GENERAL ELECTION NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2695, 8 November 1905, Page 53

GENERAL ELECTION NOTES.

NOTES FROM WELLINGTON. (Fbosi Oub Own Correspondent.)

-WELLINGTON, November 5.

The one thing people were unanimous about after the Premier's meeting on Friday night was m regard not to the matter but to the manner of his speeoh. " What a splendid actor he would have niade " was a remark frequently heard. The Post repre-/ sontative aptly describes the performance as followe:— " Seldom have the Premier's doggedness and his peculiar power of ' holdings* meetings been more in evidence. He had a very critical audience, capable of making stinging interjections and biting rejoinders, and many of these missiles emanating from the body of the hall- hit home. But the Premier did not wince. He partly smiled down and partly roared down his opponents. That peculiar,— indescribable | vocalisation, by means of which a crowd j choruses its jeers and expresses its pro- j found disbelief in the speaker's sincerity was present in generous quantities. But the Premier was not to be turned aside. The interruptions that quite undeservedly eclipsed Dr Findlay, who was making a tactful and quite appropriate speech, fell like flattened bullets from the hard shell of ' the unspoiled arid unspoilabl© grand old man.' The audience was not taken in uith the Premier, but it had perforoe to listen to him. At one stage the artist confessing his own art, remarked, ' I always like to lead an audience up to a given point.' This" is probably one of the most illuminating things the Premier has ever said about himself. The Premier, by way of counterblast to the attacks made upon the Government in general and the Hon. C H. Mills in particular In connection with the Mapourika picnic, referred to an ancient parliamentary picnic in search of a main trunk route. The party, it appears, spent ' £106 on canoes for a voyage tip the Wanganui River. He also found that a large- quantity of pepper and Worcester sauce had been used. 'There is also a charge for a tomahawk.' He continued, ' I am only giving a Roland for their Mapourika Oliver. I find amongst other things that the picnickers had two tins of insect powder " — (laughter), — " and — I hope, my no-license friends will not be shocked — th&re is actually a charge of Is 6d for a corkscrew. When my Opposition friends throw the Mapourika trip at me,' he con- j eluded. ' I throw the tin of insect powder i at them.' The Premier, however, could not say that any member of the party pocketed money for travelling expenses." An elector at Mr WHford's P-etone meeting asked, with much emphasis. "Is it true- that you played golf on the racecourse on a Sunday?" "It is perfectly true." was the immediate reply. " I played golf on every Sunday I could get out."— (Applause.) "How many men in the past have you got Government iobs?" was another qu°ry. "Their name is^Hegion " came the answer, am-dst lausrhtpr. The Post gives tho following example of Ministerial repartee: — "Talking of borrowing." said the Minister of R=uhvsvs at the Opera House meeting. "Talking of borrowing " " You like borrowing." broke in a voicp'. "So do you. but nobody would trust you," was tho speaker's retort. " You want some oats." continued the irrc c nonsible inr-crjector. "So do you," the Minister nvmsr back, "nut they would not make you a greater auadmppd than you are if you were s-tnfFed with them."

Mr f^ddon's dog was part of the stage furnishing at flic Opera House vnp<?ting. "What have you sot that for." a«lc<>d soiupone ; "Ts that one of your dumb follower* v *' "No," stoutly re-joinpd tho Premier, "I kesp him to keep rats a.way from me."

The Premier no doubt was referring to political rats. Dr Chappie mentioned in one of his addresses' that in virile but despised Japa-n there were 3000 medical inspectors of schools, in America 500, and in New Zealand not one. He believed that the Public Health Department should take up this important work, and thua save pain and suffering to little ones and great expense in the home by detecting disease and defects before they matured. November 6.

Mr John Duthie. who has now represented Wellington City in four Parliaments, addressed a meeting of his constituents here to-night. There was a large audience, and Mr Duthie had an excellent reception. After Mi- Duthie had been speaking for some little time Mr Fisher, M.H.R., entered the hall, and was received with cheers. Mr Duthie roused great enthusiasm by his criticisms of the Premier's methods, and tho consequent waste of time and money in connection therewith, and a suggestion that the matter should have been dealt with and settled once and for all by an impartial committee of the House of Representatives was received with cheers. A statement that the time had come for a change of Government was also cheered Mr A. H. Hindmarsh, the Labour League candidate for Newtown, addressed a large audience He contrasted the wasteful extravagance of Mr Seddon's regime with the self-reliant policy inaugurated by Mr Ballanoe, and claimed that those workers who endorsed a policy of indiscrimination in borrowing were putting off the settlement of problems that must sooner or later be solved, and forging stronger fetters to encumber future generations. Mr Hindmarsh had a good hearing. "■* The fight for the Palmerston seat (says the Post) is to be a strenuous one, and the general feeling favours Mr Pirani's chance, anticipating his return by a narrow majority. The ex-member for the district has been working the electorate in a thorough manner, and has strengthened his position in 'the country. The sitting member (Mr W. T. Wood) has an influential committee at work, .and its members received some instruction during the Premier's visit last week.

Dr Chappie is holding successful meetings every evening in the Newtown electorate, and everywhere his _ adverse criticism of the Government is loudly applauded. The remarks of Mr Witty about disfranchising Wellington have created much amusement here. As Wellington has returned three anti-Seddon members, and is likely to do so again, no doubt there are other of Mr Seddon's faithful followers beside Mr Witty who would be pleased to see Wellington disfranchised. Mr Duthie's criticism of the Premier's habit of altering clauses submitted by other members while bills are passing through committee : —" Mr Seddon' wants to improve everything. If he had been present at the creation he would have suggested alterations "