"STRATFORD EVENING POST" WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER, 24, 1928. AN “UNUSUAL SITUATION”.

Stratford Evening Post, Issue 63, 24 October 1928, Page 4

"STRATFORD EVENING POST" WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER, 24, 1928. AN “UNUSUAL SITUATION”.

WHAT is described by. some newspapers as an unusual. situation took plUto at Wanganui last week when one candidate for the Wanganui electorate occupied the chair for one of hig opponents, the present member for the seat. The chairman was the Mayor, Mr W. J. Rogers (Labour), who said that the fact that he himself was a candidate did' not prevent him, from manifesting a brotherly spirit and acting as his opponent’s chairman. (The goodwill expressed .by the chairman was reciprocated hy Mr W. A. Yeitch, M.P., in his opening remarks. He was sure that Mr Lewis would enter the arena in the same spirit as was shown that evening by himself and) M r Rogers. Un'fortunately it is an ion., f!or instead of finding" a goodl spirit existing between rival candidates, as teas the case once upon a time, the position is that only tea often bitterness creeps in and ill feeling can hot but result. Thi s is one of the reasons why politicians are to .some* extent regardedl less favourably than they were, for it. seems thjvb unless a| man is of unusually noble character and of outstanding forcefulness a few years in politics? have the effect cf changing his outlook as to what is right and wrong, and leave ai desire to hold office at all costs. There m-e politicians worthy of admiration hut they are comparatively few. Perhaps payment of members is the cause, developing as it does the professional politician, who is more concerned with keeping his seat than with the methods he adopts in retaining it. The public therefore associate political life with •a certain, degree of humbug. Of course Itiyment of members is necessary, for a large number of those capable of giving service to the electors cannot make the necessary sacrifice without being remunerated for itSome politicians do nob seem to he able to give the other fellow credit for any honesty of purpose, and take it as a personal affront th)it one should even dare to contest a scat against the sitting member. Nothing calculated to discredit a , n opponent is too paltry to be resorted) to in wTiat (ran only be attempts to cloud the big issues with smaller, and sobuom times contemptible ones. The Legislature should be looked up to by the people of the country, but before that desirable state of affairs comes about again, those members bringing Parliament into contempt either by their methods or their incompetency, will have to take serious stock of themselves. When they show they arc worthy of respect they will got it-