“EMPTY BENCHES”

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 504, 6 November 1928, Page 12

“EMPTY BENCHES”

UNITED PARTY GOES HOME TO BED MR. MASON SPEAKS OUT “The question is not whether a United candidate will vote for or against the Government on a no- < confidence motion. The real question is. which section of his party will he follow, those who vote for the Government or those who go home to bed, 1 ” said Mr. HG. R. Mason, in a vigorous criticism of the United Party at the Avondale Town Hall last evening. < The candidate was in good form, j and illustrated his remarks with de- 1 tails of actual experiences in the j House. Whenever a prolonged fight 1 was on,' the Uniteds went home to bed, * leaving the true Opposition, the 14 . Labour men, to carry on the fight. That was the essential difference be- 1 tween the Labour Party and the Uniteds, for although there was a certain similarity between the two platforms, the Uniteds sought every excuse to avoid voting against the Government with whom they hoped some day to unite. ‘*l wish electors could see their empty benches in the House. Jt cure them of wasting a vote on the United candidates,” declared the speaker. “They will often against the Government—when it does not. matter, but \ as soon as the position is critical for j Mr. Coates he may safely rely on suffi - j cient United votes to save him. “Such is the character of their oppo- | sition,” concluded Mr. Mason. The candidate also gave a lucid explanation of his party’s policy, a i unanimous vote of continued conn- 1: dence being carried at the conclusion j of the meeting - . Mrs. J. A. Lee occu- a pied the chair. c