AFTER THE POLL.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1312, 15 December 1911, Page 8

AFTER THE POLL.

WHAT THE CANDIDATES SAID. MR. W. H. D. BELL. Tho first candidate to speak from Tin Dominion hoarding was Mr. W. 11. D. 8011, Ho had to wait sonic time for the ohoeriug which greeted his appoaraiico to subsidi before ho could speak. "Ladies and gentlemen, said Mr. Bell, "last Thursday 1! came before you aftor you had done me the honour of placing mo at the head of tho poll. 1 " A voice: Wo havo done you another! Mr. Boll: "As you say, you have done tno another, tho greatest honour ever dono mo iu my life. It is not necessary for mo to express my feelings to you. Take my ago, take the fact that the seat was a Government one—mind you, 1 take no credit to myself—and thou take the fact that I am at the head of tho • poll. (Cheers-) The credit is due—" . A voice: To Bell! Mr. Bell: "The credit is due mostly to Mr- Ma.sscy and to the party which I have tho honour of supporting. For tho rest the credit is duo to the ladios and gentlemen who have worked night after night and day after day in support of my candidature. 1 will finish up liy saying that, as far as I havo boon coiicerneil, and as far as Mr. Moore has been concerned,' tho light has boon! a perfectly clean one. I congratulate Mr Mooro on tho light ho has put up, latterly irith n broken nrm. I want you to'join ivitli mo in giving three cheers for Mr Moore." Tho cheers were given, nnd, at tho call >f somooiio in tho crowd, cheers wero riven for Mr. Bell. MR. F. M. B. FISHER, Mr. Fisher, appeared on The DoWNioif ilatfomi in.msponso to insistent cries oi 'Wo want Fisher!" Ho wns acuomphn'iod >y his wife, mother, and other Indies, ami >y Mr. Thomson. A long roll of checring font up, and tho surfnec of tho crowd ras sprinkled with waving handkerchiefs. piirty on tho platform, waved in roponso "I want to thank tho electors of Wei. • mgton .Central," said Mr. Fisher, "for ' he hooour thcy havo douo mo. (Cheers,

and hear, hear!) I may bo a wonn, but I havo turned in tho right direction. (Rousing cheers.) And I want to &!>y, ladies and gentlemen, that thero are no words that I can find that will adequately express to those who . havo worked for mo, my sonso of obligation for the sacrifices that thoy have made on my bohalf. And let mo add at the same timo that I feel that my victory is partly duo to tho recognition of tho Labour party of my services to them, and I tako this opportunity of saying that I shall do the utmost I possibly enn to represent thorn as well as their own selected candidate would havo done had ho been elected. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) But more gratifying, ladies and gentlemen, than the fact that Mr. Bell and myself have been returned is tho fact that tho Government is out. (Cheers.) I said last night that thero was a prospect of mv going in as Sir Joseph Ward went out—and I am a good judge." (loud applause.) "I want to record my thanks to tho nowspapers that _ havo assisted me. (Laughter and cries of "Tho Wobbler.") And, in addition to that, I want to express a hope that "some decent people will recognise the difficulty.under which we labour, ami give us n decent evening newspaper. (Cheers.) I hopo you see as much hanpiness reflected ju my face as I see reflected in your faces. In conclusion I want .von to eive three hearty cheers for my opponent." The cheers wore given.

