Page 4 Advertisements Column 5

Gisborne Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1602, 15 November 1905, Page 4

g [Answoringquoßtions, 1 Mr Massey de- | dared ho was in favor of the Arbitra- | tion and Conciliation Aots appliod to overy class, including State servants.' Ho had(supportod the inorease of pay to railway men, and tho 8-hour day for them. Ho had always paid his own employees a fair wago, and ho offered to contribute £2O towards tho rooroation ground if it could bo shown, ho had employed a man for loss than Vs a day on his Pukekoho farm for the

last two yoars. A voice: Wlmt about Mangat’O ? Mr G. Whito asked a number of questions. Had the candidate ever introduced into Parliament any bill of' sorvico to the colony? Mr Massey answorod by stating that it was not tho 1 duty of Opposition members to introduce bills—oven othorwißO members had only limited chances. Ho cited the olauso ho moved removing tho duty from foncing wire. Mr Gray: That is not a bill. _ j Mr Massoy : You show how little you know of Parliamentary procedure. Mr G ray; I know that is not a bill. (Uproar.) When the uproar subsided Mr Whito askod whether Mr _ Massey favored State aid to denominational schools.

Mr Massey: “No, wo a splendid secular system open to all.’ Mr Gray asked whether Mr Massey would make his £2O challenge in respect of the employment question extend to the Mangere farm. There was an uproar when Mr Massey' appeared to hesitate for a. moment, and in the midst of it Mr Massey almost shouted, “ No—that is out of the district.” Shouts of. “ Question, question, rent the air, and Mr Gray said, “I repeat the question. Mr Massey: You have no stake in the country. # Mr Gray. I have a vote in. this electorate, and I repeat the question. Mr Massey: Well I won’t. \ Shouts of applause and derision i went up from the rival factions—from the Oppositionists in the hack of the hall, and ; tho Government supporters in the’front and scattered throughout tho building. Cheers for Mr Gray were loudly given, and Mr Massey, catching up the name, shouted, with great heat, j “If this is Mr Gray, the Liberal organiser, I say ho is not entitled to the vote he claims. lam here for the term of my natural life, and he is only a bird of passage organising the Government campaign here.” A further uproar of cheers and hootß intensified the terrific din which now prevailed unceasingly. Again Mr Gray repeated his question, and again Mr Massey retorted, “ I won’t; I have a man there working on fencing at 6s. a day.” One or two men in the audienoe got up to state that Mr Massey had always been a good employer, and were received with a confused uproar of cheers and hoots. In a moment of lull a man in the back of the hall asked if Mr Herries was not currently believed to be the brains of the Opposition ? Mr Massey said he was one of the best men in.the House.

“ Then what will the Opposition do if he doesnt’ get returned ? ” “There is not the least possibility that he will be defeated.”

‘'Oh, yes, there is,” said Mr Gray, and amidst a roar'from the people Mr Massey retorted, “ you’ll know more about New Zealand when you have been a few months longer in it. Wait till I have done with you.” Mr Massey'proceeded to quota a speech of Mr Seddon’s on the co-oper-ative labour question, and concluded : “ That speech is the work of the man whose dirty work Mr Gray is doing.” This was the signal for the greatest uproar of the evening, and cheers and hoots filled the hall deafeningly. Mr Massey shouted again, “ That was the speech of Mr. Seddon.” “And a good man, too,” shouted another in the audience, the cry being taking up with cheers for Mr Seddon. Then Mr Gray clambered up the steps to the platform and hastily conferred with the chairman in the midst of the hub - bub. Turning to the crowd he shouted, “ The chairman will not permit me to reply to Mr Massey,” and the uproar was renewed with a mighty torrent of hooting. The chairman attempted to .justify himself and said that he would not allow himself to be put in a false position. Mr Grayhad no right to reply to questions. Mr Gray descended to the body of the house amid cheers for himself and the Government, first saying“ On leaving the platform I can only say that the people of brains will see whether my work has been dirty or clean.-’

Cheers for Mr Massey followed, and then Mr & B. Martin. moved* a vote of thanks and confidence in Mr Massey. In the confusion; the seconder was not immediately forthcoming, but Mr C. Shepherd (from the stage) seconded when one was called for.

During the uproar that followed Mr G. White struggled to the platform and moved an amendment, “ That a vote of thanks be accorded Mr Massey and that the meeting express its continued confidence in the Government.” There was, of course, an uproar amidst the two factions, and. no one seconded the amendment for a moment. The chairman did not call for a seconder, and proceeded to put the motion. Shouts demanded the,amendment,'.which the chairman declared was not seconded. Mr Gray stood up in his seat to signify that he seconded it, but the chairman either did not

see him or ignored him. The motion was put, but in the uproar it was impossible to ascertain whether a majority was in favor 1 ' or not. The crowd was divided into two factions, one shouting against another, and excitement became so intense that one or two began to altercate and show signs of "tight.” ‘‘Down with Seddonism,” was one yell. "No,” came an even bigger shout. ••Three cheers for Dick,” came another shout, and with an accompaniment of waving hats and sticks they were given, with a tinge of Opposition groans and hoots. The meeting wah so rowdy and un controllable by this time that the customary vote of thanks to the chair was dispensed wiih, and the gathering, the liveliest in Pukekohe for years, if not absolutely the liveliest, broke up in confusion.

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