CAMPAIGN SPARKS.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 28 October 1925, Page 10

CAMPAIGN SPARKS.

“I sincerely, hope that my namesake, Miss Melville who is contesting the <Jrey Lynn seat, will be elected,” said a local resident who figured prominently during question time at Mr. Hawkin’.® Kaponga meeting on Thursday evening. “Being a -woman,” lie added, “she will be admirably equipped for the necessary task of stirring up some, of the ‘old women’ who are certain to be returned to the House.

, “1 stood as a straight out Independent candidate, free to vote on whichever side I pleased, and when it is alleged that I broke any pledges or did anything liot honourable ip taking the Speakership, I want you to understand that I was bound to no party, and could act as I thought best in the country’s interests.”—Hon. C. E. Statham, addressing a meeting of electors at Dunedin.

A startling statement regarding Soviet control on the West Coast- w;is made at Mr. Tapley’s meeting at Maori Hill, Dunedin. Mr. Tapley said that in view of the fact that our Dominion coal output per man laid dropped from 648 tons in 1919 to 540 tous in- 1924, the Hon. G. J. Anderson (Minister' of Mines) decided to gj'ipe \c/o-ope<rative contract work a trial. Accordingly a mine was placed at the disposal of a party with the right to work it on a co-operative basis, with the result that each daily wage immediately rose from 17s to 295. Despite this fact the Soviet Party did its utmost to hinder the completion .of this contract, even going so far as to have the local stores refuse to supply with goods the wife of one of the contractors.

. “The Reform, party has packed more of its friends into the Legislative Council than ever the Liberal party did. . . It is Sir This and Sir That, until around Parliament Buildings you bump up- against more knights than you do messengers. The Legislative Council is a : hollow farce.”- —Mr. P. Fraser, M.P. , *

“Nobody who knows anything about economics believes that the 'Reform Party is seriously going to attack the trusts, because they would be attacking themselves ' and • cutting their own throats. The-rear power at/the back of the Government is not,, only the squatter, but-'the entrenched financial gangs that are operating in this country . The Government has increased the Customs by £6.000,000, plund-* ered the civil servants of £1,000,000, and reduced taxation on wealthy concerns by £7,000,000. .They did this because the people who have them by the scruff of the neck' told, them they had to do, it, bnd they will go ; on doing it- if thev are'permitted to; go; back for ii >' further t&rhr!P —Mr. P H. Hickey '(Labour;; candidate, for ? Invercargill), speaking at Sylvan-Bank.

if ‘The best additions to pur population are New Zealand horn boys and -girls,” said, Mr. W. E. Leadley, Reform candidate for Avon. “I would like to show you a sample,” he continued. Disappearing from the stage, Mr. Leadley returned- a moment or two later with two children—one on each arm. “Allow me to introduce you to my mascots during the election,” lie said. “The. little fellow on your right is . Bill and the one on your left is Jock. You will please them if you send their daddy to Parliament!”

Humour in politics ,is apt to be misconstrued, as the Labour’candidate for Wallace confided to a Southland News reporter. He had, in travelling round his electorate, devised a jovial remark on being ihtroduced to supporters “Yes, I’m the Bolshevik candidate— I’ve trot a bomb in each pocket.” The c-entie sarcasm was appreciated at first, but one gentleman on receiving the information sprang back in agitation from the supposed bomb-thrower, evincing every sign'of dismay. ;,Later Mr Mackenzie heard another supporter telling a friendi “Yes,-the mans a . Bolshevik—he told me so himself. Needless to sav he has adopted a more conventional form of greeting new acquaintances. •

No sooner had,Sir James commenced speaking, than interruptions came .fast and frequent from a good humoured crowd. . - ■. “I- think I shall wipe your man out on election day.” answered; Sir* James. “No, no. Never on your life, retaliated the minority in the hall. C( T have a feeling in my bones that I will get in by a lead of 1500 votes.” Cries of derision and applause-drowned the. next remarks.—Sir Janies Parr, Minister for Education.

Ideas on “free speech’ ’ vary during an election campaign (says the Post)So a well known citizen found in Post Office Square the other day when he interjected* The oratorj addressing the crowd, said there was no doubt of it, Wellington would return a Labour member, for every seat. “Not on your life.” remarked the citizen. He had hardly uttered the words when the interjector was hoisted into the air by a kick —a frce-kick. “We don’t want none o’ that ’ere’’ was what he heard as he made his ascent.

“As for the Labour Party’s platform —well, if they got into power tomorrow, it would take them 100 years to do one-tenth' of it.’’ —Mr. Dunbar Sloane, Reform candidate for Wellington Central.

As an.experienced chemist, would you be in favour of administering sleeping 'draughts to a few Labour political pests, or would you chloroform them? This question was asked Mr. Dunbar Sloane at the Kent Terrace Congregational Hall the other night, but the storm of hoots from the rowdy element present prevented him from replying.

Bang! Mr. T. Forsyth was just raising his • hand at the Kilbirnie Hall to vehemently denounce the Labour Party, when a loud report (presumably a basket bomb) startled everyone in the hall. When the audience had recovered its equilibrium, l the candidate, with a smile, said, “Don’t, be alarmed, ladies and gentlemen, it is a loud noise, and therefore you know where it came from. It somewhat suggests one of the bombs that were hurled about, in Russia by a party once led by Lenin and now by Trotsky. You are . quite safe, ladies and gentlemen, because you are in New Zealand, and not in the place where bombs, arc a common commodity.’ Dominion. • - - -