CHANGE OF MIND

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 510, 13 November 1928, Page 22

CHANGE OF MIND

WISE MAN’S PREROGATIVE

MR. ALLAN- AT OTAHUHU Addressing a large audience in the Gaiety Theatre. Otahuhu. last evening, Mr. Ebenezer Allan, the official United candidate for Hauraki, answered accusations that he had changed his politics, by saying that he had reasons. A wise man changed often; and the other class, never. “The Minister of Health is a good man.” said the candidate, “but if he had not been included in the Ministry, he would be in the ranks of the United Party." In refuting the charge made by the Hon. J. A. Young, that Mr. Kells Mason had stated that £25.000 of the motor-tax had been used for electioneering purposes. Mr. Allan stated that Mr. Mason advised he had stated that £25.000 of the motor-tax had been unaccounted for. and in reply to an interjector as to where it had gone, Mr. Mason jocularly replied that he did not know, but possibly it was being used for electioneering purposes. It was certainly not meant, but was published next day as a statement made by Mr. Mason. Young had said that the only thing wrong with Mr. Coates was that he was too modest. He spent £3O 000 on advertisements of Coates and confidence, yet he is too modest! The Reform Party had a lot to say about advances to settlers, but they forget to say that it was started by Sir Joseph Ward. “The people of New Zealand do not want doss-houses and soup kitchens ” declared Mr. Allan. “All they want is the opportunity.** In the candidate's opinion, the cost of Government was too high. Cut out 30 representatives and the balance would do the work better, and the country would have a superior class of man. Expenses only should be paid the members, and if they didn’t like it, nobody wanted them to stay Let them get out. ~l n dealing with Government trading Mr. Allan said the Government could supply almost anything—pigs, bees poultry, seeds, plants—all sort of things except brains. In that commodity they were lacking, and they were as barren of ideas as some of the Taupo land, through which they were proposing to run railways, was of vegetation. .. answering a number of questions, Mr. Allan was accorded a unammous vote of thanks and confidence. Mr. R. B. Todd occupied the chair.