CAMPAIGN NOTES

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 29, 29 October 1928, Page 12

CAMPAIGN NOTES

Degrees of Intelligence. ‘‘Perhaps 1 should be equally offended with another statement made by Mr. Clayton,” said the Hon. K. S. Williams, Minister of Public Works, in an address at Tokomaru Bay. when referring to certain statements made by the United Party candidate for Gisborne, Mr. W Lissant Clayton. “That is his allegation that only two members of the Cabinet have any brains. Perhaps he is right. The man <with brains keeps clear of Parliament altogether and stays at home to find fault with those who are giving their services to the public. Those with a little intelligence are honoured by the electors, but the least intelligent of all are those who mistakenly imagine that they are going to find their way into Parliament by getting on the platform and confining their policy to unfair criticism, and personal attacks upon their political opponents.” Half a Loaf?

At least one member of the United Party apparently holds the belief that the objective of his party this election is not the Treasury benches, but the position of official Opposition. Speaking at Greymouth the other night, Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, the candidate for Westland, is reported to have stated that “If everything went along fairly well in the election v aud the United Party became the official Opposition, the country would have a party of men representing every section in the community. They, would function as the Opposition, criticising the Government, and representing not only one section, but every section of the country.” “Cushy” Jobs.

Replying to a young man who asked whether the disparity between town and country conditions was not too great, Mr. C. H. Ciinkard, speaking at Hamilton, agreed that it was. He averred, however, amidst great applause, that pioneering would never do any young man any harm. It would, in fact, make a man of him. “Build a home, young man,” he advised, “and in years to come you will value the work you have put into it. I belong to a family of home builders, not home sellers.” Tbe speaker added that the present-day inclination was to encourage the youth of the country to look for “cushy” jobs, but there was not sufficient of them to go round.

Labour's Two Programmes. If the statement made to a Napier audience recently by Mr. W. E. Barnard, Labour-Socialist candidate for Napier, means anything, the Labour Party is the possessor of two programmes. This is what tbe candidate is reported to have said: “It has been suggested that the Labour Party has two programmes, one for its supporters and one for the public. It is only done to confuse your minds and make you doubt out bona tides. We certainly have a full programmes, which we hope some day to carry out, but the one we submit to-day is the one we pledge ourselves to carry out during the first three years’ life of the Labour Govern, ment. It is obvious that many years must elapse before the full programme can be given effect to.

Optimist and Pessimist. A pessimist saw an obstacle in every opportunity, but an optimist saw an opportunity in every obstacle, said the Hon. .1. A. Young, Reform candidate for Hamilton. in an address to the electors of his constituency. The Reform Government had acted the part of the optimist during the past two years, and had applied itself resolutely to solve the many difficulties with which the country had been faced. Too Much Theory.

“One gets no medals for abusing another candidate, and I am not coming at that,” said Mr. John Burns., the United candidate for Wellington South, when' speaking at a meeting at Berhampore on Saturday, “but I believe I' am right in saying that your present representative has done nothing for this district as an M.P. These Labour people spend too much of their time in theorising.”

"A Simple Problem.” “Far from being a burden on the resources of this country,” said Mr. John Burns, United Candidate for Wellington South, when speaking at Berhampore, on Saturday evening, “the party’s loan proposals were actually making for substantiaPrelief. Here is a simple problem anyone can understand. There are seven millions at present sunk in uncompleted railways. Interest on this money is costing the country over £350,000 a year. Our loan proposal will finish the major portion of these works—namely, all the main lines—and thereby immediately lift this dead weight load, and make it revenue producing. Thus the new capital will produce not only its own interest, but save that £350.000 a year, as well. That is what.the United Party will do. They are out for business.” The Napier Seat.

An exchange reports that rumours have been in circulation in Napier for some days regarding the probability of the United Party nominating Mr. J. Vigor Brown as their candidate for the Napier seat at the general election. Asked if it was his intention to stand, Mr. Brown stated in an interview that he had received numerous requests, both personally and by letter, requesting him to again offer bis services as Napier’s Parliamentary representative, but he had definitely decided not to come forward.

Bible Reading in Schools. “I am in favour of Bible reading in schools,” said Mr. Frank A’deane, Reform candidate for Auckland,' “We are rapidly approaching a state of paganism in some directions. Many children never see the Bible in their homes, and they are growing up without enough knowledge even to appreciate the significance of the Bible when taking an oath. In secondary schools all over the Empire some religious exericise is practised each day, and I have yet to meet a secondary schoolboy who does not approach this exercise in a spirit of reverence. The Bible is the foundation of British law, and I will support its reading in the schools.”

