MR. COATES HECKLED

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 160, 27 September 1927, Page 13

MR. COATES HECKLED

RAGLAN BY-ELECTION PRIME MINISTER'S ENTRY MEETING AT NGARUAWAHIA (Special to THE SUN.) NGARUAWAHIA, To-day. JJISTINCTLY a minority in the big audience, a noisy section endeavoured to disconcert the Prime Minister, the Right Hon. J. G. Coates, at his meeting at Ngaruawahia last night. Many miners from Glen Massey were present. The tone of the meeting was good-humoured throughout. “Everybody else has had a good go, and it was necessary for me, at the request of those who support the Government, to place before you some of the tilings uppermost in the minds of those who occupy the Treasury benches,” said the Prime Minister, who was introduced by Mr. H. A. Sampson, Mayor of Ngaruawahia, and who stated that he made no apology for his presence in the electroate. “Not until Mr. Holland made it clear that it was his intention to come to the electorate—he is speaking at Huntiy to-night—did I, too, make up my mind to come.” Ironical voices: Ha-ha! Mr. Coa.tes dismissed the suggestion that the selection of the Reform candidate had been “rigged.” The issue before the electors of Raglan, he went on, lay between the Government and the Labour Socialistic Party. A Voice: Bunkum. The Prime Minister: Whether you call it bunkum or not, the plain facts are there. There are two issues, and two only, A Voice: I pick the two. Nine bob a day for a single man, and 12 bob for a married man. (Laughter.) Mr. Lee Martin had made it clear that the electors had to say whether they were satisfied with the Reform Party’s administration. NOISY ELEMENT The presence of a noisy element was already apparent, and a voice remarked: “You are played out, Gordon.” •The Prime Minister proceeded to criticise the Labour Party’s platform, especially in regard to socialisation of services. The Labour Party’s policy was to utilise for public works the money within the country, a poor policy at present. A Voice: Never mind about the Labour Party. Mr. Coates: The Labour Party has to stand criticism in the House, and it will have to stand it here. The Government’s financial policy was resulting in the gradual reduction of the heavy burden of war debts. The ease with which recent loans were raised showed how highly the credit stood abroad. The opposition so far had not been able to weaken one feature of the financial structure of the Government. A Voice: That’s pretty feeble. The Government was responsible for the finances of the country. A Voice: Correct. (Laughter.) Mr. Coates: My friend who says “correct” will have to answer me a question or two. Voices: You’ll get all the questions. Mr. Coates recalled the shipping strike, with its disastrous results to New Zealand producers. The Labour Party had failed to assist on that occasion, and they had to ask themselves whether the Labour Party would not always fail the country when such crises arose. UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM To say that the Government had failed to face the unemployed position, which was attributable simply to economic conditions, was incorrect. A man in the gallery asserted that immigration was to blame. Mr. Coates: No immigrants are coming in now. The Voice (very broad): Didn’t you say in the House that you were, in honour bound, compelled to admit ten thousand immigrants a year. 'Mr. Coates: May I ask if you are a New Zealander. (Laughter.) “Do you imagine 10,000 came in last year ?” The Prime Minister was subjected to much heckling, principally of an irrelevant nature, but occasional hearty applause indicated that the majority was with him. “As far as the Labour Party’s platform goes, you are taking a shot in the dark. On Thursday you will return a man who will help us with the work ahead of us,” said the Prime Minister, concluding his address. QUESTION TIME At question time an element of comedy was introduced by a greyheaded old gentleman who wandered down an aisle to ask why one and aquarter million was remitted from the land tax for the benefit of the squatters of Hawke’s Bay. “Will you deny,” went on the questioner, “that £200,000 was given by the squatters of Hawke’s Bay to put you where you are.” (Laughter.) Mr. Coates: Of course, my friend is not serious. His friend gravely informed him that he was, indeed, serious, whereupon Mr. Coates returned negatives to both queries. Fuel research, said the speaker to another questioner, would help to overcome the obstacles to the use on the railways, all the year round, of the light Waikato coals. ARBITRATION COURT “Does the Prime Minister believe, with his candidate for Raglan, that the Arbitration Court is a farce?” asked another questioner. “It is capable of improvement. We have not yet perfected it —but it is certainly not a farce,” replied the Prime Minister. Other questions were asked and answered, amid a great deal of good humour. A vote of thanks and confidence m Mr. Coates as Prime Minister was moved by Mr. S. Saulbrey, and seconded by Mr. R. T. Hill. A countermotion of no-confidence found support at the back of the hall, but there was a greater volume of “ayes” for the motion, which was declared carried. “I sincerely trust that you will back that confidence up by returning the Reform candidate at the top of Thursday’s poll,” said Mr. Coates.

MINERS DISAPPOINTED

UNABLE TO HEAR PRIME MINISTER SHORT SPEECH TO WOMEN (From Our Own Correspondent) HUNTLY To-day. Keen disappointment is expressed that the Prime Minister can speak in the Huntiy district only during the day when the miners are at work, and unable to hear him. He spoke in the town hall this morning to about 100 persons, principally women. The chairman of the town board presided, the meeting lasting only 30 minutes. Referring to the coal industry, Mr. Coates stjited that he would not be satisfied until 100 per cent, of New