PLATFORM PARS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 78, 23 November 1931, Page 2

PLATFORM PARS

Taking Ofi^his Coat. At 'least ofie member of *the audience listening to Mr. G. G. Munns, Coalition candidate for Roskill, had visions of the speaker descending into the- body of the hall and attacking him. At one stage during Mr. Munn's sp eech - at • Sandringham, •: when ■ interjections were frequent/ a Temark of the cand:date was'wrongly interpreted. Remarking that the atmosphere was hot, he said he would soon have to take his coat dff. "Don't you try to bluff me," said an interjector, who pretended' to, take' Mr. Munns' remark in the nature of;a*threat.' • No Pledges Signed. In his speech at Berhampore, the official Coalition candidate for Wellington Southj-'Mr.- * Will Appleton, said he had refused to sign any pledges, . although he had received dozens of letters asking hbn to do so. ■ fAs a . reasonable business man I am not going to pledge myself to something I cannot carry out,"- he said. "Men, Not Measures." The opinion. that the Coalition pact had failed hecause a large section of the electors felt it was an agreement to save the seats of memhers quite as much as to save the country, waS expressed b'y the Hon; A. D. McLeod, Independent Reform Coalition candidate for Wairarapa, in opening his campaign at Carterton. Mr. .McLeod said he had. never agreed with the political doctrine that measures and not men counted in democratic Parliainents. . He knew * that measures counted for 'very much, but to-day there was need in New Zealand's Parliament for- men having" strong opinions and who were prepared courageously to stand by such opinion. "A Fool's Paradise." "The Coalition candidate claims that a return of the present Government will bring about a period of stability for the country," said Mr. R, McEeen,

ua ti our candidate for Wellington South. "That," he added, "is quite true. The Government has already fastened on the nation a stability more alarming than many erises — the stability of aimlessness, of torpor, and should it continue, decay. By its class legislation it has stabilised luxury for the wealthy section of our community; unemployment and misery for thousands of others. Those who expect stability of the services which fortify health and enrich the spirit of the community from the Goalition Government, live in a fool's paradise. Petrol in Otago. "Petrol can he produced within five miles of Dunedin — not from oil wells, but from brown coal." declared Mr. W. R. Hayward (Dunedin North). Germany was now manufacturing 300,000 tons, or 85,000,000 gallons of petrol yearly from brown coal. Thirtyfive pounds of petrol could he obtained from every 100 pounds of coal, including the coal used in the kilns and heating process. The capital involved in the starting of petrol manufacture by this method in New Zealand would equal in' value the petrol imports to New Zealand for eight months. Instead of paying out £2,000,000 a year, a quarter of the value of the wool exports — more than they could afford — -New Zealand would be able- to employ thousands of men between coal mines and the works producing the petrol." Tomahswk Wanted. "I want you to send me up to Parliament, and to send me a tomahawk, and I will clear off some of those dead branches," said Mr. Todd at Lawrence, when referring to wasteful Government expenditure. Clockwork Opposition. "Are you opposed to Sidey time?" asked a member of the audience of Mr. ' F. Gawith, Coalition candidate for Egmont. Mr. Gawith: I was opposed to the full hour, but with the half-hour my opposition is redueed by half. A Drop Too Much. Are you in favour of Prohibition? That hardy triennial was flung at Mr. W. R. Hayward (Dunedin North) by an interjector. Mr. Hayward: I am not a Prohibitionist. However, it is not now an active question. It has been taken out of the hands of Parliament, and your vote is as good as mine. "Would you like a drop? asked an elderly elector, and the candidate smartly replied: "Not bad." Reform and the Pact. In expressing the view that there was no . necessity for the Coalition pact, other than in triangular contests or perhaps in Ministers' electorates, the Hon. A. D. McLeod, Independent Reform Coalition candidate for Wairarapa, speaking at Carterton, said that on election day there would not be a single United Minister opposed by a Reform candidate; but this would not be so on the other side. The Hon. D. Jones was opposed in Mid-Canterbury by a • candidate who ran him to within 100 votes at the' last election.

Interest Reduction. Addressing a meeting at Lawrence, Mr. Charles Todd, Coalition Reform candidate for Otago Central, favoured a reduction in interest. He would make the general rate 51 per cent., and would limit the interest- charged hy stock and station agents to 6 per cent. Some' business people, when opposing a compulsory reduction in interest rates, spoke of sanctity of contracts, but why should such things be considered when the 'safety of New Zealand was at stake? asked Mr. Todd. Drop in Unemployment. 1 "It's easy to-'critcise the men who are handling the task, hut unemployment," which started two' years ago with 2000 men out of Work and grew until in October there were 51,000 unemployed men, is a- very difficult problem indeed. The Coalition Government is doing more to relieve the position than any other Government, and to-day for the first time in three : years, unemployment figures are dropping." — Hon. D. Jones, Minister of Agriculture at Leeston.