HERE AND THERE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1301, 2 December 1911, Page 8

HERE AND THERE.

CAMPAIGN JOINTS AND PRESS COM- ' ; " ~ ' The Premier and the Totallsatsr. . In Winton tho Prime Minister was i asked whether he introduced a Bill to abolish the totalisator. He said he did Cot. That, said Mr. James 'Allen at Paltterston,. was" technically true, but the apca&or. pointed out that' the Premier introduced a resolution in the House to do away with the ,totalisator, and he voted for it, and if. he had carried it he. was bound tq brin» down' a Bill to give effect to the'resolution. Was that straight? Hot and Stronfl. A prominent remdent. 'of Greymouth, in the course of a private letter to a friend. :in Christchurch,.. makes-.the following reference to'the coining contest: —'"The olection is the only topic nowadays. The Webb-Guinness contest is tauie—the . Socialist man is quite, impracticable. lii Westland things are going hot and strong, and I cannot pick which one'will go in. But ifs funny. Seddon'a; colours 'are blue and white, MichelV red ,hnd whitoi- -The'other day some Mi'chelites were decorating a church with flowers: the (lowers they had'were red and white. Then some Seddonites came On the scene, and I believe the whole party got.excited over using .tho church for electioneering. 'How they compvCTpised I know not—probably they mingled some blue flowers, and all were «atisfie(|. There is a lot of talk'of money being put lip on this election; but I don't ithink, many- substantial sums have been staked so far."

Quite Wrong. seems.to me quite wrong," _said Mr. J. .D. Hall, the Opposition candidate for ChristdlYni'ch Nort'i, "that the men who work lor . the. Government should ' Ira debarred' from sharing in the privileges of tho' Woi'Scrs' Compensation Act' and other-Act? intended, for-the good of the forking inarf,;;and which are binding on private employers." .

The Limit..''::- • ; V;'-:.'- " It .borders> nn ludicrous :-(says the Christchurch "Press") when we find tho local Ministerial journal rejoicing over the fact that Mr. Ell, by his influence with the Ministry, has actually managed to get the public notices exhibited at the post ollico enclosed in a glass frame and illuminated at night. -• Weeks ' ago the paper announced that the., piigle -eye of Mr. Ell had seen such an arrangement nt the Wellington Post-Office, and that he was interviewing, the Government on tho subject on behalf of Christchurch, Now, an authoritative apnouncement is .-made that this portentous boon has at length been granted,' and that the "rosult is highly appreciated'bv' the'public." 'Truly wo must' be thankful for small mercies. .

Coincidence or .Consequence. taxation has increased' from .£3 7b. Id. per head under the self-reliant policy to' JX 3s. Gd. per head under tlio loan policy —an advancc-of 64 per; cent. It is confidently asserted by. people, who ought to know from experience that, tho cost of living hds' gono up over 50 ,p'er cent. Is this a coincidence or a consequence? aska the Cfiristchnrcli "Press." They All. Enjoyed It. A Milton man .who has ..followed Mr. Jas.-Allen V speeches clo6ely for 20 years, tolil a Reporter that in all that time he never'heard ; tho membor'for Bruco speak bettor than he did at Fairfax recently. He wont there assured of a lively time, end. he- was willing and ready for a verbal fight: He got it, aod seemed to enjoy it. too. Mr. Allen pot thoroughly roused up and he hit back at the hecklers with a good bit of sting. • At tho conclusion of the meeting he went and shook hand* with tho "bhoys," and congratulated them on their Btr&ight-from-the-uliontdcr hitting and the honest way in which theV. tickled him/ He- said he snil'verl the bout, and all ;the others enjujwl it too. • '. '['. '. . ' , The Huninui .Contest. Comnautili;? on the oontest for Hurnoui, the'"Cheviot News" says: "So far tu this electorate is concerned we look ap-iu the contest as practically.'over,'and bnliorir'-'that' for tho. lirst'. time in its ' hihtorj is Opposition member will reprciienl it in the Honso of Parliament. Our WW ia strengthened by. tho faroyrablo rer-eption Mr. - Macfarlane is r< iry* tiorfl mooting with, «nd tho warm support thiii ia being promised on all hands." .