AWAITING A LEADER

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 914, 6 March 1930, Page 14

AWAITING A LEADER

MR. JENKINS DEFINES POLITICAL COLOUR HECKLING AT REMUERA In a hectic hour of scornful and ! humorous heckling, intermittent j uproar and unrestrained laughter, J reminiscent of the atmosphere of j pre-election speeches, Mr. H. R. Jenkins, M.P. for Parnell, explained to a packed house in the Remuera Library last evening, the reasons for his secession from the United Party, and defined his attitude in the political arena. Justifying his severance from the party on the ground that it had not tarried out its policy defined on the hustings, Mr. Jenkins caused consternation and uproar when he announced his willingness to stand behind the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates if lie thought the public would support him, but he did not believe the electors would do so. In the heat of the excitement came a dramatic challenge to Mr. Jenkins to resign his seat, recontest it, and pay the election expenses. Amid applause. Mr. Jenkins accepted the gage on condition, "tho majority of this house on a show of hands is in favour of it." An uproarious babel followed, but no definite motion on these lines was submitted. and finally a vote of thanks was accorded the speaker by enthusiastic applause, which drowned the objections. The hall was packed (o the doors, many listening from the doorways, and even outside. The heckling element was in force at the rear and made the most of its opportunities. The wags started in early on the chairman, Mr. IT. P. Richmond. “We are all anxious to hear what Mr. Jenkins has to say,” lie said. Voices: “Too true,” and “rats.” “One thing we all deprecate,” Mr. Richmond declared, “is that as soon as a man enters politics every action be takes is construed to be based on the worst motives.” “Naturally,” came from a pit voice that broke up the house. Ironical laughter and a chorus of Ohs greeted Mr. Jenkins’s opening announcement of his pride in representing Parnell, which lie described in flowery terms. “It has been suggested that I climbed into politics on the back of Sir Joseph Ward,” declared Mr. “Hear! Hea.r!” and “So you did,” from the back. “I will show you how l did get into Parliament,” he protested. Derisive laughter followed liis next assertion that the United Party had climbed on his back, and lie had climbed on the back of Refonn. He fiatlv denied any suggestion of “ratting” on the United Party. “The only thing I promised was to vote Reform out,” said Mr. Jenkins, “and I have regretted it ever since. “You say I’m deserting the partv ” declared Mr. Jenkins, amid uproar “I’ll tell you why.” A Voice: Why didn't you stand as an Independent? Proceeding to criticise the Prime Minister’s £70,000.000 loan scheme and an additional £ 10,000,000 for railway construction. Mr. Jenkins asserted this had nothing to do with the partv’s ,T hC 'E,,H e ": ent 0,1 t 0 refer to the non-fulfilment of' Sir Joseph Ward's promise to advance cheap money, and to the Government's failure to i-educe and reconstruct taxation, which had ben increased. “X urged the adjustment of company taxation,’’ asserted Mr. Jenkins. “You ought to have been Prime Minister, ironically retorted an interamid renewed laughter. “Our party increased primage duty ” continued the speaker. * “What party are. you with now ”’ convulsed the house. A mounrnful voice: ITow are they going to get on now you’ve left them? Cnn juu tell me one economy the Government has effected?” demanded Mr. Jenkins. An Interjector (solemnly): Yes they kept you out of Cabinet'. There were ironical cries of surprise Jud applause when Mr. Jenkins described Sir Joseph Ward as the greatest statesman in the House, and expressed regret at the Prime Minister’s illness. The speaker was condemning tne system of bureaucratic control of the Government by departmental heads, which, lie claimed, was being contributed to by Sir Joseph’s inability undertake his duties properly. The Ministers were described by Mr Jenkins as inexperienced, but good,' out they had to learn their job, with the result that officials were given increased control. PRICE OF MINORITY “This is the price we have to pay for a minority Government, ’ declared Mr. Jenkins in referring to the Urii;ed dministration’s failure to keep its pledges to institute electoral rt.diui election of control boards by producers’ and a system of operating on savings banks by cheques, the reconstruction of the Public Works Department, and the readjustment of wheat duties. “As long as 1 represent you I intend to give my member’s bonus to tne schools, for the benefit of children in my constituency,” declared Mr Jenkins, amid applause. He consicleied. that in many cases M.P.’s were underpaid. “Yes, and some are not worth what they get, retorted an interjector. The Prime Minister was criticised by Mr. Jenkins for overriding the party in authorising the consti'uciion of railway works. “That is sufficient reason for my i-esigning from the party,” said Mr. J enkins. "And from your seat?” asked an interjector. "Don’t have any misgivings about that,” retorted Mr. Jenkins, warmly. "I don’t leel justified in putting tlic country to the expense of an election. But don’t think I’m afraid of it. I should be well treated.” After the applause and jeering had been subduea, Mr. Jenkins added: “l would not be coming out as a United Party candidate.” "I had something to say in the House about birthday honours,’’ began Mr. Jenkins. “Oh! I thought you would,” came a sarcastic observation. The speaker went on to criticise the allocation of the honours, contending that they should be distributed to Dvominent industrialists and agx-icul-turists who made the country. There was considerable laughter when Mr. Jenkins solemnly observed how these honours would be conferred "if I were Prime Minister!” A Voice: There’s some rats here as big as kangaroos. UNEMPLOYMENT PROBLEM The unemployment problem was discussed by Mr. Jenkins, who considered that the Government’s advancing of money - to workers on a 5 per cent, margin was responsible for atti'acting many peopie from the country to the towns. He quoted figures to show that over the 10-year period, prior to 1925, farm holdings had increased by 4,010. but the number had diminished by 114 since the United Party came into office. The net increase in holdings up to the present time was 6.360. The solution for unemployment, in his opinion, lay in the United Party’s land policy, which had never been carried out. only 20u having been placed on holdings since the party attained office. Endeavouring to illustrate the value

