Political Pars.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 8145, 20 November 1905, Page 3

Political Pars.

From all Points of View.

Mr T. E. Taylor is described by the New Zealand Times as the wing forward of the Opposition.

Mr T. Mackenzie told the electors at Waikouaiti .that the time would come when a party would be formed that he could follow.

If the electors wanted men to vote like sheep being driven, or like automatic machines, tben he advised them not to vote for him (Mr Alison). Mr_ J. W. Taylor, M.A.. ttho is standing as an. Independent candidate for Waikato, advocates a combination Government with three or four members from each side of the House.

Our defences are no good. They are not worth the ground they stand on was the startling announcement made by Mr Buddo to the public of Kaiapoi. At Mi- Carroll's meeting at Ormond the Chairman (Mr J. A. Caesar) was almost hidden by jtlie beautiful lot of bouquets thrown to the Native Miuisister by ladies.

Mr T. E. Taylor at his meeting on Tuesday night advocated granting the old ago pension to women at sixty years of age.

The Rev. Mr Isitt informed a deputation of No-license workers at lleefton recently that in all probability the Alliance would nominate a candidate for the Buller seat.

Speaking of the difficulty members of Parliament had in getting information from the Government, Mr Taylor said that Ministers acted as though they owned New Zealand lock, stock and barrel.

" He gave no pledge to follow any man, but the equal of Mr Seddon did not exist in the country. It would be a good thing if they had a change; they wanted new ideas, but not the ideas of the New Liberals."—Sir W. J. Steward.

At present, instead of having a representative Government, we had the most autocratic one he knew of. .As to the members of the present Ministry, incompetency seemed to be their first claim to promotion.—Mr A. H. Cooper, Political Labor candidate, Wellington. There was a strong feeling in the present House in favor of giving the freehold. It was when the conditions of giving it were considered that tho band would begin to play. He would be no party to granting the right to convert *t the original valuation.—Mr Rutherford, Hurunui.

He believed that before long they would get such changes in the Ministry as would secure the best results'possible. (Applause). There were some members of the Ministry who were getting too old to do their work effectually, and before very long there must be changes in the Cabinet.—Mr Fowlds.

A letter received in Hastings from Oarnara states:—" Mr Duncan, the Minister for Lands, will have the closest tussle he has liad since he beat Mr John Reid nearly 20 years ago. Some people think he will be beaten." • Mr James Mitchell, Independent Government, who was for 27 years on the literary staff of the Oamaru Mail, is Mr Duncan's op-' ppneni.

On one side, though they had no call to do it, the Opposition "offered a clearcut'policy. On the other hand, there was only the greed for office of an effete and -worn-out Ministry, which was a patched-up concern that they had best throw on to the scrap-heap, so that they could start with a new good-going machine.—Mr Jas. Allen at Milton.

Mr Witty (Riccarton) expressed the opinion that Wellington City should not be allowed Parliamentary representation. The Wellington members, he said, were less in the House than any other members, and the city, as the seat of Government, had ample influence on the course of affairs. At any rate, the Wellington members should not be paid •any honorarium.

It is possible tp sympathise to some extent with the chagrin felt by prominent Oppositionists in consequence of their prolonged exclusion from power. They feel that they have the ability requisite for Ministerial service, and it must bo very vexatious to be reminded again and' again by hard facts that between them and their goal lies a great .gulf-lot, popular antipathy.—Dunedin Star.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, I come to one of the most important things in running an election—lies I No sooner does an election begin than lies are. sown broadcast over the length and breadth of the electorate. Don't believe anything you hear, except from the candidate hioiself; don't believe anything but good of all the candidates. If I can't get through on my merits, I don't want to get in on the demerits of my opponents, pq I shall speak nothing but good of them." —Mr A. W. Rutherford, M.H.R., on the ethics of electioneering. Speaking at Waiuku, Mr Massey referred to the statement so persistently made by his opponents that when Mr Seddon came to Pukekohe the tablas would be turned. Twelve years ago, when but a political tyro, he "had stood for Waitemata, a district he had never previously set foot in, and the Premier, the j^ative Minister, and the then Government whip had conducted almost a door-to-door canvass against him, and ignominiously failed. What, he asked, could the Premier, or for that matter the whole Cabinet, do in a district like Franklin ?

Mr Massey had said that the Opposition was prepared to do more for the country than those who disported themselves in Windsor uniforms and cocked hats. This was one of the charges brought against the Government. True, in this official position, he had been called upon to wear a Windsor uniform. He had been told that he looked very, well in it.. (Laughter.) And a cocked hat did not make any difference to the head beneath it; but was it not trivial when the Jeader of a party brought such matters as these against the leaders of the country. He had seen the Leader of the Opposition in a mortar board and student's gown. He himself wore the hood of a doctor of laws on that occasion, but he was entitled to it, while Mr Massey was masquerading. (Lau»h-ter.)-Mr Seddon at Paeroa. ■ A number of Government candidates are quoting figures "to "demonstrate how incontestably superior is the Liberal Government to any of its -ore decessors " This has drawn from the Napier Telegraph the following remarks :—" Would it be unfair; we wonder, to trace back both sets of figures to then-source in the'headquarters of the L.beral party organisation.. No doubt the famous papers wlncn found their way mto Mr James Allen s private box contained much.the same information as that to which we are being liberally treated This is what it-amounts to. The Liberal candidates put themselves i n the position of so many phonographs,

while Mr Seddon calls the tune and supplies the records. We are invited to send gentlemen to Parliament who, instead of thinking out politcal matters for themselves, are willing to subscribe to Mr Seddon's views and accept wiiji out question his facts and figures. Others of us .know quit.; well what reliance can as a rule-be placed on these. But the Liberal candidate would not allow the shadow of a doubt on such, matters'to cross his mi.nd. AYe might as well be represented m Parliament by a wooden image or a painted-pic-ture as.-by a candidate of tins description. Yet these are candidates whom the Premier really prefers."