ELECTION CHATTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXII, Issue 10528, 1 December 1905, Page 1

ELECTION CHATTER.

NOTES FROM THE HUSTINGS. "What is wuntcd m the colony is to rid our politics of place-hunters." — Mr A. S. Adams, Dunedin. "All tho curses m this country are imported, and now they want to introduce a hybrid, mongrel* thing called the referendum." — Mr Symes at Patea. "My own opinion is that the Conservative Opposition is coming back very much weaker than it ever was before." — Mr Izard, Wellington. "What do you think of the two candidates?" asked one elector of another. "What do I think of them?" was the reply. "Well, when I look at them, I i thank Heaven that only one of them can get m." — Palmerston paper. In Mr Fisher's opinion every child at school should receive proper medical and dental* attention, even if the State had to pay for it. "When we make a proposal of nn administrative character wo are told it is all wrong, but when it turns out right we are told it is mere accident." — Sir Joseph Ward at Bluff. Parliament itself never legislates (declares Mr Taylor). It never moves until it is compelled to move. The Labor legislation, the • land legislation, both came as a result of a tremendous agitation outside the House.

"So long as Parliament is made a theatre of bitter invective it will fill the newspapers with readable paragraphs and the galleries with people wanting to see a fight, but no work will be done.' — Mr O'Regan. They were perhaps too indulgent to those who were making money out of large estates. To what extent they might safely put on extra taxation was a matter for the public generally to decide j certainly it was one which deserved consideration. — Mr Hislop, Wellington. In Switzerland the guides warned the traveller that he must not speak above a whisper, lest the slightest vibration m the atmosphere should bring down the avalanche. In like manner, the Premier warned the country that no one must breathe a word about our finances. — (Laughter.)— Mr Downie Stewart. Mr Massey said at Auckland that when he first entered politics his skin was very thin, but now he could stand anything, m fact he thought his skin must be as thick as the armor of a Japanese ironclad. , Mr Taylor declared at Christchurch that if the Elective Eixecutive system were adopted ho would certainly not vote for Mr Seddon as Premier. Mr Seddon had been too long m office, and had become insolent. He ought to be "turned out to grass" for a time. The earth would continue to rotate on its axis even if Mr Seddon were not Premier« .. , ■ .• xi If the freehold is the inalienable birthright of every British subject, as our cheerful Opposition friends relate, then the bulk of the British subjects have been treated as Esau was m olden time, "robbed of their birthright," and the parallel holds good even further, for the purloiners are their own brother Britons.— Mr Tanner. , , Mr R. M. Houston, tho member ior the Bay of Islands, whose severe work on tho Native Affairs Committee of the House during the last session seriously affected Wb health, is still indisposed, and will not be able to address the electors. Mr J. C. .oh-Bon is the Opposition candidate for the seat. America does not want our ships, she doe's not want our men, she does not want much of our produce; but sno receives a heavy subsidy for carrying our mails, and takes every penny she can out of this colouy, giving little m return.— Mr T. H. Davey, on trusts, at bydenCliallenges are flying about the Wellington electorate. Mr Hislop has issued a cliaUcnge to Dr Chappie to debute personal points raised, and Mr *. M. »• Fishcu* has taken up tho gauntlet hung down by Mr O'Regan to "repeat your charges, and I will answer them to your face." Tuesday evening next is the time fixed for the latter duel. "I will let you into a secret, said the Premier at Greytown, when referring to the necessity of opening up trad© with tho East. There have, he declared, been agents from Japan m tliis country for mouths past, and they have been buying heavily, but the produce purchased has been sent through Australia, and nob direct from New Zealaud. "I endeavored one night to make a political speech without referring to the Premier, and it was like trying to make chicken broth without chicken.. There was no subatanco iv it. He is so intertwined with our public life that you- cannot deal with it without dealing with him."— Mr Fisher. In his speech at Temuika, Mr James Allen said that tho Government had been fifteen years m office. Their machinery was worn out— it was too loug for anyone to be m power. A voico from the back of the hall hero interjected, "What aro you standing yourself so long for?" (Mr Allen has been for eighteen years a member.) "I veuturo to say you would look upon it as a most colossal piece of impudence for any person to come to you and tell you that, though ho bad tried to strangle your child ip. its earlier yeare, ho now recognised tliat youi bad placed it upon a pair of sturdy legs, but that you were incapable of administering tbo infant's affairs. Tliat is the position of the unfortunate Opposition."— Sir Joseph Ward, at. Winton. "Some men are so conservative that they believe the roof is bound to fall if they attempt to clean tho cobwebs off. . . . Tlie Opposition is liko a man m a balloon with the gas escaping and looking over the side with a spy-glass m order to try and find somo convenient plaoe to land."— Mr Wilford, at Kuiwarra. "What was tho cause of the cry for the freehold ? There are three factors: (1) Tho New Liberals, who practically said that, existing leases should bo re-vidued; (2) land rangers, who may not know a mangold from a dock, or a Poley cow from a donkey ; and (3) Mr Massey' s cry of -Put mo m power aud I'll give you tho freehold "at {lie 'original valuation."' —Mr I!. Witty, at Spreydoii. Thu last resort of a party that cannot s-Jttuiii power is always lo assume a monopoly of pubhc virtue, aud to assure the world at large that though they are a minority they roally are very much, belter meu than their opponents. Tliis is the explanation of tho lughly superior —not to say priggish — tone assumed by the Opposition iv criticising Mr Seddon. — Auckland Slur.

