ELECTION EXPERIENCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 14439, 4 February 1909, Page 8

ELECTION EXPERIENCES

MI! G. jr. THOMSON INTERVIEWED. (From Ock Owx Correspondent.) CUIiISTCHUUCIf, l'"clnua.iy J. Mr G. M. Thomson, M.l'., and Dr liarliain passed through Clirislclmrcli lliis evcniuj; on their way in attend ilie annual meetiii« ot tlie Now /iCMlaiiil Institute. To a Press roiKJi'ter, wliu oamc up purl of thu way in i.iio express, .Mr Thomson dialled pleasantly' of election mailers and other tilings. "J have been like a king in a, game of chess all these week;," iie said, villi chastcncd reduction, "limited to vurj few moves, and ihose only in certain direelions." From Die opening ot the original campaign he apparently calculated hi.clmncw on a strictly scientific basw, and from that point onwards he steadfastly refused to contemplate the possibility of defeat—a veriuiblo triumph for figures plus optimism. lie had no very disagreeable experiences of the pi-ol.racted process of elimination to recount, (loot! friends had shouldered nearly all of (lie liurdeus, setting him free lo manifest the characteristic:! nf ingenuous lighl-hcanedncss and unaffected simplicity of maimer which conslitulo his cliarin of peivonality. Mi- Thomson is facing his n™ career with n keenly analytical miml, in which there m 110 room for fanciful illustration.? or washy sentimentality. lie hopes to be of some as.sistsi.nco in Ihe cause of education, and in this his exudations should bo realised, as, in addition to his hrilliaui and lengthy following oi inlelleclual pursuits, lie is chairman and one of the promoters of the Duncdin Technical Classes' Association. As a botanical scientist and an explorer in (lie spacious dava when New Zealand was young, ho has definitely grounded views upon Ihe subjects of tourist resorts, scenery preservation, and land settlement on the freehold tenure; and, being Ihe leader of what is practically a voluntary enterprise in the shape of a marine hatchery at Portobello, he has no! only learned the secret of making two lobsters grow where none grew before, but, lie is (irmly seized of the importance of cultivating and developing tlie country's fishery resources, lie fears the ties of politics may trench upon his opportunities for reading and original research; but. on the other hand, lio claims that other satisfactions will come by way of compensation. He has implicit faith in the inherent goodness of human, nature, and believes t lint, given the suitable opportunity, public opinion will avail to remove Ihe stigma that, our institutions nowadays are developing most, largely opportunities for individuals to enter politics as a means of livelihood, and to distribute favours among their more strenuous 1 supporters. "I warned everybody that. 110 billets could be got through "me." said Mr Thomson, "and so far I have been left in peace." He could be induced to see only the humorous side of tlie election campaign, charm the interrogator ever so wisely. "A man at one o*. my meetings was horror-stricken when 1 snid I knew nothing about ihe .Fair Rent Bill, and that I had never read it. He pestered me so consistently at subsequent meetings that at last I consented to read it. I did so, and prepared (piite a lengthy dissertation on the subject, and was ready lo deliver it; as faultlessly as the most approved parrot, but. the questioner did not put in an appearance, which was most ungrateful of him. One of inv supporters conveyed no fewer than 26 ladies in her motor car lo a certain I'ioolh. W hen (lie numbers were announced I only rwivod 10 votes all lokl at lliat. place. The ladies could not resist her. but apparently some of them had conscientious scruples so far as T was concerned. An old lady supporter of mine living alone had not- come down to vote at tlie lime expected. When she was looked 1111 peculiar noises could tin heard issuing from the collage. Investigation proved lliat she had been locked in nearly all day. However, she was i;ot out through a. window and carried off in triumph to vole."