SNIPS FROM THE SPEECH.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 7, 29 April 1914, Page 5

SNIPS FROM THE SPEECH.

ALLEGATION, REFUTATION AND INTERJECTION. "A red herring drawn across the scent does more than facts. If a man can get hold of a strong red herring and draw it frequently across the track it will do more than facts. Last night Mr Kirkwood's red herring was my connection with the Electrical Supply Company." * * * * Mr King: "Here I have a leader from the 'Stratford Evening Post.' And that expresses public opinion." Dr. Paget: "No." Mr King: "What about the 'Dominion?' You always say it expresses public opinion." (Laughter.)

Mr King (finishing reading from the before-mentioned leading article): ".. . . for a paltry £SO in the Company." Dr. Paget: "Eighty-nme!" Mr King: "You can come on the stage after me." Dr. Paget: "I accept the challenge." * * * * Mr King: "The Electrical Supply Company bogey should bo dressed as I said the other night, but to finish it off it should be driven round in Dr. Paget's motor car." * * * * "J gave Messrs Tatton and Stewart all the necessary credit for their connection with the letting of the Municipal Chambers, but it was I who suggested the idea to them. ' If there were more people with the same amount of business acumen you would soon have no rates to pay at all." (Laughter.) * * * * Mr King: "Mr Kirkwood has said that the Town Hall should bo slutted. I know it's on the wrong site, and the Doctor kno\ys it'b on the wrong site also." A Voice: "Hearts are up, Doctor!"

Mr King: "Oh, he's a fairly good sort."

Mr King: "Mr Kirkwood says I never do any work. It is quite true that at the time of the Fire Brigade Fete I was too busy to help. 1 always go the Fire Brigade meetings. Do you ever see him there? The only time 1 ever saw him there was when they gave him a banquet. As to the A. and P. AssociationMr 1). J. Malone: "What did you give us last year?" Mr King: "I paid my subscription." Mr Malone: "We asked you for a donation and you refused." Mr King: "Most certainly I did. Has anybody ever seen Mr Kirkwood working? He takes the cake for talking and I take the cake for working." * # * * "When I came into office the town was going through a particularly severe time, and there were hundreds of houses empty. A man told nib the other day: 'When you took the reins as Mayor you caught Stratford by the scruff of the neck and pulled it out of the mud'.—And that's what I did." * * * * "During' my term as Mayor I did more work out of revenue than Mr Kirkwood could do if he was Mayor for twenty years. And the rates were very low then—lower perhaps than they will ever be again." * * * * "There is another direction in which I could indicate that T saved several hundreds of pounds to the Council. But circumstances will not allow me.and I will not." A Voice: "Out with it." Mr King: "No, I can't." Another Voice (appealingly): "Oh do."

"Mr Kirkwood said I liave done nothing towards getting the Opunake railway here. I attended some of the meetings, but soon gave it up as I saw they were going the wrong way about it." A Voice: '"Why didn't you help Mr Kirkwood?" Mr King: "1 knew it was no good kicking a dead horse: you can't gal-

vanise a horse into life when once it has died." * * * * Mr King: "I will now read you a letter regarding the electric current services Mr Kirkwood spoke of." A Voice: 'Sticking up for the Company now?" Mr King: "I like to be fair to everybody. The Company is no friend of mine." * * * * "They found out that I held 89 shares, but I was correct when I said I had only £SO in the Company. I bought my shares for from 4s 6d to lis 6d, the majority at the latter price. If Mr Kirkwood is here tonight I offer him the lot at £SO. Hi they were worth nearly £IOO I wouldn't give,them to him for £50." A Voice: "They're not worth fifty shillings." i** * * "Mr Kirkwood suggests that if the Company's overdraft were called up I would have to find the whole of the money. Nobody else would be bothered but according to him the bank would go to Mr So-and-So—who, of course, has not a feather to fly with—and then to Mr Someone-else—who is, we all know, not worth a penny. And all the other men on the guarantee would, I suppose, default, and I would have to find the whole of the money. I suppose I could scrape together the amount after a few minutes' consideration, and then, marK you, I could buy up the whole of the concern. I would be pleased to find the whole of the money, knowing very well that I could make a few thousands out of it. . . How utterly ridiculous a picture they paint. . . If the concern did fall ink> my hands at the price of the guarantee I'd be a public benefactor and give it to the Borough at the sum I gave for it."

“To-morrow you must hold the scales of justice in your hands and say to yourself: Which of these men appeals to me- most ” A Voice (at the back): “Kirkwood!” Mr King; “A solitary voice says ‘Kirkwood,’ and the speaker is a boy without a vote!”