Electioneering Gossip.

Free Lance, Volume III, Issue 123, 8 November 1902, Page 16

Electioneering Gossip.

Wellington City. Most of the candidates for oity seat* have fairly got into their respective strides, and may be deemed to have the Year Book by heart, the sins or virtues of the Government by rote, and "Hansard" foa the past twelve years committed to memory. Noticeable, that while the lar^e meetings of electors are watching the contestants with much keenness, they are confining tihemselves generally to words not eggs, or any other produce, and that no meeting yet held has been of an uproarious character, if we except a prelimniary nutter of a young candidate, who has since slid from the plane of politics. * * * May oil- Aitken whose sense' of duty to his fellow-man has compelled ham to sto^ for t>he gauntlet, has picked it un and oast it at the Government . Like other Opposition candidates, the sins of Bong Diok have formed the chief comestible at the Myaor's opening; meeting, and, of course, he did not fail to add his quota to the tale of the Miramar Bill. The railways were being pushed on —on the West Coas*. The Hutt line will have to be straightened, the people who have trusted the Government for twelve yeans or so will have to be themselves trusted, they having shown, bv keeping the said Government in power, tihait they do not know that any mistrust exists. The Civil Service should not be run, by Min/isbers, but by an independent Board. For a political tyro, His Worship sihowed mat he had dived deeply into the questions of the hour, and the meetdnpc, which was large, did not melt until His Worship had fired his last figure, and expressed his views on taxing bachelors. * • • Mr. James Godbea-, who blossomed forth on to a political platform for the first time last Monday, came as rather a surprise to the people. The confectioner oity councillor, as a Government 6fuppotrter, who will not be led by tihe Government if the said Government does anything dishonourable, is candid and plain-sDoiken. Like every other candidate for either side of the House* Mr. Godber is "going" for a free breakfast table, but tihis, of course, does not include Melbourne House. The genial o>ne rather thought that most of the things that the Government had done were good thimgs, but he bumped badly against "reckless extravagance," and he does not want a standing army. He had an excellent reception. » » * Mr. Allan Orr made his political diebut, too, on Monday night, and a reiat many unionists who did not parade on Labour Day listened to the speaker's pearls of oratory. Naturally. Allan confined most of his remarks to labour matters, and said he would fight square and fair. As if anybody doubted it ! Candidates alwars do say tlhis, of course, and it is not likely they would own up if they intended to do anything els©. Allan's cold prevented hvm from orating to any great length, but during the hour he occupied he said that workers wanted homes, and that they should be built on the Town Belt. He did not say anything about cutting up the Basin Reserve into municipal sections, or making residence sites of Newtown Park. Allan was listened, to with patience, and, as he was hardly as impassioned as usual, he scored rather well. * • * Mr. John Duthie, with that row to hoe in wihicih he hopes to prove that the Government is to be dug out, is hard at work night and day at his task. He is dealing with the Lnconsdßtencies of the Government, and is putting up the fight of his life. It is evident that the Iron Dttke has fully recovered his health. » ♦ • Mr. A. Ej. Atkinson is busy refuting tihinpis in the press, and helping to prove that the sins of the Government are* very black. Prosperity is only a fluke, you may depend, and a time will come. Ha! ha! * ♦ » That Hibernian orator, who has a way of carrying crowds 1 with him Mr. P. J. O'Regam, is airing his convictions and pet theories in a flow of striking English at intervals. Perhaps, he raises tihe enthusiasm of his audiences as no other man now in the Wellington field is able to do. * • • Mr. David McLaren is assuring a threatening attitude. Up to the time of going to T>ress he has not come to light, but he has a great sheaf of labour matters ready to launch from bhe platform. Newtown. Mr. Joihn. Crewes, with the courage that distinguishes him, has retired from tihe contest of Newtown in the interests

