ELECTION JOTTINGS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 December 1922, Page 4

ELECTION JOTTINGS.

MR FREE AT FREBBLETON. A large audience assembled in the I’rebbleton School on I<iiday evening to give a very cordial reception to Air J C Free, Liberal-Labour candidate for ellesmere Air A. Gallagher presided. The meeting gave every evidence of its complete accord with the views expressed by the speaker, whose remarks were punctuated with frequent applause. At the conclusion, a- vote expressing thanks to -Mr Free and support of liis candidature was carried unanimously.

ENOUGH OF REFORM. ”1 have found many families.” said Air Free, “who voted against we last time, but who are going to vote for me this time. (Applause.) They have had enough of Reform I The farmers have not had a fair deal, especially m regard to wheat, and there arc some men who have not yet received their cheques for the wheat they grew for patriotic reasons." No wonder Sir Heaton Rhodes found that he had to form committees all over the district. I “Afy chances of election,” said AH Free ill conclusion, “arc quite all right

so far as I know. (Applause.) If you people here on this side treat me right 1 I will be there all right.” (Applause.) “WHEN ARGUMENTS FAIL.” Mr J. C. Free, Liberal-Labour candidate for Ellesmere, is the latest to be called upon to defend himself against sectarian .attack. A large audience at , prcbbleton on Friday evening received with applause AH Free’s condemnation and denial of the rumours that had bee circulated concerning him. “The rumour has been put around this district,” said Air Free, that I am a Roman Catholic. The last time I ‘stood, in 191-1, that report was made. It is not correct, ami I am not going ' to sit down under tactics of that sort. It is not right. I belong to the Church of England, and f believe I am a good I churchman. I am a worker in the church and have my license as a lay reader. I am proud of it, and I am proud of every man who sticks 'o his church, whatever it may he. Hot us fight fair. It is a disgrace for people to put such a rumour about, and they j should he more careful and speak the truth.” (Applause.)

A questioner, at a latter stage, said lie deprecated the raising of the sectarian issue. “Does it matter,” ho asked, “whether a man is a Roman Catholic or anything else? Let us vet? for Liberalism, whether we are Roman Catholics, or not.” (Applause). “I was told only last Sunday.” stated another man. “that Air Free was a Roman C-i.tholie. I am pleased to hear what AH Free says of it." AH F roc: The report lies been made. 1 know, and they arc using it against me. Some people are not so broadminded as others. If they were it would lie all right. It does not matter to me what church a man belongs r>. The grid trouble is that wc have so few men who are ready to stand up ami support their church.” (Applause.)

Air Free said lie wished to make it quite plain that he did not associate Sir (featon Rhodes with those rumours. “He has always fought me fair.” ho said, “and I do not think ho would stand it for a moment if lie know of it.” THE FARMERS’ .MISTAKE. Mr Free criticised the administration ol the railways, and drew attention to the heavy losses which l lip railways wore at present incurring. No stops bad been taken by the Government to meet the competition of motor (rartifin. If the railway station masters were not hound up liv red tape things would he a great deal hotter. The Go: veriiment had ceased on one occasion to chi r\ wheat at the dictation of the millers who did not want wheat at the time. It. was time that, (lie farmers raised an agitation at the way the railways were run. It uas of no use blaming the station masters. It was the Government that was responsible, Tl o farmers had put in the Massey Fartv under the impression that it was the friend of the farmers, hut the farmers had never had such a good time as they did during the time that the Liberals were on the Treasury benehos. i Hear. hear). Air Massey, he noted, had defended Die gitt oi' L'looo to Sir .lames Allen io furnish his house. AVlmi Mr Massey had said should hurt some of the iaru ers who were working sixteen hours i-ut of the twenty-four to make ends meet ami were then not able to pay their interest. \Ye had got to such a stage of imperialism, il seemed, that, with only a population of a millien. we were sontebodv in the Old World, and il was costing t.ho people here a great deal to do it. The farmers could not afford at the present time to buy new furniture, yet they were spending money right royally for the High Commissioner.

“WILL XKVKH DO IT." "Mr Massey lias been on the Wes I Coast frying to capture .Mr Seddon’s scat," said .Mr .1. C. Free at his meeting at Urcbbleton on Friday evening. "Ho Inis hoon trying to put you no Tom SVddon out.” A voioo: "They will never do it! -Mr I l 'roe (emphatically) : “Well. I hope not! I hope not! (Applause). "! suppose,” added .Mi' Free. “Mr -Masse) thought what a win it would he lor his party, to take that seat from young Tom Seiidon. Well, I hope they "ill not. I hope not lor the sake of the name of the man who has done so inueii (or this eountrv!” This remark was followed by lone applause and cries of: “They will never do it!” Mil .MASSEY AT CHRISTCHURCH INTEIUKCTORS BUSY. On the whole, .Mr .Massey was given a flood hoafine at Ohristehiireh on Thursday last, says the “Lyttelton Times” though at times the inteijeetors were particularly busy, and there were brisk oxchniigcts. One voice asked: “What about polities S'” Mr Massey replied: “You will have had enough politios before I sit down.” The retort enmo sharply: “We have already had more than enough of your politics.” When the laughter had died down, Mr .Massey, pointing to the interjector, said, “We have had more than enough of your impertinence.” hater on Mr Alassey threatened one interjector with a. summons to appear before the Court next day for disturbing the meeting. Ho was not nolined to take the iuterjeetors lightly, and there were times when ho appeared more angry than the occasion warranted. Mis voice was audible a.t all times, but often harsh. There was a good deal of laughter when someone asked: “What did .Mr Wilford say about you ?” "I care no more what Mr Wilford says than 1 calc what you say.” The interjector had the last word. “Mr Wilford,” lie said, “is a better man than you.” Mr Alassey had a measure of revenge later on.

AVhila ho was talking about the pass-ing-on. ol price decreases, a man in the dress-circle called out: "You will pass on on December 7, Bill.” After waiting for the laughter to die down, Air Masse.v replied, “‘idle wish is lather to the thought. That man will pass out'long before I pass on.” Later on, while the financial prospects were muter review, someone asked: “How is the country getting on now?”- Air Massey retorted: “The country is getting on very' well in the meantime, because it. has a. good man at tbe head of aft airs. ’ The audience applauded this reply, and Air Massey smiled broadly. It was his first smile in half an hour, blit the interjeetors were still able to switch him off his subject with questions about past promises and incidents in the House. Frequently Air Alnssev broke off bis speech to call the oppositionists in the audience “Bolshevists,” “Sovietists,” “ignorant, half-grown youths” and “foreigners from the south oi Europe.” As the speech proceeded it was punctuated with cheers, hoots, interjection, and laughter, though there was never any long-continued noise. From half-past nine proceedings were very quiet, an d at a quarter to ten many members of the audience began to make for the doors. Noticing this, AH Alnssev remarked. “I am going to stop at ten o’clock. That is not very far away.”