MR. R, FLETCHER. Mr. Fletcher spoke from The Dominion balcony just after Mr. Fisher' had departed. 110 was received with cheers and applause. "I havo to thank you vory heartily," he commenced, "for the very great support. which .you hav.o given ■ me during this campaign." Considering tho number that he had • polled against such an opponent. as Mr.. Fisher (Mr. Flotcher continned) he had done very well in his first attempt to get into Parliament. ..He had fought a clean fight.from tho very beponning v Cries of "No!" cheers and uproar.-, r ;■ Mr. Fletcher: "Yes, I have fought a clean fight right through. (Cheers and uproar.) I don't feel discouraged at all," continned Mr. Flotcher. "I am coming out again and perhaps with better success." 1 (Cheers, applause; and. uproar.) Mr. Fletcher thanked h'is committee and his wife for the good' work done on his bohalf. A voice: Tho Kelly gang,' thank them! _Mr. Fletcher: "No, I don't know tho Kelly gang at all! (Uproar.) I can say that I know no more of the. Kelly gan.g than you do. Very well," ho added as the uproar was renewed, "perhaps you will find out later on whether I am telling the truth. I want to thank you all for the support you have given *uie and' to wish you all a Merry Christmas' and a Happy. New Year/' • (Applause.) - DR. A. K. NEWMAN. Dr. • Newman was received with a long unbroien roar of cheering when lie came to tho trout of The Dominion platform. 1 am yeiy much obliged to. the electors of Wellington East for putting me position .that I occupy tonight, .he said. "I am very glad for another reason—that I have helped to win a seat for the Reform party, and to turn out this Government. (Loud cheers.) will seo by the voting that is in that the Opposition has a good lead, and 1 hope that, when all the returns are in, we shall see the downfall of this Government, and a'better Government in New 1 Zealand. (Cheers.) v Dr. Newman declared himself profoundly grateful for the kind help given • him; , -It- would bo Ins object, during tho next threo years, to do anything and everything in- his power to advance the- .welfare of Wellington. (Cheers.)' "I am quite tired of talking, and yon of listening," said Dr. Nowman. "I thank you' from the, bottom of. my heart. • -We have had'ft great . lHfht in Wellington .Easty-and V I : hare no-' 'J"ns. to say n gainst. my opponent' cxc^t)t ; that he supported the, Government. I am very glad that Mr. Fowl'ds and Sir John Findlay have been defeated." (Cheers, loud and continued.) "I hope,", wnc.uded' Dr. Newman, "that when the battle is all over you will see a r frreat triumph for the*<Rof orm > ; nafty:"^(Loud cheering.)

