FIRST SHOTS FIRED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 223, 20 September 1938, Page 13

FIRST SHOTS FIRED.

HUMOUR ON HUSTINGS.

"YOU POLITICAL HERO!" Hustings humour, the charm of which lies in its spontaneous nature, will set election campaigning halls echoing with laughter before many days are out. There was a foretaste of it at the Crey Lynn meeting of Mr. .!. A. Lee, M.P., last night; but it was con I'm ed to a mere two or three interjeetors, and it was far from reaching its full flow and sparkle.

The first "shot" brought only a titter of laughter. A voice contradicted one of Mr. L<>e's claims with a sarcastic "I don't think!" The interjector was immediately humbled by somebody else, who said: "You haven't got the' brains to, anvwav."

Mr. Lee knows how to handle interjectors. Standing in a doorway, one of them, after asking the speaker to "tell us about Scrim," ulioiited: "He's a great cobber of yours, I'll bet!"

''!'<! like to see a few photos of your robbers," said Mr. Lee. "But come in and let us have a look at you. I don't like a fellow who fires behind a tussock, as it were, and then sneaks out into the dark. Come in and be contaminated. Come on in, you political hero!"

"Convert him," suggested Mr. A Campbell, who was sitting on the platform.

Mr. Lee: It can't be done, Archie. I haven't got my brace and bit with me to-niulit. Anyway, lie hasn't got the courage to come in. He hasn't got the courage of his own convictions.

There was another bright passage at question time. Someone wanted to know whether a proposed new post office in Surrey Crescent was to be named "Grey Lynn" or "Surrey Crescent" post office.

"I'm afraid I can't answer that one," said Mr. Lee. "The usual thing, you know, is for the birth to come before the christening."