ELECTION TACTICS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 September 1943, Page 4

ELECTION TACTICS

CHARGES AGAINST NATIONAL PARTY. DENIED EMPHATICALLY BY MR HOLLAND. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, September 18. Strong exception to statements made by Mr Clive Drummond (Independent Group, Wellington West) in his recent broadcast, was taken by the leader of the Nationalist Party, Mr S. G. Holland, in an address in his own electorate last evening. He claimed that his character had been impugned, and his protest was applauded by an audience of over 600. “The public do not want a dirty election, and so far, with one unfortunate exception, the campaign has been conducted on a decent plane,” said Mr Holland. “Three nights ago people had to listen to Mr Drummond, speaking on behalf of the People’s Movement. I don't propose to deviate from the course I have taken, but when my character is impugned and my integrity questioned, no one will blame me for defending myself. In this instance the speech was delivered not from a public meeting, but from a broadcasting studio. It was a speech that was obviously read, and I don’t believe the person who delivered it ever wrote it. I know the gentleman, and I think he is made of the better stuff. Someone else wrote that speech.” Mr Holland gave an emphatic denial to some of the statements made concerning him. “I am accused of having organised cheer brigades to come to my meetings and cheer me at certain points,” he said. “It is alleged that I organised people as Dr. Geobbels in Germany organises people to come to his meetings. At my big meeting in Christchurch there were exactly three tickets issued. I gave my father one, and gave one to my wife; the third ticket was for a lady with a broken leg that was not completely mended.” Mr Holland added that he did not think it was cricket or good for politics that such allegations should be made against leaders of parties. “If I was guilty of such practices as those mentioned I would deserve to be obliterated from the public life of New Zealand.”