Lack of Thrift While making it clear that he stood for a fair wage for everybody, Mr. Charles Todd. Reform candidate for Dunedin South, said that when a lot of men were last year applying for unemployment relief in Gisborne it was found that the first two on the list were men who had in the summer earned from £l2 to £l4 a week at a seasonal occupation. “I say.” added Mr. Todd, “that if a man cannot save something out of such a wage for a rainy day, he deserves very little consideration, unless sickness or some unavoidable trouble has brought about his condition.” Friends for Life.

“I have endeavoured to-night in my critimism of the Government to be perfectly fair. I want to say that lam standing in the interests of the United Party. So far ns Gordon Coates is concerned, I may be opposed to him politically. but he came into the House as a Liberal, we went to the war together. and we will be personal friends so long as life lasts.”—Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon, M.P., United candidate for Westland.

Appeal for Fair Play. Commenting generally on the unwarranted heckling indulged in at recent political meetings, the chairman for an Auckland candidate expressed himself as follows in opening the meeting: “If a man is prepared to give his time in the service of tbe public we at least should offer him respect and give him a patient hearing. If you disagree with a candidate’s views you can show your disagreement through the ballot-box. It is at least right that a man should be able to state his policy without undue interruption.”

Stray Shots from the Hustings.' “How can you save souls, save the city, aud save the country?” was a question put to the Rev. J. K. Archer, Labour candidate for Christchurch North. Mr. Archer said he could do the job all right. At any rate he would not sever his connection with his Church.

“Does your mother know you’re out, Harry?” called an injector to a youthful Auckland candidate;' “No,” replied the budding politician, “but she will know I am in after November 14.”

“I am like the village blacksmith, I can look the whole of my electorate in the face, feeling satisfied in the knowledge that I have done my best in my constituents’ interests.” —Mr. E. Walter, sitting Reform member for Stratford.

‘‘The only event that would make me stand down would be to attend my own funeral,” declared Mrs. C. E. Maguire, Reform candidate, addressing Auckland East electors at Newmarket.

At a meeting at Opoho a student told Mr. G. S. Thomson that he was sorry he could not give the candidate an intellect. “Of course not, when you have no intellect to give,” rejoined Mr. Thomson.

A man named Day was supposed to move a motion at a Christchurch political meeting. He could not be found. The chairman called: “Is Mr. Day about?” “Not to-night,” came back the quick reply from the body of tbe hall.

“You are like the Irish Judge who did not want to hear two sides of a question because it confused him.”—Miss Melville, Reform candidate for Roskill, addressing a persistent interjeetor.

Referring to the Labour Party, Mr. V. H. Potter, Reform candidate for Eden, said that in 1919 they talked about the emancipation of Russia, but the soft pedal was put on that to-day. “God forbid that what came to Russia should come to any other country,” said Mr. Potter.

Questioned as to his opinions on the Bible in schools and prohibition issues, Mr. Spcirs, United candidate for Auckland West, said he considered both questions wqre outside the realm of legitimate politics. “I would make it a criminal offence for the introduction into politics of questions affecting the conscience of the people,” he added.

“I don’t know what euchre is,” said the Rev. J. K. Archer, Labour nominee for Christchurch North, at a meeting last week. “Is it a game of cards?” ‘‘Oh, you lamb!” declared a man in the audience disgustedly.

“Why does the Reform Party not put its cards on the table as the United Party has done?” asked a questioner of Mr. F. Adeane, Reform candidate for Auckland West. “The Reform Party.” said Sir. Adeane, “has played about six or eight rubbers, and the country knows all about its game.”

“Some of my fellow parsons would send a man headlong to hell for going to Riccarton and putting a pound on a horse,” said the Rev. J. K. Archer, Labour candidate for Christchurch North. “Well. I can’t help thinking that perhaps they adopt this attitude because he does not belong to the Church. Land gambling is a far worse sin, and yet because the man who indulges in it belongs to the Church they preserve a discreet silence."

The election policy of the Labour Socialist Party was characterised by Mr. W. S. Glenn at Wanganui East aS being pink in colour. As the day of the poll approached it became more pink and still more pink, but immediately after the elections it became just as red as ever.

“The people, English or foreign, who come into this country and try to alter the excellent spirit that prevails between the 'boss’ and his men are enemies of the working man,” said Mr. E. Adeane, Reform candidate for Auckland West, referring to the good spirit that usually prevailed between employer and employee in New Zealand. The statement was received with applause and uproar. •