MRS YOUNG

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1928, Page 6

MRS YOUNG

M \KES HER STATEMENT

A LIVELY GATHERING

HY TI-XI'.OItA I’ll —l’ll KS.S ASSN'., COI’VKIOIIT

WELLINGTON. November 5

Mrs M. Young Independent Labour candidate lor Wellington (eiitrnl. whose lasi minute nomination was the surprise ol Wellington, had a very mixed reception when she spoke to-j night in a packed hall. "It gives me pleasure to seek your suit rages. she said. " I hope you will appreciate my posit ion. I have nohody at my hack in the sense of the word. I stand lor Labour, because I am pledged to Labour. I gained it some time ago. hulas I have said. I don t like llit? leaders of tin' movement, and I never have. A- loud voice: " Why? Because your, old man is out as secretary ot the union.” (Laughter.) " I don’t suppose any person in the world has more reason to didike them than I.” Mrs Young proceeded, amidstinterruptions. " I am standing lor the same views as is held by the Labour Party you all so much like.” A voice: “Speak up, Maggie!’’ Mrs Young here paused in her ad- j 'dress. The time of waiting was tilled! in with calls from the body o'i the hall. WOMEN NOT FREE ENOUGH? I •• You women are not free enough. ’ she declared when the disorder had subsided. “You wank to stand up lor yourselves in every sense ol Ihe word ! When you working people waul houses you should not be wasting money pay- | ing for Labour candidates. Let them j pav for themselves il they are plucky enough to do it.. Then you know they are standing in your interest.’’ fllear. i hear, and uproar. ) Proceeding wit a her speech. .Mrs Noting got as lar as ! t.lu* assertion that “ the heads ol tin j Labour Party are never going to imj prove New Zealand.” Then she was | subjected to 'further heckling of a disorderly nature, with loud " boos ” ami cries of " shut up,” checking her ill terames momentarily. ‘‘The heads o! the Labour Movement in New Zealand are only going to improve them- ! selves in their own position. they are worse than a secret society, and a vendetta travels far and wide, and von never know when you may get a stab in tbe back.” A voice: “ Waibi ! ” ahs lining: " Von will bear ail about Waibi soon enough. further uproar.) Mrs Young: "You people have been in bondage long enough. Il I get only one vote, my own. in this election. I ihink il will have been well worth tin game.” A voice: “ Wluit about the Hindus?' Mrs Young: "They have as much right- to live as you have. 1 (Loud applause.) The heckler: " How would you liken daughter of yours married to one? At this stage a lady in the body oi the hall rose and appealed lor a lair hcarim: for the candidate, with the injunction: “Be men !” She was met I wall luriher uproar, and cries fired latl he candidate ol " ( onic on ! \\ aka I up ! ” .Mrs Young was about lo resume. ! wiien there was a loud shattering ol I glas.o. After the man who had I a lien through the window had been assisted to his feel . the candidate again made herself heard. A heckler: “Go Hack to 1920. and your old man’s a scab.” Mix Young: “ You have never dared t.o say that to bis face, and you never will. lie was too loyal to the Labour Partv to stand up for himsell. hut 1 am here to stand up'for mysell. ( Hoar, bear.) Now tbe Waibi strike was engineered by Semple and i loliand t .lie famous Holland. They wanted to get in the public eye. I here was no othei way of doing it than by having a strike. T hey had to ask the engineers to come with the Miners’ I nion. Ihe engineers refused to do it. so the miners came out at: tbe instigation ol these “two great men.” It was not a strike for the betterment of tin* men, but: to advance Holland and Semple. .Mr Young had more sense than any ol the others.” # (Uproar.i A heckler: “Non have turned him down ! ”

Mis Young: “ I have not. I think ho has been foolish to he loyal to a partv that comes between man and wife. (Applause.) They don’t care whether they break homes. 1 hey don t care so long as they get places.” Mrs Young continued “You know as much about that as a cat. Coming now to Labour’s vendetta, il you don > do ns the leaders toll you. you have got to he punished 'for all time. Mi Young would not come-out with the Waihi strike but he had to be punished for all time. II he wants anything new. they say. ' Y\ hat about the 1913 strike? ’ Mr Holland exposed him.

A heckler: “ Did he ? ” Mrs Young: 11 He did. Holland. Semple, and Fraser were at the bottom of the Seamen’s Union trouble.” She claimed that Mr Young’s work for the seamen bad undermined his health and the seamen had got the best conditions ol any other seamen s union in the world. A heckler: “But Young got £l2 a week ! ” Another heckler: “You done well out of his wages.” Mrs Young: “1 am not getting much now.” Mrs Young: “I am here for the principles as any Labour candidate. Although I have not the official badge I am still for Labour.” Mrs Young said she believed the old age pension should be increased. 1 also believe.” she said, ” in f*' ce school requisites. (Applause.) f must ask for your forbearance on account of the fact that 1 have come out off mv own bat.” (Applause.) “ I did

not want anybody In lose ilieir job, and that, is what would have happened if anybody in the movement came torward to support me.” said Mrs Young. “That- is the position with the Labour Partv to-day. You are hound hand and loot. You would he branded a traitor if you came out into the open. The candidate went on to say that she was in lavoiir ol the pension to widows being increased, and that something should he done lor the unemployed. (Applause.) Mrs Young asked how it was that a loyal member of the Labour Party could not get employment-. A voice: “ There are a lot of us like ihat !” (Uproar.)

Mrs Yeung: ” Non an* alwa.is (.might to run down capitalists, hut the leaders of Labour are aiming to he some of the capitalists ol this country hy having three or four jobs.” Mrs Young said she intended to see t| u . contest, through*, and she hoped to he able to put up a-good light in spite of her inexperience. " I hope to make a belter list of it next election.” she added, amidst applause. WHOSE LETTERS?

“ | mu out for the betterment and freedom of women in every sense. I 1 1 jive had letters 'from all over New Zealand wishing me success in this campaign, saying that: it is a plucky thing to do. I fee! it is a plucky thing to do. Until I came to this hall I never realised how plucky it was. ’

Air- Young said she was -nr.- women knew ilia! strikes were dreadful things. They did not hurt the men as much as they injured tiie women and children. If women were in Parliament, and had ;i sav in things, there would mil. he lint sain" number o') si l ikes. A female von e : “ Leave the si nlf-> alone.”

Mrs Young: “I am not in favour of immigration. I think there is quite enough people in this country to he looked alter first, if they are looked idler, there will he no need lor immi-

grut ion. ' A lighted cracker was thrown through the window ol Hie hall, and exploded with a loud hang. A heckler asked where did Mrs Young get the deposit for her nomination ?

A ladv .supporter o'l Mr I'raser replied: " She assures me she paid it

out- of her own pocket. •• Mrs Young: " 'That is so

Speaking amid further uproar, the lady supporter ol Mr T laser said that, like the candidate she was trying to speak lo the men. women and puppies of New Zealand. The puppies were those who were doing the yelping and yapping. “ I hope,” she added smiliuglv. "that, I have calmed you down into such a stale that you will give Mrs Young a fair hearing.” (Applause.) Concluding her remarks. Mrs Young claimed that she was entitled to the support of the electors if only on account of her pluck. Sin* expected to I H . jit the head of the poll. At her next meeting she would go more lully into her programme. As the meeting was about to disperse. three cheers were called for .Mrs Yeung. 'These were heartily responded to. A call lor cheers lor Air Eraser met with a mixed reception. :uhl a call for similar honours for Mr 11. (•;. Holland produced one solitary cheer. Many of those present shook hands with the candidate bciore sue wi t ltd re w I rout the hall.