PALIAMENTARY CANDIDATES.

Auckland Star, Volume LIII, Issue 300, 19 December 1922, Page 10

PALIAMENTARY CANDIDATES.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —PerEaps the most astute type of candiate standing for eleotion as member* of Tarliaineat is the one who "splits the difference." It might prove interesting to your readers to Know how this is done. If you ask him the simple question, "Does he prefer a three-years' to a fiveyears' term for the life of Parliament!" he ia so used to "splitting the difference" that quite naturally he says he would prefer four years. Thus the three-year and the five-year folks are supposed to be equally satisfied, though in truth they each feel like splitting him. To obtain the votes of Roman Catholics and , Protestants alike, the proper formula to adopt is the role of the high churchman, for he is neither the one nor the other, a exactly suits the crafty man of -the "splitting" type. •When he wants both the liquor vote and the prohibitionist's, ask him to have a drink, and he will say "Yes, a brandy and soda," the one for the one and the other for the other. On the economic side, ask him if he thinks that £3 19/10 is a living wage for a married working man, and he thinks—if I should say "Xo," you will say, "Then will you see that it is increased." And if you should say "Yes," then you will say, "You are not the boy for me," 60 he creeps out of it by sitting still and saying, "The Arbitration' Court settles these matters." and as every one knows, the Arbitration Court is the champion splitter of differences, and thus you have the man of the splitting tyipe. There are many people who like chicanery and double-dealing, and this man, with his slippery, slimy ways, makes a great appeal to them, because you can never catch him at any turn, but the honest elector has the utmost contempt for this type of candidate, and lives in the hope that when next election comes along he will be able to vote for a man as his representative, and at the same time rehiin his own self-respect. —1 am, etc., ELECTOR. '