STOLEN THUNDER

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 511, 14 November 1928, Page 11

STOLEN THUNDER

MR. LYSNAR’S LIVELY MEETING KING COUNTRY BEER “The other candidates have put nothing original before you./ It is only within the past few days, since they have had time to study my polio’, that they have come before the electors —with good ideas.” This statement was made by Mr. F. J. Lysnar, Reform candidate for Auckland Central, speaking at St. Matthew’s Hall last evening. The audience showed its appreciation of the statement with laughter and cheering. The meeting throughout was uproarious, a running fii’e from the professional hecklers making it-almost impossible for the, candidate to speak. The candidate maintained it was impossible to “bust up the big ’estates,” but his audi-ence told him he knew nothing about it. “I wish you boys who know nothing about it would go home!” said the candidate angrily, and the crowd, gave three cheers for Harry Holland. Mr. Lysnar said that 2,000,000 acres of land were lying idle in the Auckland district. Voice: Rats! Mr. Lysnar (excitedly): Rats! You’ve got rats yourself’ The candidate said he was a Liberal at heart, but where were the Liberals to-day Sir Joseph Ward had gathered together a mixture of all parties and called them the United Party. Mr. Coates was the only man who could safeguard the country. A chorus of boos and groans followed this sentiment, and an enthusiastic Reform barracker in the front seat clapped vigorously for two minutes. A man at the hack of the hall stood up, and talked heatedly to the cahdidate, at the same time waving a document at him. The candidate asked the police to remove the heckler. A chorus of groans went up, mingled with cries of “Don’t you dare! ” The man at the back: ’Ave I to go or ’ave I not? Mr. Lysnar: Oh. well, not it you keep quiet. (Frenzied cheers, laughter and stamping of feet.) The chairman called on the constables to remove another interjector, but after a silent struggle at the back, nothing was done. “Now we come to something I know you’ll be interested in—Prohibition,” said Mr. Lysnar. “Though I think drunkenness is a terrible thing I w’on’t vote Prohibition. I favour State Control. I could tell you about some of my experiences in the King Country You can get any amount of it there Voices: Where? Candidate (excitedly): You can swim in it! Voices (happly): Heavenly. Candidate: But you’ve got to be known. Groans and cries of “I thought there was a catch somewhere,” follow’ed. Control of liquor was the best policy, said Mr. Lysnar, and lie would be one of the first to give a handVoice: No, you won’t. You won’t be there. “If you want to advance your country and uplift your children, it is your duty to vote for me.” (Ironical laughter.) ■ A serious young man with Shakespearean locks and a high forehead said he wanted to ask an important question affecting Auckland’s harbour. “In the event of the candidate being returned would Ue be in favour of putting concrete on the bottom of the harbour so that crabs can keep their tooting?” he asked. The meeting howled its apprecia tion and the candidate treated tbs question with scorn. After several questions had been answered, a motion of confidence in the candidate was declared to be carried.