POLITICAL QUIPS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 269, 13 November 1928, Page 8

POLITICAL QUIPS.

FROM VARIOUS PLATFORMS.

LIGHTER SIDE OF POLITICS.

MR. HARRIS' HAT TRICK.

"The harbour bridge will complete my hat trick," said Mr. A. Harris, Indepeudent Reform candidate for Waitemata at his Devonport meeting last night. "When I stood for Parliament in 1911. there were three main planks in my platform—the nationalisation of main highways, grammar school for North Shore, and the harbour bridge. I have -lived to see the first two come to pass, and t claim to have helped in the work. Now lam hoping to see the third. I believe the harbour bridge will be constructed in live years' time. It ia a live issue, backed by public opinion, and now that it has received the backing of the Government it is sure to materialise."

A SLIP OF THE TONGUE.

A slip of the tongue often puts a difr f erent complexion on an unfinished statement, as Mr. R. McK. Morison, chairman at Miss E. Melville's St. Leonard's Road meeting at Mount Eden last evening, lias good reason to remember.

In introducing the Prime Minister he started off by remarking:—"l have very little " and then, making a bold effort to correct himself, observed: "I have very great pleasure in introducing to you "

He got no further, however, for laughter and applause from an audience quick in its appreciation of the unfortunate slip, interrupted him as he was about to "take the hurdle." Nothing daunted by this sally, Mr. .Morison put into practice the old adage of :"If a.t first you don't succeed, try, try again," and at his third attempt conveyed the impression that it gave him great pleasure in introducing the Prime Minister to the audience. '

RESPECTABLE LABOUR. Mr. J. W. Yarnall, Labour candidate for Parnell, .says Labour is getting mighty respectable, and what is more, he has got facts to back up his statement. At his meeting in St. Mary's Hall last evening, he had a clergyman of the Church of England as his chairmanand there was quite a fair crowd of women present. "Disguise the matter a» ye will . . . 'tis women rules us still," said Mr. Yarnall, "and I am very pleased to see so many ladies here, and I hope that they will be able to follow my remarks as welj as the men." SERIO-COMIC. Somebody has told Mr. J. W. Yarnall, Labour candidate for Parnell, that he should make his speeches humorous. A friend of his mentioned the matter in thd street the other day. He admitted this to hie audience in St. Mary's Hall, Parnell, last evening, but at that stage he was dealing with the Labour platform.: "You can't make, a comedy out of the Labour platform—it's far too serious," he said. ' "Serio-comedy," came an alto voice from the back.

A QUESTION OF CONFIDENCE. Applause and very expressive "hur-; rahs" supported a motion presented at the conclusion of Mr. Coates' meeting at Mount Eden last evening that expressed a desire for a complete change of Government, although gracious enough to embrace thanks to the Prime Minister for his address. Notwithstanding this, however, the chairman (Mr. R. McK. Mori-, son) ignored the demands of an indignant section of the audience, and accepted what was actually an amendment as the motion. He declared carried a resolution indicating that the meeting thanked the Prime Minister for his inspiring address and had implicit confidence in him as leader of the Government. The original motion was supported by a declaration that the late Mr. W. F. Massey had stated, before the Reform party assumed oflSce, that sixteen years was too long for any party to occupy the Treasury benches. Mr. Morison engaged in a heated argument with members of the audience, who persisted in calling the motion that was ultimately carried "the amendment," appealed for "square" play, and rounded off his decision against them with the remark: "I am conducting this meeting, and I am going to conduct it as I like." It was an unfair attitude that went severely "against the grain" of what appeared to be the major section of the crowd.