A NOISY MEETING

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 48, 20 November 1919, Page 8

A NOISY MEETING

MR. PIRANI'S OPENING SPEECH

MANY INTERRUPTIONS

AN ADVERSE MOTION

Mr. P. Pirani, Liberal candidato for tlho Wellington Central seat, had a stormy meeting in St. P.-iw's Schoolroom last night. Mr. W. Fuller was in the chair. The lull was crowded, and it was evident from the start that supporters of Mic. Labour candidate were present in strong force.

Tho appearance of Mr. Pirani on the platform was tho signal for rfieers for tho Labour candidate from a section of tho audience.

Mr. Pirani: Ladies and gentlemen, I come beforo you to-niglit —

A voice: As a blacklyg. (Laughter.) Mr. Pirani: "I come before you as a candidate in tho Liberal interest, and I liopo to justify my claim to represent you in tlie next Parliament." (.Laughtor.) He had fought othjr elections, and (bo could say he had always been able to shake hands with his opponent at tho end.

A voice: What about Dick Seddon? (Interruption.) Mr. Pirani asked for fair play, and was met with cries of "soft soap." Tlio candidate: There is no soft soap about me. If you give mo five minutes outsido you will find that soft soap is pretty hard.

Mr. Pirani said ho did not intend to discuss tihe past actions of Ministers or parties. But he wanted to state wUiat he considered should lie tho policy for the future. After the work that had been done during the last five years by tho Massey party he could not possibly agree to support tho present Government in oflice. Ho would say for what his opinion was worth—

A voice: Nob much. Mr. Pirani: Perhaps so. More than yours, but perhaps not much. (Interruption.) lou have not got a lame eoldior to deal with to-night, you know. A voice: What were you doing on the Wanganui wharf?

Another voice: Ratting. Mr. 1 irani: I did not know they had a r r. i?' ,^y, an oanui. You aro thinking of Castlecliff.

The candidato waited for some minutes while a storm of shouts, laughter, and questions proceeded. An elector: lie is going slow. Stick a pm in lum, Mr. Chairman. . Mr. Pirani: That is not going slow.' It is a stop. A voice: You can't expect anything better from a Tory rat. Mr. Pirani: Thank you. You are a gentleman. Voices: More thnn you are. If you won't speak, will you sing? (Laughter.) When some order had been restored, Mr. Pironi said he intended to speak regarding reconstruction. New Zealand was fortunate at present in having a better condition of affairs than prevailed in any other part of tlio world. But ho wanted to show what ho thought oyght to be done. A voice: With rats. Mr. Pirani: "Yon look as if you lived, on them. It would be a very good thing for this country if we knew what to do with rats." He had never voted against his principles. If any person could prove that he had done so ho would retire from the contest. That was a fair challenge. The candidate proceeded to refer to educational matters. He was subiectc<l to interrupt'ons. several persons making references to "indecent pictures." Mr. Pirani said that unless the schools and the education system were improved tho children of the country would not be getting a fair deal.

A .voice: You aro quoting the Labour Party's platform. ' . '

Mr. Pirani: "There :s much in the Labour Pnrty's platform that we all a<rrer with. Thero aro things thero that T advocated forty years ago! But it is no use advocating good principles if vou put the wrong men into power.lo administer them." He proceeded to sketch improvements that he thought should he embodied in the education system. Every child should be given a chance to develop in the direction suited to its abilities, and the best brains among tho children .should bo assisted bv means of bursaries. He hoped that the awakening that had come over the country in education matters would be continued. He advocated Stale hostels in the largo towns. There should also bo established A vo ! ce: Soup kitchens. Mr. Pirani: "Soup kitchens are not to be sneezed at. I naw somo national kitchens in ihn Old Country tliat are. well worth while." (Interruption.) Ila thought that the Government should establish community settlements, where a man could get a homo and a block of land. There should bo health camps at the seaside for delicate children. Voices: Give us politics. Why don't you stand for Feikling? Mr. Pirani: "The Moderate Labour Party wished mo to stand for Peilding. (Uproar.) 1 knew I should get much more fun if I came down here." He considered that reform was required in connection with the mental hospitals. Tho treatment of mentally afflicted persons in large institutions was not desirable. A voice: Is this Ward's policy? Mr. Pirani: "I am elucidating the policy of the future member for Wellington Central." (Jeers and laughter.) Speaking under a firo of interruptions, Mr. Pirani advocated modern methods of treating mentally defective persons. He objected to the farming out of children by the State. These children became practically white slaves. "Wards of the State should bo accommodated in cottage homes, where they could receive homo training. A voice: Indentured labour.

