POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 25 September 1918, Page 7

POLITICAL.

WELLINGTON OENJRAL SEAT, I By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Sept. 24. A section of the audience at th» opening meeting of Mr. Mack, Independent Labor candidate for the Wellington Central scat, last night, was extremely rowdy, and continuous interjections and other noises prevented the delivery of his speech. Mr. Mack was kept answering questions till the chairman declared the meeting closed. lie said that as the candidate had been refused a hearing by a section of the audience, he would not put any motion. During the singing of the' National Anthem at the 'beginning of the meeting, the hecklers sang, with loud, discordant voices, a Socialist song. Mr. Mack explained that he was not a member of the Protestant Political Association nor of the Prohibition Party, and was not connected with Orange lodges. If any organisation decided to support him that was its own business. He was responsible only for his own actions and words. He claimed the right to represent reasonable Labor, as distinct from the extremists. Though personally no was opposed to compensation to the liquor trade, he favored the National Efficiency Board's recommendations as sound business.

Answering a question about his guinea a day pay as a member of the Military Service Board, lis said lie paid this money into the S.E.S. funds- He declined to be bludgeoned into withdrawing from the contest. He would go to the poll even if 99% per cent- of ibe railwaymen requested him to stand down,

MR MACK'S SECRETARYSHIP Woodville, Sept. St. The Woodville branch of the Association of Railway Servants passed a resolution deploring the action of the general secretary in contesting the Central Wellington seat as not in the best interests of Labor, and requesting the executive to ask him to resign the secretaryship, as he cannot possibly do justice to the society and at the same time engage in politics. "