"Wo have m tho present Minister for Lauds," remarks tho Marlborough Herald, "a farmer who was by no mc;ms a model farmer, for at the time that he became Minister hia farm contained more -weeds than did fivo times tho area surrounding it — ii man of sterling honesty, it is true; but yet a man m no sense qualified to dischargo tho administrative functions of v State Department." As ono of his argunionts against permitting the Premier lo remain longer m office, Mr Fishor quoted the enso of America. Thero they would not allow a President to. renin m m office more than eight years. They would not even have George Wasliington for more than two terms. "And,"' he added amidst much laughter, "our Premier is a kind of George Washington, and lv*. also ehould have liis limit.' In a speech at. Maugatiiinoka, Mr Hawkins, M.H.R., alleged that a Woodville resident bad said something derogatory to liis character, and after tho election he would einhsivnr to luive. him put m gaol. Mr Hawkins said he hud decided on tltis course after careful consideration. He was not a vindictive man, but lio -would place a man who traduced liis character, and endeavored to injure his wife und family, whero bo ought to be. Tho reform of Parliamentary procedure m ono of tlie planks iv Mr C. M. Gray's political platform. "H Igo to Wellington," he said, at Chris tehurch, "it ■will bo as a business man, intending to transact- the business of the colony. The House, without any tiresome and useless formalities, eliould settlo down to work. I should like to see it made compulsory for Ministere to be |n Wellington far # nt least tbree months prior to the opening of the House, iv order that tho business might bo ready for members." "I believe there were very strong terms used to mo by MrDuthie recently, said Mi* Seddotv at Gveytown. "I was a long •way away then," the Premier lidded, "and tho probabilities are that if I had been there they would not havo been used. Ido not cay I should have forgotten myself, but at the same time thero might- possibly have been an eviction." "You have youa* remedy," wud a voice, to which tlio Premier "replied, "J hopo the timo lias not come when a Minister of tho Crowu has to carry a horsewhip as part of his necessary equipment." Mr Massey may promise freehold, cheap money for local bodies, increased public works expenditure, the complete emancipation of women, and many other gene- 1 rous things, and they are all applauded a» statesmanlike reforms, but if Mr Scd. don proposes even a_ much as an additiuu to tho overcrowded public school, it ie derided us a hid for votes. Bui. this is only characteristic of the Conservative tactics of the present day. With the retirement of Sir William Russell all sense of fairness eeems to have left the party. — ty^eltpa Ti-meß.

