THE ELECTIONS

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIX, Issue 20097, 2 May 1935, Page 8

THE ELECTIONS

SIDELIGHTS AT MEETINGS UNCONSCIOUS HUMOUR “I would find ways and means of ending the unemployed, .er. ,er. .unemployment,” remarked Mr A. M. Paterson in his address at the South School last night, when explaining his view of the problem. “I hear I am not going to get very much gratitude from the unemployed for what I have done, and I don’t very much care,” said Mr T, W. Satterthwaite at his meeting at the Waimataitai School last night. “I have done all I could for the unemployed, and if you elect another man you will not get one who could do more than I have done.” He added that he thought the Unemployment Committee had done quite a lot for the unemploy-ed-much more than they had been given credit for. At the Waimataitai School last night, Mr T. W. Satterthwaite said that, if he were returned as Mayor, it was his intention to have placed on the estimates a sum that would enable the Council to assist the school committees to provide milk for the schools of the borough. “I understand that Cr. Benstead has been largely supported by the unemployed,” said Mr A. M. Paterson, in an address at the South School last night. “What has Cr. Benstead done for the working class in Timaru?” he asked. A voic.e: Nothing.

Mr Paterson: Oh, yes, he has. He took the chair at an unemployment meeting one Sunday night. There were, however, 100 who would have been willing to take the chair, I would have taken it myself.

Unconscious humour was provided by a questioner at Mr T. W. Satterthwaite’s meeting at the Waimataitai School last night. After asking a question, a member of the audience remained on his feet while the Mayor replied, and kept interjecting “Yes” and “No” to the points made by Mr Satterthwaite. After a minute the speaker asked the questioner to resume his seat, which he did, but he continued, unconscious of the humour he was creating, to interject “Yes” and “No” monotonously through the remainder of the Mayor’s remarks. The audience began to titter with each repeated interpolation, but when a wag called out “Allelulia,” the subdued mirth broke out into general laughter in which all but the interjector joined, “How long have you acted on the Borough Council?” Mr T. Keen asked Mr T. W. Satterthwaite at his meeting last night. The Mayor replied that he had acted for about a quarter of a century. The questioner then asked whether the Mayor was prepared to answer questions dealing with the whole of that time or only with the last four years, during which he had been Mayor. After some argument, the chairman (Mr F. H. Ward) intimated that if Mr Keen asked his question the Mayor would answer it if it were relevant. “I will give you the opportunity of looking up the papers well back and will ask the question at your next meeting,” was the mysterious reply.

“Assistance to unemployment has become a national service and an essential characteristic of a national service must he equality of treatment,” said Mr T. W. Satterthwaite at the Waimataitai School last night. “The nation’s money is being spent. It is collected from all classes of people, and it must be spent without favour. What I mean by this is that the four centres at the present time are getting better treatment from the Unemployment Board than other parts of New Zealand, although we all contribute alike. The provision of unemployment assistance is a co-operative effort by the community to remove the hardships of a class for whom there is the deepest sympathy. Is it too much to hope for a co-operative effort by opr Parliament, whose duty it is to try to put cur unemployed back into employment?”