FUN, NOT POLITICS

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 501, 2 November 1928, Page 7

FUN, NOT POLITICS

MR. ADEANE FINDS IT . HARD TO SPEAK

A LIVELY MEETING

There were no pictures at the Britannia Theatre, Three Lamps, Ponsonby, last evening, yet the big crowd which filled the theatre to hear an address by Mr. Frank Adeane, the Reform candidate for Auckland West, thoroughly enjoyed the lively entertainment provided.

Lively it certainly was; at times it was uproarious. and from the very start it was apparent that a big section of the crowd was out for fun and not for politics. Mr. Adeane’s opening reference to being a man with troubles and a big mortgage like most of his audience started a babel of interjections. “Have you ever been hungry,” was shouted at him.” “Yes,” retorted the candidate, “but more often thirsty.” He was talking about the schools of the district, with one exception, being a disgrace, when further uproar started. More in sorrow than in anger ho gazed at his tormentors and told them that when Mr. Holland spoke the other night he received a quiet, attentive hearing, to which came from the hall, “But he talks sense.” (Loud laughter.) Mr. Adeane appealed to them as sports to give him a hearing, referring to one tiny interjector as “Jamuna.” For a time Mr. Adeane was allowed to say how he would relieve unemployment. Elis mention of the fact that the new Auckland Railway Station had been started brought forth an ironic, “Oh! marvellous!” and further interruption. Mr. Adeane’s statement that he would deal with the three partie*s again started lively sallies, and he told the hecklers that if they didn’t like it they could “buzz off.” Voices: Give us politics, then* Mr. Adeane: Go on. Have a good yap. •

For a time the candidate was allowed to speak on what the Government had done toward assisting unemployment. He was brought up again by an interjection from a shrill-voiced woman. When the candidate mocked her by barking “Bow-wow, wow-wow.” the hall shook with laughter Later, when a squeaky voice in front made some remark, the candidate caused more laughter by mocking the voice.

The Voice: Well use tact. The Candidate: Tact; the only thing that would be any good to you would be rat poison. (Uproar.) And so the brisk fire of interjection \yent on till question time came. Questions rained on the speaker from all parts of the hall, including one from a man who said he was an ex-Govern-ment official, and free-born Samoan who wanted to know if the candidate was in favour of deportation without trial. Mr. Adeane said that he was not. (Applause, and cries of “You’re in the wrong party.”) To a man with a strong foreign accent, the speaker said that the questioner, not being a Briton, could not understand things as we did. (Cries of, “Oh; Oh!” and “Listen to that,” and angry calls of, “None of your sarcasm” from the questioner.) A vote of thanks and confidence was proposed, and an amendment that the speaker be thanked “for his entertainment,” but neither proposal was put, as the audience was streaming away*