Speaking at Christchurch, Mr Collins said thero are 40,000 employes, or thereabout?, m tho various deportments of the Government service, all of whom would before long have the advantage of come form of Kupeiiiiinuatiun. Workers m private employment would be blind to their own interests if they failed to demand a general scheme of superannuation. The Premier had said this would come, but the force of the workers' united demand would hurry tbo coming considerably. If Mr Taylor i„ successful ou December 6 he will give up a great deal of time next year to bombarding the farmers throughout the whole colony. He intends to go out into "tho highways and by-ways," quite outside the large centres of population, and to call the fanners to. gather to hear what lie line to say m regard to bis scheme to control industrial enterprise m the colony. He. will argue that a proper protective policy, well -safeguarded, is tlie best policy m the interests of botli the fanner and the dweller m the town. He says that his industrial scheme, if put into operation, will increase tho industrial population 'enormously, and will give the farmer a splendid local market., which is better than foreign markets m any part of the world. Before ho would agree to any duty being taken off tobacco all duty must be taken off the necessaries of life. He wanted tbe 60 per cent, duty taken off currants, the 40 per cent, off raisins, the 45 per cent, off sultanas, the 75 per cent, off figs, the 150 per cent, off dates, the 20 per cent, off china-ware, earthenware, cutlery, clocks, watches and table lamps, and the 20 per cent, .off floorcloth, linen and cotton goods. After all the duty had been token off the articles that could not be successfully manufactured here, then he would not object to the smoker having a cheaper smoke. There is usually only one smoker iv a family, but they were all eaters.— Mr Ell at Addington. Now, really, is not our breakfast table —that is .tho materials for tho morning meal— just about as. free a s is possible, unless we are to have complete Freetrade, which is extremely unlikely? As a matter of fact, a lon-/ list of breakfast foods could be given, all of New Zealand production. Of course, their price could be reduced by Customs remissions, but what would our producers, curers and manufacturers say to such an alteration m the tariff? The duty on tea is now very low. Raw coffee and cocoa beans come m free. Reductions m the duties on roasted coffee, essence of coffee, and prepared cocoa would not lie to the advantage of some of our rising industries, wlu'cli "free-breakfast-table" advocates assert they are anxious to see fostered and encouraged. We are afraid there is very little m the "free-breakfa.st-table" cry.— Hawke's Bay Herald.

The Opposition (says tho Auckland Star) never tires of inveighing against the "dumb dogs," as they elegantly describe the Liberal members who support Mr Seddon, and they constantly assert that the Premier's followers fear to disobey or vote against him, whilo Mr Massey's friends display an admirable independence, and vote quite irrespective of their chief's will. Nothing could be farther from tlie truth than tliis. The Lyttelton Times has recently compiled a list of divisions taken during the sessions of 1903-4, whicli shows that the "servility" and "suhserviqr.ee" have all been on the side of the Opposition. For instance, during 19034, Mr Ell voted against his party leaders no less than 174 times. Mr Witty 145 times. Mr Tanner 135 times, Mr Laurenson 115 times, Mr McNab 81 times, while Mr Fowlds and Mr Baume, two Auckland members who have constantly been accused of "servility" by the Opposition, actually voted against Mr Seddon between 170 and 180 times each. Nothing m the Opposition record comes ■ Hear these returns. In the same sessions, and iv tho same number of divisions, Mr Hardy, who has always been conspicuous for hie independence, has indeed voted against Mr Massey as many as 75 times. But m tbia respect he stands entirely m a class by himself. Mr Rhodes lias voted against his party leadens 51 times, Mr Lewis 49 times, Mr Jas. Allen 38 times, Mr Herdman 34 times. After comparing these figures, can any intelligent man or woman, no matter what their political convictions may be, attack any importance to tbo Opposition cry of "servility" raised against Mr Seddon's followers?