Mr. Pirani: I object to indentured labour, of course. "Vou will find that in my speeches of thirty yenrs a(;o. Theris should be a State mcdical service, which would serve the needs of all those who did not caro to employ their own dot> tors. A State legal bureau should be set up.

At this .stage an apparently angry gen. tleman took the floor to declare that tho Government did not assist working girls to learn maternity nursing. The candidate had to wait until tho interrunter had finished.

Mr. I agree with yon, it is wrong.

The interrupter: Their why did you not admit.it- before you started? You are terribly slow. (Laughter.) "" Mr. Pirani approved of Stato ownership. of tho liquor trade. He had seen this system in operation in England. A voice: "Who paid for your trip? Mr. Pirani: I think that trip cost tho Imperial Government ,£2500. A voice: Slinmo on you to rob the starving poor of England.

Mr. Pirani said lie had refused to go to England at; first because he could not afford it, but the peopln of his district had subscribed JC3OO to enable him to make the trip. A voice: Why (lid you not stand there? Another voice: They know him too well. (Laughter.)

Mr. I'irani: "That is the man whose face shuts when ho ope;is his mouth." (Interruption.) He considered that the land problem would have been much easier of solution if tho graduated land tax had been raised to- a proper level. He (lifapiiroved of speculation ami profiteering? in land. Every bit of unfair profit. on land came from the workers.

A voice: Why did you stand for Reform at the last elections?

Mr. I'irani: 1 advocated exactly the same views as I am advocating to-night, but unfortunately I was not elected.' A voice: How could you advocate them when you were out. to support Mr. Massev ?

Mr. Pirani: Wr.w! Wow! Wow! (Prolonged interruption.)

The candidate saw' the Government could do more good by checking profiteerinsr in iand than by prosecuting firms for selling bits of flannel. The landowner should be allowed a fair profit, and tho State should take the rest. A man should he allowed 10 per cent, for even- year he had heirf the land as a nrofit, and the State'should take tho rest. (Interruption.) There was very urgent need for • tariff revision, which-

should be carried out on the recommen. dation of a committeo of experts choson from each Dart of tho community. Voices: Wo havo had enough ot oxnerts. I think you are a twister. (Laughter.)

Mr. Pirani: All _ tho union who have rowdv meetings this election aro going into Parliament.

An elector: What is tho difference between tlio principles of Joe Ward and Bill Mas?ey ?

Mr. Pirani: You ask them when they come along \tliis' way. (Uproar.) I am standing as a supporter of Sir Joseph Ward. I havo always claimed tho right to hold my own views ns long as they don't conflict with the leader of the partv.

Voices: Who did you support in Palmerston? What did Seddon say about you ?

Mr. Pirani: Mr. Seddon said that "Mr. Pirani was always a gentleman." You will find that in Hansard.

Tlio candidate turned to industrial questions. He preferred tho Whitley scheme to the Arbitration Court. There would lie no effective solution of industrial nroblems until profit-sharing was established.- (Interruption.) Tlio Government had demanded increased production. but what, was tho use nf increasiwz production if tho stuff could not bo got ww ?

Voices: That's your it away. Wiv pot use it lierc? What about the children ?

