UPPOS’ WILD STATEMENTS’

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 507, 9 November 1928, Page 11

UPPOS’ WILD STATEMENTS’

MR. DICKSON HITS BACK REFORM’S GOOD SKIPPER “The United Party is making wild statements without any foundation whatever. They say we have squandered £128,000,000 of money. Why do they not give us some evidence as to where and how that money was squandered?” Thus did Mr. J. S. Dickson, M.P., Government candidate for Parnell, refute the criticism of his opponent, Mr. Jenkins, United, speaking at St. Mark’s Hall last evening. Mr. E. W. Inder occupied the chair, and at the close of the meeting declared a motion of thanks and confidence carried on a fairly even showing of hands. The United Party, the candidate said, stated that the Prime Minister was an ignorant skipper. What happened to Sir Joseph Ward in the 1911 elections? Mr. Dickson then asked. His own people turned him off his ship, and made Sir Thomas Mackenzie Acting-Prime Minister. Then Sir Joseph went to his own electorate to get a deep-sea certificate—and he did not even get a harbour certificate. He also failed at Tauranga. Defending the Government’s income taxation, Mr. Dickson said that under Sir Joseph Ward in 1911 a man with an income of £9,000 paid £6OO income tasc. To-day the tax on the same income is £1,980. When Mr. Dickson mentioned the Public Works programme of Reform, he was greeted by cries of “Dalmatians!” “Chows!” and ‘ Squareheads!” A certain number of Dalmatians, Mr. Dickson reminded his audience, were British subjects, and fought at the front. Our opponents have said, he continued, that men on relief works are orfy earning 5s and 6s a day. We have had statistics prepared, and these show that in Christchurch, for instance, the married men average 13s 7d and the single men 11s 3d a day. Mr. Dickson concluded by replying to an interjector, saying that “Coates and Confidence” will be there after November 14, because Coates has still the confidence of the people A Voice: Not in Parnell, Mr. Dickson!