INTERJECTIONS AND RETORTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 80, 1 October 1938, Page 8

INTERJECTIONS AND RETORTS

(TO the Editor.)

Sir,-—May I offer a Avord of protest at the persistent heckling and backchat from7 the platform' during political meetings? I have to,.several lately and must say that the remarks passed to the platform and the obvious rebound do not tend.to emphasise the seriousness of the occasion nor)the close proximity of the election. Recently I attended a crowded meeting, the speaker being a Minister of the Crown; during his speech an interjector was adArised to "have a hole drilled in his head toilet some air, in." This cheap saUy brought forth ttye expected merriment from a definitely "pro" audience, but can you see any relevancy between politics and such inane remarks as this?

Another Minister recently expressed regret to interjectors that he had failed to bring his "jtin of Keatings." His suggestion thai* those who differed from his policy should be exterminated apart from, being in bad taste, does not become a man who is trying to convince the electors that he is capable of again carrying a portfolio. I admit, Sir, that it must be very trying to a speaker who believes he is talking sound sense to be constantly chipped and interrupted (by s in a lot of cases irresponsibles), but that does not justify his throwing back cheap, meaningless "wisecracks" to get a few cackles at the other fellow's expense. To overcome these interruptions, eject the interjectors; then there will be no need for speakers to display this prevalent ignorance." A vote of thanks should be called for, but definitely no vote of confidence or otherwise. After all this latter is not., a fair indication i of the collective feeling of the constituency, so that in the final analysis it does not mean anything. Let us go to these meetings with a more or less open mind, listen to the various policies expounded, then move a vote of confidence or vice versa when we get inside the booth.—l am, etc., ELECTOR.