oi pail\ and maybe there will be a little jubilee' by any candidates who feared Jus competition. * * * Dr. Chappie, as a political apostle of health, is striking the Newtown electors happily. Wherever he goes, he gets a hearing, and his polished, plain-spoken, modest utterances, even when launched at the Government, leave an impression that hei is mare sorry than anory with them One idea his not hitherto published is the issue of a State-school newspapers. He deprecates stuffing children witih facts and figures, and believes the newspaper is the antidote to the evil. Mr Barbea- is moving along bnskly. He is getting his facts more m hand and remembers his figures without frequent reference. He knows the page of Longman's 1 school reader, whereon is the Biblical story of the 'Little Lamb." * * * Mr. C. M. Luke, too, is forcing the pace at a great rate. Latterly, he has been stirring up Kilbirnie to the fact that he is a live candidate. "If you return me, as I know vou will." is' the burden of his la.v * * * Mr. Tustin is merrily pegging away. His political chuckle may be heard both sides of the mountain, and the people' rather like to hear Willie wire in. The Hon T. W. Hislop, who is setting the -TiOe for the Newtown candidate is talking in that quietly-convmcins way of his, without heat, and with extreme care. The lawyer in the Opposition candidate is ever uppermost, and he may be deemed to be the senior wrangler for South "Wellington His superior political knowledge is standing him in good stead and his bike is not idle much these dr."s He has a big district to convince. Mr Tom WJford, beloved of Huttitee, is sailing on a placid stream, without many breakers. People believe in Tom in a way that often surprises himself. * * • Mr. J. H. Collier, whose candidature is not taken very seriously has been firinf off addresses here and there. He is serious himself, however, and Tom is understood to consider him an opponent. For Otaki, Mr. Field has stall the political paddock to himself. His beatific smile is t!he surest evidence tihat he considers his chance unassailable. He is more frequently engaged in handshaking than political speeches, and it is easier. * • • Mr. Totmpkins, out for Oroua, against Mr. Lethbridge, was viewed favourably by the Rangitikei "Advocate" on his first address. Now, however, it expresses deep regret because when asked what he would do in the event of a noconfidence motion he frankly confessed he could not see what party could possibly take the place of the present Government as things are. * • * Mr. W. T. Wood, Government candidate for Palmerston, is not in favour of making it illegal to employ barmaids pending other suitable employment being found for them. But he would like to impose a small duty on imported bicycles, which reads funnily, in view of the fact that they are taxed alreiadv. » * * Mr. J. W. Baker, Opposition candidate for Wanganui, believes in the ability and cleverness of the Government, but has no confidence in their adininistlratdon. His prescription is Return a strong Opposition to put the brake on, and then, witih the dial registerinc "Slow"' in place of "Full speed ahead " all will be well. * * * Down Ellesmere way, they are expressing surprise that Heaton Rhodes hae not yet addressed the electors. Fact is, tlhat Mr. Overton, who has already sounded the wild pibroch of politics is thinking of retiring. The prohibitionists are ready to launch a candidate on the troubled water (undiluted). Mr. Rhodes, of course, wanted to see how the wind blows, and is saving his cartridges. And, we think Heaton knows a thing or two. » » » There are 195 candidates wooing, or about to woo, the electors in New Zealand, and the subjects they do not touch are published in a small volume of about thirty pages, poet octavo. If tihe figures used by the candidates were compared, there is no known system of mathematics by which the figures on the same subjects used by different candidates can be balanced.

It is only an assumption, of course, that political candidates of opposite views carry the war into private life. Anyhow, a Taahape person says that two Liberal candidates shared the same room at Utiku the other night. It was Messrs. Hornblow and Remington who are at daggers drawn. They had been addressing the electors at Torere and Utiku respectively, but, tahere being only one accommodation place in the district, they took shelter in it — and in the same room. Mr. Remington had his head covered when Mr. Hornblow entered but, hearing the latter's firm tread on the floor, he turned over, probablv thinking a chance was provided of wooing another elector. • * ♦ Imagine his chagrin when he* saw before him his airdh enemy. Yet, neither spoke a word. It is said of Mr. Remington that he accuses Mr. Horn blow of sonorous snoring, and that he discusses the Culver incident in his sleep. •* * •» Mr Hursthouse, a candidate for the Egmonit seat, remarked at Inglewood, the other day. that he was in favour of Seddon with the brake on. Anyone who has listened to one hundred and twenty minutes of a Hursthouse speech will exclaim in a loud voice, "Physician heal thvself."