SUPPORT PROMISED

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 631, 6 April 1929, Page 6

SUPPORT PROMISED

MR. RUSHWORTH AND UNITED PARTY WILL GIVE IT A CHANCE j (Special to THE SUN) OKAIHAU, To-day. “I am in favour of giving the United Party every chance to carry out its election promises, and I have prom- j ised support so long: as the Government was moving along lines which would foster land settlement and a diminution of unemployment,” said Mr. H. R. Rushworth, Country Party candidate for the Bay of Islands seat, addressing a large audience at Okaihau last evening. He said he had been asked to pledge support of the Government for the life of the present Parliament, but had refused. Dealing with the question of local grants the candidate said the electors had nothing to fear from the present system. A Parliamentary representative had no hand in allocating grants, except perhaps in assisting a riding member in making his case to the district engineer, or by acting as an intermediary in transferring surplus funds from one riding to another. It was true that more money had been spent in the Bay of Islands in the past ten years than ever before, said Mr. Rushworth. but the same circumstances obtained elsewhere owing to the taxability of the people being increased and the purchasing power declining. A challenge was made by Mr. Rushworth. to an unnamed person resident in the Okaihau district who was said to have alleged that Mr. Rushworth had made an allegation reflecting on the resident. Mr. Rushworth denied he had made any such statement, and added: “That gentleman can take an action against me for slander, if he likes. Whatever the result of that action, I will undertake to pay my own expenses and half his as well.” The offer was received with applause. A motion expressing thanks to the speaker was carried with enthusiasm.