Mr. Pirani said there was a mountain nf asirstos within fiftv miles of Wellington. owned by the State. If it were (levelthe product wonV! b* available for bui'<"ng purposes at greatlv reduced rates. There were other minerals that could lw made of more use to the people than increased quantities of meat and butter. „ .

■Repb-i"!! to another storm of interjections. Mr. Pirani said that «wie of Hip 'intorrun.f-or* would want asbestos when they.l«ft Hiis worM. (Lnugli tor.) He advocat"d the establishment of a department nf salvago to malco use it waste products. Voices: Who would get the money? Wmt about RussiaP Mr. Pirani: "Don't, for goodness sake, mention Russia. Russia is unnameable in polite, society." After this sally the candidate was unable to proceed for several minutes. Some of the Labour supporters in the hall wanted to know what was the matter with Russia. Mr. Pirani said he did not think the Defence Department was doing its full duty to the returned soldiers. A voice:' Oh, what a shamo. Mr. Pirani considered that the Department should keep in touch with returned men for at least two years. He had always been opposwl to conscription. Men who were forced to fight were not worth tuppenco when they got to the front. If he had said during the war everything that he believed lie would havo been with Paddy Webb. A voice: Then you did not have tho courage of your convictions. Mr. Pirani: "I did not have tho courage to go to gaol." (More interruption.) Turning to tho land question, Mr. Pirani advocated increased facilities for settlement. Afforestation ought to receive attention. Men should not be allowed to hold land unless they made it productive. Unproductive land should bo taken at the State valuation. The aggregation of land should bo stopped by refusal of title. Boards should be established' to deal with profiteering. The. cost of living was lower in New Zealand than in any olhor country, but it was too high, and ought to. ho reduced. In conclusion, Mr. Pirani said ho had done his best, to present his -political views. He hoped to hav.» another and more favourable opportunity without interruptions from people -who had not troubled to study public questions. In answer to questions, Mr. Pirani said ho had not a vote in Wellington Central. He had prevented the compositors' dispute going to the Arbitration Court by scouring a settlement. ■ In his own business every employee while off sick received full pay. He was strongly opposed to indentured labour. An elector: "Why did you turn against the Massey Government? Mr. Pirani: Why I turned against tho Massey Government was 'because

A voice-. You got more money. Mr. Pirani: I have never made any money in nublic life. I cannot support the Massey" Government because of their defence policy, absolutely. An elector: Did you attack tlio late Mr. Seddon regarding the Fisher voucher and compel tho lato gentleman to de-, fend his character in the House of Representatives? Mr. Pirani: I was not in the House for two years before the, voucher incident, and I never mentioned the subject except that I went to the lato Mr. T. E. Taylor, who was my personal friend, and told him what were the facts about the voucher, and asked him not to bn foolish enough to brine it up in the House, Thero was. no stick voucher. It was just a fake. I never said a word about it in public or in iny newspaper, because I knew it was a silly thing. . Mr. Pirani said ho was strongly., m favour of Homo Rule for Ireland. He preferred not to discuss Russia. He did not approve of tho present hotel'hours. The bars should bo closed for a certain number of hours in tho afternoon, and kept-open after G p.m., until, say, 9.30 p.m. After Mr.' Pirani had. opswered other questions, an elector at the back of the hall moved: "That this meeting of electors considers that Mr,. Pirani is not a fit and proper person to represent this or any other constituency in New Zealand." Another elector moved, as an amendment: "That Afr. Pirani be thanked for a pleasnnt evening, but that this meeting has no faith whatever in the Liberal or" Massey parties." This amendment was put to the meeting and apparently carried. The chairman was proceeding to put it as the substantivo motion when a further amendment, was moved: "That Mr. Pirani lie thanked for his address." Mr. Pirani started to speak, but was counted out vigorously, and the meeting broke up in disorder, a section of tho audienco giving cheers for the Labour candidate,..