WAIMATUKU.

Otago Witness, Issue 2231, 3 December 1896, Page 24

WAIMATUKU.

November 30.— Mr Valentine, one of the Opposition candidates, addressed a large number of ladies and gentlemen (I cannot cay electors, because nearly half of those prosent were young people under 21 years of age) in the schoolhouse on the 18th. Mr J. S. Brown was voted to the chair to introduce Mr Valentine, who spoke for an hour and a-hali. Mt Valentine is a cleasant

speaker, having the knack of converting a dry political speech into an interesting address. From a political point of view there was nothing new in the address. His policy was to hold up the doings of the Government to ridicule, comparing them to the proverbial carrot held up to the hungry donkey— the Government financial transactions being the carrots and the electors the hungry donkeys. What he would do were he returned to Parliament we were left to imagine. Mr Valentine will be well supported, as many who were Government supporters three years ago will now vote for one of the Opposition candidates. Mr Valentine wisely declined a vote of confidence, and waa accorded an enthusiastic vote of thanks.— -On the 20th we had the present member, Mr Mackintosh. Mr J. S. Brown, being an exemplary chairman, was again voted to that position. The night being stormy, and our sitting member not beiug so much of a novelty as new blood, the attendance was not so large as on the 18th. If one could only swallow all the fair promises and forget the old gentleman's conduct during la&t session his address— sometimes quite eloquent— would make us all vote for him. Particularly happy was Mr Mack, in his graphic description 'of his Utopian Garden of Eden — the village settlement. Mr Mackintosh was accorded a vote of thanks for his address, and though anxious for one of confidence, no one had the temerity to propose it.—— Again, on the 27th, the electors rolled up in large numbers to hear the views of the Labour candidate, Mr Gilfedder. Mr Gilfedder is a schoolmaster, and that the dominies might be conspicuous Mr D. Mackenzie took the chair aud introduced the speaker by saying he, like Cse=ar, "was ambitious." The caudidata' spoke for over two houw, during which time he traversed an immense quantity of New Zealand politics. Mr Gilfedder is a very rapid speaker, giving one the opinion that he is speaking against time, for he does not forget to give himself a quiet slap on the back by remarking " that the reporter who could follow him would deserve a night's rest." He is a strong supporter of the present Government, and gave some weighty reasons for being so. Though a few of hi 3 points were borrowed from Mr Mackintosh, yet, being characterised by an Irishman's desire for oratory and a young man's display of long words, Me Gilfedder's speech waa, as a whole, original. The Ciceronian oration with which Mr Gilfedder concluded his address was a masterpiece, to the preparation of which he must have devoted some considerable time. Mr Gilf<*dder is a young man, and can afford to wait for a few years ere going to Wellington. Indeed, were he to find himself in that— for him— awkward position, no one would be more surprised and feel more awkward. Mr Neave will address the electors to-morrow night ; after that the day of fate. ,