21IS. A. H. HIXDMAESH. JMr.A'.'H. Hindmarsh 'had a mixed recaption from the people assembled before The Dominion hoarding. Some applauso greeted him, ]out it. was drowned a roar;of numbering as ho was emphatically "counted out." Mr. Hindmarsh thanked the electors of Vi ellmgton South who had elected him to represent that constituency in Parlia-. ment. Ho recognised in.,this an omen that,' m three'years' time, the, whole,-of Wellington would elect Laboui'-v,mori.-(Roars of "No.") ! , ' , A voice: What 'aboutM'ESfe'n?' Mr. Hindmarsh said Mr., M'Laren fvould bo elected yet. There were a lot of returns to come in. "I thank you for electing me to this position," he continued, "and I hope to; bear ■; it so- —" At this stage the speaker was again counted out." Mr. Hindmarsh thanked those who' had voted for him. Ho hoped that, at next election, they would vote not only for him but for others to work by his side, lie added that ho had been through a lot of hard work latoly, and did not snpposo they v,'anted to hear him. "I suppose it would be ii proper thing to say before a crowd like this how* I would vote on a no-confidence motion," remarked Mr. Hindmarsh, but he departed without satisfying any curiosity that he had aroused. At the invitation of Mr. Hindmarsh, - cheers were given for hia opponent. ' . . .. MR. 1!. A. 'WEIGHT. No defeated candidate boro himself better than Mr.- R. A. Wright. Appearing in front of- Thjs Dominion hoarding, accompanied by his wile, ho'was greeted with a roar of cheering. He heartily thanked = tho electors of Wellington South who had recorded'their votes in his favour, and also his friends and supporters, who had worked so dili-gt-ntly for tho past' three weeks. For the first time since entering public life ho had sustained defeat, possibly not for the last time. "I w.mt to say," continued Mr. Wright "that uiy colours were always flying, and that J went down with every gun trained on tho enemy." (Hear, hear.) Mr. Wright congratulated his opponent on his victory, and upon tho substantial majority of votes polled in his favour. "Now," he continued, "I want to tell you why I failed to bo returned at the top of tho poll. I failed because I did not socuro a sufficient number of votes. There is no other reason that I. know, of." (Cheers.) Wellington was no worse off from a. political point of .view than .. it. had been, said Mr. Wright'!".The Reform party had lost the South seat, but it had gained. Wellington l . ~ Suburbs . .and Wellington East. He was glad to believe that the Government was defeated. (Oheers.) "It does not matter whether I go down or who goes, down," said Mr. Wright, "so long as Sir Joseph Ward and his Government and the Dreadnought aro going down! (Loud cheering.) I am glad to hear that Sir John Findlay went down also." (Cheers.) A voice: What abont Fowlds? ' Mr. Wright said that he was not going lo discuss Mr, Fowlds. He had alwnys been an honourable man'and straightforward in his dealings. Moreover, he had left the Government. Mr. Hindmarsh hnd shown them how to take a victory. lie would show them how to 'take a defeat. (Cheers.) "I. shall still remain n citizen sf Wellington," said Mr. Wright. "I lhall still conduct my businoss; I hope to get threo meals a day, and I hope never to lose an ounce of sleep over this defeat." Ho thanked the electors who bad voted in his favour, and ho bowed gracefully to the will of tho mnjority. Ho finite recognised that, in a fight of this kind, somebody must win and somebody go down. Mr. Wright called for cheers for his opponent, winch "-pre duly given, and wero followed by cheers for Mr. Wright himself. ME. D. M'LAREN. Mr. D. M'Laren, who was accompanied by his wife, was the last candidate who spoke from Tim Dominion platform. He expressed his sense of the courtesy that had been shown throughout this contest. Ho wanted to say that, although ho was in the position ho was in that night, he wa.T still proud of tho fact that his party had won a great success in the contest. He was sure that, before this election commenced, very few people thought that the Labour vote would be so high as it was to-day. He congratulated his colleagues upon' being elected

to fill his place, and ho knew that they would fulfill their trust in a faithful way. Ho thanked the ladies and gentlemen who had worked upon his committoo. It 'was the fortune of war that one man should win and another low, but, at anyrate, they camo of a stock that could always receive a set-back or a check for fho purpose of taking another step forward. JIo had enjoyed this fight fully, and he believed that the pcoplo of Wellington had enjoyed it. 110 was ready to renew tho fight when the time camo— to-morrow, if necessary. (Cheers.) A voice: "What wcro tho final figures. Mr. M'Laren: I am twenty-four votes behind my opponent That is all.

iTE. F. T. MOORE. "Hard luck, Moore," and chcers and other cries of mixed intent greeted Mr. F. T. Moore when ho appeared with Ins arm in a sling to speak on tho Evening Post" balcony. ~ , „ , ~ "I got winged the other day, ho said, "and now I am outed. (A voice: J; 01 ',, time, Moore!") Probably next timo (continued Mr. Moore) we shall be better organised. (Shouts of Hooray. ) will bo able during the next year or two to ascertain what effect an Opposition Government—because I think we are going to have an Opposition Government —(applanse)—will producc in this country. If employment becomcs scarce, and, if money becomes' dear, then the people will vote in a mass for Labour. (Applause.) I think that, out of tho political wreckage of to-day, a new pnrtv must arise, and that new party will be tho Labour party." (Applause.) Mr. Mooro wont on to thank his supporters for the big vote recorded in his favour, and for tho efforts exerted in his behalf. Ho hoped that Labour would win out in tho end, and, meantime, he called for three cheere for the successful candidate, Mr. Bell, and for the other unsuccessful candidates, Messrs. Fitzgerald and Luke.