LAST SHOTS IN THE CAMPAIGN WIT, WISDOM, AND MERE WORDS

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12286, 4 November 1925, Page 9

LAST SHOTS IN THE CAMPAIGN WIT, WISDOM, AND MERE WORDS

ON HIS HONOUR Referring to a letter published over the nom-de-plume “Fattier of Three Soldiers,” Mr J. Hargest (R.), Invercargill, said:—The inference was that he had used the sacrifices of his comrades ns a means of furthering his own ambition; and in .reply he would say that if his opponents could produce one single soldier from the whole of New Zealand who could truthfully say that> on any occasion during the war he (the speaker) had shown any hesitancy ora desire to save himself at the expense of his men, then he would walk out of the election. The soldiers who rested in France and on Gallipoli were his comrades, whose memories he treasured, and he cordially despised any man who attempted to use their sacrifice in a political contest.—(Applause.) ***** DOCTRINES WRONG Speaking of , the Labour Party, he said : “I must give them credit on having a, definite policy.’ They'are organised with r trade unionism. I have no objection t« that, they might call themselves a party. I have no objection to that. But into trade unionism has crept something I must take exception to—that is the extreme element, wb<p sought to overthrow the present capitalistic system. That dor trine I must > disagree with. The Labour Party,” added Mr Hamilton, “have a real good party name, but I often wonder if they have the exclusive right to the name. I myself am. a wage-earner, there is a sense in which we are ah Labour.”—Mr A. Hamilton (R.). Wallace. * » • • ABSOLUTELY UNTRUE On rising to speak. Sir Joseph was received with prolonged cheering. “I don’t object to criticism,” said Sir Joseph, “or even a certain amount of unfair play, but I do object to being accused of being unfair to my opponents.’! The speaker declared as “absolutely untrue” his opponent’s allegation that he had declared that the\ Government intended closing the Invercargill workshops and he had given a personal undertaking that if he were elected he would opposei this course and see that the workshops were kept open. “My opponent has been misled, and the whole thing is absolutely untrue.” Applause.) Report of Sir Joseph Ward’s (Lib.) meeting at Gladstone. * * * 41 NOTHING TO BE ASHAMED OF 1 ‘To say that I should be the same in 1925 as 1 was in 1911 is the essence of Toryism,” said Mr Bellringer. “I hare always advocated the evolutionary process, .as opposed to the revolution-* ary. Mr Massey of 1911 was not the Mr Massey of 1925. The responsibilities of office had broadened his views, and he lived ti> be one of IJfew Zealand’s most helpful Imperialists. I have, nothing to be ashamed of in having joined Reform, for there has been no loss of principles on my part.”— Mr C. E. Bellringer (R.j, Taranaki. • # # - • 4» ALLEGED VILIFICATION

. Mr S. Oldfield (R,), Auckland West, denied the statement alleged ,to have been made by his opponent, Mr Parxy, that .“The Tory candidate" had spent all his time in vilifying him person- . and he challenged anybody to say that he had at any time said one word against Mr Savage personally--though he had attacked, and would continue to attack, his politics. The Labour candidates objected.to bein<* called Communists, hut this was true, of them, declared Ihe candidate. • • • • RISE AND DECAY

. Roman, Grecian,, and Egyptian civilisations rose to greatness and fell 'to nothingness because they abandoned the work and. simplicity of life for luxury and excesses, with the classes getting further and further apart. Decay then set in. The British Empire is. virile, and her youth goes forth bringing fair play and justice into all the world, whilst our men left their bones on Gallipoli in defence of Libt rt u‘ ? u * now Profiteers sat in the hulls of the old English aristocracy, and so yon must he careful'not to allow one section of the population to amass vast fortunes whilst the other is m want.—Mr W. A. Chambers <N.), Waipawa. .... THEY MUST BE BAD

Not during the whole of my career have I ever known a daily newspaper /? S K , a ,B°od thing about me I (Laughter.) And I’m inclined to think that if .ever they do it • will be time for the working people of this country 2? l oo ** on me with eyes of suspicion 1 pvery newspaper that is printed is Iving ana libelling the Labour Party. Ju newspapers find tKeir way into tfm houses of the people and poison their minds against, the decent Labour men who are in Parliament.—Mr 'H. C*. Armstrong (C.), Christchurch East. IN HIS‘FOOTSTEPS* * tf l stand here to-night the youngest Parliamentary candidate in New Zealand/’ said .Mr Mackenzie, “and in connection I am reminded that William Pitt, one the greatest statesmen of his time, entered the British House of Commons at the age of 21, and wa£ Prime Minister at 24. Furthermore, I take it as a happy augury that I stand here to-night as did your retiring member 20 years ago. He has now retired after a long a/id honourable career, and to-night I am but following in his footsteps in coming before you as he did, a young man who was also a journalist.” (Applause.)—Mil J. M. Mackenzie (L.), Wallace. PRACTISED POLITICIAN * At the beginning of the contest Mr Harris condemned Labour—they were all disloyal, and all a bad lot. Now, according to Mr Harris, Mr Osborne wag* one of the best of fellows. Here we saw the practised politician. Mr Harris recOcnised that the Liberal candidate was likely to beat him, and desired anti-Iteform electors to transfer their votes to Labour, to weaken the Liberal’s chance. That was the meaning of Mr Harris’s praise of Mr Os-* borne! (Laughter*.)—-Mr T. Lamont (N.), Waitemata. * * * * A BACKSLIDER Mr Bissett said that for many years he was a follower and supporter of tho Reform Party. Ho had followed and supported it ardently while it was in opposition, and for some little time after it had come into power. But on that party reaching power a process of disillusionment set in. While the Reform Party was in opposition it vigor ously condemned the Liberal Party and the Liberal Party’s policy,, and pledged itself to carry out a number of reforms if it were returned to power, it came into power; but the reforms were never carried out. He was not.a politician ;he was a working man,.—Mr A ,£L Bay of Islands. .

