was proposed by Mr Tony Smith, seconded by Mr T. Macken. and carried without dissent.