POLITICAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1021, 21 March 1912, Page 3

POLITICAL.

MR. PAYNE AND HIS PLEDGES.

Auckland. March 19

Six hundred people who gathered at Kiugsland this evening were sadly disappointed of the expectations of making holiday ol the meeting convened by Mr John Payne, M.P. for Grey Lynn. It was the last of the series announced by him, and the Jubilee Hall was packed with a crowd that bulged out of the doorways. While they lasted, the proceedings were animated and boisterous, but twenty minutes after it was begun the meeting was abruptly terminated by the chairman (Mr A. Galley). There was little encouragement in the noisy demonstration, for which Mr Payne’s appearance was the signal. The chairman had learned a lesson from his previous experience. He was brief in his introduction of Mr Payne. The latter adopted new tactics, stating that, instead of making a speech, he would answer any questions addressed to him, particularly by those who had been hooting. The first response to the invitation was from a middle-aged man, who gained much applause by declaiiug that his vote had been given to Mr Payne because he had promised to vote against the Ward Administration.

“Any fool can make an assertion,” was Mr Payne’s reply. “Substantiate what you have said, and I will answer you.”

Uproar was let loose at this, and, amidst it, Mr Payne shouted that there was no question. “I am going to try you to-night,” Mr Payne exclaimed.

Amidst the disturbance created by his refusal to answer a similar question, a definite statement was made that in the King’s Theatre and in the Tivoli Theatre Mr Payne had distinctly promised to vote against the Ward Administration.

He replied that at two meetings he had been questioned regarding his vote in a probable no-con-fidence division, and, before replying, had asked “Brought on what grounds ?” A voice : You did not.

Mr Payne : We shall have a show of hands on that question. How many ot you say I did say “Brought on what grounds ?” A man and a woman held up their hands and then hurriedly withdrew them. The audience roared with derisive laughter. Mr Payne interjected that there was no common honesty in the room, and at that cheers were given with great vim for Mr Massey. A call of cheers for Mr Payne evoked a chorus of hooting. Mr Payne added that he had undertaken to vote for a uo-conli-deuce motion on the land question, but not one in general terms. There were many calls upon Mr Payne to resign. “I will tell you why I will not resign,’’ he declared at last. “There are 200 good hard-working people (evidently referring to his election committee) who are as much my friends now as they were before the elections. I have to remain true and loyal to them, and take no notice of the brewer-cum-Fowlds-cum-Opposition mob, I know the hirelings of the brewers are here to-night and packing the meeting. “Mr Bung put you in !’’ was the retort from someone in the audience, and after having been counted out hall a dozen times, the chairman insisted that the assertion should be substantiated.

Several questions were asked regarding a statement made by Mr Payne at St. Barnabas Hall, Mount Eden, that he would vote against the Ward Administration. He replied that it had been wiped out ol existence, tor every Minister would resign on Thursday, and because alter that day the Prime Minister would be a private member. Asked if he had not recently paid off a mortgage ot on his house, Mr Payne said the house be occupied belonged to his brother-in-law, and he himself had never had a house to mortgage. The chairman objected that the question should not have been asked, but was informed that it came from “one of his own people.” He then declared the meeting closed. “And now you can all go out,” added Mr Payne, as the hostile demonstration, which had occurred throughout the meeting, was renewed.

There was some display of illwill when Mr Payne and his companions left the hall and started to walk through the crowd that had waited about. He was hooted, but there was no interference with him. A police sergeant and constable considered it advisable to escort him to a tratnear, and they were followed by a large section of the crowd.