A PERSONAL WRANGLE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3199, 21 April 1911, Page 4

A PERSONAL WRANGLE.

ON HASTINCS HARBOR LEAGUE.

INTRODUCTION OF THE LIQUOR

QUESTION

(.SPECIAL TO TIMES.] NAPIER. April 20. A meeting held, at Hastings last night under the auspices of the Harbor Learnie, developed 1 into a personal wrangle between Mr. A. L. D.. Fraser, formerly member for Napier, ana Mr. D. Whyte, formerly of Tinirorto. The latter was selected as the League’s candidate tor the Harbor Board election. Mr. Fraser, in detailing the circumstances surrounding the selection, said he ■naturally resented being told in the street that he had made the greatest mistake Of his life in opposing Mr. Whyte at tlie behest of the liquor party. He would characterise that statement as a cold; frozen, transparent lie. It had been stated in the street that he (Mr. Fraser) was put up by the liquor party. Even supposing he had been put up by them, there were as good and as clean living men in the'liquor trade as there were amongst the arrogant, bigoted, narrow-minded no-license men. Mr. Whyte said that, in dealing with the harbor question, he never allowed the liquor question to influence his mind until lie found that they had put up a man against him. He was very sorry that the question, of prohibition had been introduced, but it had not been introduced by him. He had been told in the. street that there was a movement amongst the liquor party throughout- New Zealand with the object of opposing any man with prohibitionist views standing for any public position. (A voice: “Rot-.”) He took h:s stand firmly on the no-license question, but lie recognised that those in the trade had what was described as vested interests. and that- they held their views. He always pulled well with his opponents on the question until he came to Hastings, and he had .fought a clean fight with the Licensed Victuallers Association. , , . , Several speakers deprecated the introduction of personal matters, and the subject dropped.