WATERING IT DOWN His Socialist opponent, said Sir James Parr (R.), Eden, had given six different ‘‘watered down” versions of the “usehold” policy. Soon nothing would be left but the skeleton. This was not good enough, said the candidate, because every elector wanted to know exactly what the Labour land policy itself said, and not what Mr Savage and Mr Mason in their “deathbed pledges” said they thought it meant. Their' eleventh-hour pledges would deceive no one. Indeed, they were worthless. These dying confessions were mere election “dope” for the frightened freeholder, and were not worth the paper they were printed on. (Laughter.) • ♦ * * ANOTHER “HALF HANDLE” , The candidate. Mr W. E. Parry (L-), Auckland Central, declared that the Government had placed wealth in the hands of some land owners by purchasing their property for the soldier settlers. \ * A voice: Why he rich? They were the pioneers. They worked for it. The idea did not commend itself to tne majority, and the interjector was told to “shut up” andi to “have an* other half-handle.” * * • • PLAIN ENOUGH “I am not here,” he declared, “to deceive but to help you to understand the issue. Labour’s immediate policy provides that until the valuations of all lands are completed, transfers could be affected through the State; after that all transfers wt/uld be to the State.” Even a schoolboy, he aaid, could understand that-.—Mr S. Oldfield Auckland West. A GOOD TIME COMING “I want to put it to the mother, she who knows best about the struggle for existence; what does she think of a basic wage of £3 17s 6d a week. She has to meet the landlord each week; she has to struggle to make £1 go where there should be £2; she knows. But cheer up, boys, there’s a good time coming! The Arbitration Cburt has decided you are to get an increase of one penny an hour !” (Laughter.)—Mr H. T. Armstrong (L.), Christchurch East. -*• • • • WAVING OF FLAGS AND TALK Dealing with Reform’s coloured poster which has been distributed throughout the district, Mr Browne said one would he led to believe that there was another war on. Mr Coates and the Reform Party wrapped the flag around themselves in a makebelief that they were the only people who were loyal to the country. Tp was another instance of their insincerity and humbug. (Applause.) Waving flags and talking did not make people loyal. Loyalty was in the. heart of the people and the most sincere were those who said nothing, but acted their nroper part in the world.—Mr O. Browne (Lib.), Auckland East. A COMPLIMENT cost to Reform of this attempt to oust him at any price had been very great, said the candidate. Reform had been'organising in the electorate since June; It had paid agents at work and outsiders coming into the* electorate to combine against him. The Prime Miulster was to speak three times there on Monday. “But,” said the candidate, J a EPreciate that as a compliment. We will just plod on, because when the election is ■ over we will have to do the work. Which shall win—thousands of pounds of Reform money,, or the services which have been rendered to this electorate ?’ ’—Mr W. J. Jordan (L.), Manukau. • * » • WON’T FEED YOUNG *UNS The Reform Party boasted they took off the duty on corrugated iron, hut that would not feed the little ones, and what the country wanted were reductions on the necessaries of life. The rising of wages only meant the raising • i «SS?' of Hving in an endless circle. When they say they are reducing the cost of living,” said Mr Chambers, “don’t believe them.”—Mr Chambers (N.), Waipawa, *•• • - • ADJECTIVES Reform was completely bankrupt of pohoy, and in order to cover up its glaring failures .and broken pledges was now waxing into a fury about the dangers of the policy iput forward by a 0 .Labour Party. It would discuss the affairs of any other country, but would not face its own failures in this country.—Mr W. E. Parry (L.), Auckland. * * * '* • HE SAID IT The Reform Party had selected 40,000,000 acres, and had disposed of 464,000 acres. The fact that there were bankrupts from the ranks of the farmers was no indication that the policy was wrong. “Who is to decide under the Labour land policy whether a farm is being sufficiently used?” asked the candidate ?” _ answered a voice.—Mr 8. Oldfield 1(R0, Auckland West. *•* v * “WILL HAVE MORE OF IT” Mr MoClymont’s meeting • was marked by frequent interjections, mostly good-humoured, coupled with remarks that Labour would have “less this time”; that it would be a very long time before Socialism commenced in New JZealand; tl?at even .if the country had been very bad to deserve thirteen years of Reform Government she “will have more, of it yet”; and that the law pay for memters of Parliament “will not worry you, Mack.”— Meeting of Mr D. MoClymaiit (L.), Franklin. OVER*THE FENCE * * The electors had as mudh right to behove his word as that of the individual opposed to him. “If I tell you that this is not going to affect yaur home you can stake your life that I am going to use my vote anjil my influence m that direction, because it squares with the ■ Labour Party’s policy.” Mr Savage said he had been thirty years, in the movement, and what had been said concerning his pledge by an individual who was only just standing for Parliament was over the fence.—Mr M. J. Savage (L.h Auckland West. WHO’LL WEAR THE*SHROUD? Tho Liberals went to the country at the last election with only nine members and no organisation or fighting funds, but Liberalism was so much, in evidence that the 'country returned 21 members. The Reform Party went to the country with 48 members, and came back with only 36. “So I would like to know which party the Reformers consider is likely to wear the dhroud after November 4th.” Mr Morton dealt in a vivid manner with his “Citizen Right” scheme of pensions for the purpose of doing away with the poverty, distress, and unemployed questions.—Mr F. S. Morton (N.), Auckland Central,