of settlement. Mr. Jenkins remarked: •Take France: the people live on the land." “They live on frogs," contradicted a heckler, amid uproarious laughter. “We don’t want unemployed insurance to pauperise the people,” Mr. Jenkins declared. He said that the country was in greater danger with a minority party in power than with Labour in office. Labour would never get in with a majority. *T will stand as an Independent until the two-party system can be evolved.” Mr. Jenkins said. "I dread and fear our party will hold office at any price. •T have been very uncharitable to the Reform Party, to Mr. Coates and the Labour Party,” he proceeded. “Is this a peace offering?” asked a voice. The speaker’s opinion that Mr. Coates was the ablest man in the House, outside Sir Joseph Ward. greeted with a chorus of “Oh’s,” and laughter. The Labour Party, however, he regarded as biased men, lopsided, who all read the same literature, including Karl Marx. ~ “Gi’e us something aboot Socrates, called a Scots interjector. “If I thought the public would support Mr. Coates, I would go with him, but I do not think the electors would do so,” Mr. Jenkins declared. Uproar, and yells of “You ratter, held the speaker up for several mom “That is.” he added, “to bring about a two-party system.” CHALLENGE ACCEPTED _ Following Mr. Jenkins’s acceptance of the challenge to resign, recontesi the seat and pay the election expenses the chairman announced he would endeavour to make a count of those in the hall. Cries of “What about those outside” arose. Mr. Jenkins then insisted that, only Parnell electors should vote, and was immediately accused of “hedging,” “that he was afraid to take the vote and “was not game." Further uproar followed when the chairman, following exhortations not to accept a motion from so mixed a gathering, called for a resolution, but none was proposed; but still unroarous demands were made for a vote, but these were ignored. When the hubbub subsided, a vote of thanks was proposed to Mr. Jenkins. An interjector jumped up, and working himself into a frenzy cholerically proposed a vote of no-confidence in the United Party and Mr. Jenkins or the Reform Party. He was howled down and counted out, and the vote of thanks was carried amid applause.