"A CORRUPT SYSTEM"

Evening Post, Volume CXVI, Issue 48, 25 August 1933, Page 6

"A CORRUPT SYSTEM"

PARTY GOVERNMENT

CANDIDATE'S VIEW

(By Telegraph.) (Special to tho "Evening Post") CHRISTCriUKCH, This Day. The keen public interest that is being taken in the Lyttcltou byelection is being manifested in wellattended meetings. Woolston turned out in force last night to hear Mr. E. L. Hills, the Independent Labour candidate, whoso entrance into the field against Mrs. McCombs, widow of tho late member, is resented by Labour sup-1 porters, who consider that it improves the chances of Mr. F. W. Freeman, the, Coalition nominee. The rowdy element, however, failed, and for fully 80 per cent, of tho time he was speaking Mr. Hills was given a good hearing. - Dr. Thacker was the chairman^ Tho mooting at the outset promised to be very lively. Dr. Thacker's introduction of the candidate was listened to with ill-concealed impatience and to a running fire of interjection. "There are two heavily-weighted top-weights iv this race," he said, "and tonight we have " A voice: A dud. For some considerable- time after he commenced bis address, Mr. Hills was listened to in complete silence. The electors of Lyttelton, he said, were, being afforded an opportunity of electing a man who was a relief worker, a in<-in who had been in a sugar-bag parade. A voice: You are going tho wrong way about it. ' Mr. Hills condemned the party system of government, which ho declared was not in. the best interests of tho country. ■ .'-..' A voice: You should join, , tho Legion. PEOSPECTIVE OF CHAOS. The candidate said that there was a serious position, arising in the country, and if the Government, did not take steps to rectify \ the ; damage it had done the Dominion would be flung into chaos. He dealt with his.- resignation from the; Labour Party, and caid that there was not such 6«opo in the Labour movement today as there used to be for a young man who was not afraid to speak his mind. A voice: You are a twister. Mr. Hills: Oh, I cannot hide lenind a corkscrew yet. A voice: Judas at least- had tho decency to hang himself. There were sharp passages while Mr. Hills was criticising the policy of tho Chiistehurch City Council in regard to relief work, and at one stage tho candidate, the- chairman, and several members of the audience were speaking at once, but Mr. Hills won out and thero was&comparative quiet for some timo afterwards. The candidate advocated support for New Zealand industries, which ho said would have to be protected, and he reiterated that tho party system of government was a corrupt form. A voice: Why did you belong to a party? . . Mr. Hills: During" my association with the Labour Party I had differences of opinion. , A voice: .Why didn't you stick to the ship? ,' ■'■• ' ■ ';■ ; ;>i ..' v . . ~ ■'. Mr. Hills: So long as I was in tho Labour Party I was loyal to it. When I felt that I could be no longer subjected to influence inside tho Labour Party'l resigned, I have done the honourable thing. '. ~' ' ■: . . A voice: You will do,your tenner. "Towards tho close trio meeting'became somewhat: 'rowdy when Dr. Thacker declined to' accept a motion asking the "Woolston branch of the Labour Party to make an official reply to Mr. Hills regarding the nomination of tho late Mr. McCombs and Mr. Hills for the Lyttelton seat. .. The chairman also refused to put a, motion expressing no confidence in Mr. Hills. Instead he put a motion of thanks and declared it carried, though in the general hubbub it was difficult ] to say how the voting went.