ON THE HUSTINGS.

Thames Star, Volume LIX, Issue 16627, 24 October 1925, Page 5

ON THE HUSTINGS.

SHOTS IN THE CAMPAIGN. POLITICAL GLEANINGS. FROM CANDIDATES’ SPEECHES.

"They don’t want you,” interjected a member of the audience at Mr W. D. Lysnar’s meeting at Gisborne, when the candidate was referring to his association with the Government. “Whether they want me or not they are going to get me,” retorted the candidate amid applause, while one voice expressed concurrence in the exclamation: “Good on you, Doug.”

To a persistent interjector at Te Awamutu: “Now I am going to deal with another subject. My noisy friend at the back must have some of it in his boots, because he has a very fertile imagination. I refer to the manure trust.”—Retort by Mr Lye. (Loud laughter.)

“Why did you withdraw at the last election?” a pertinent one inquired of Mr E. Piggott, Labour candidate for the Raglan electorate. “The Hamilton Labour Party,” answered Mr Piggott, “circulated my withdrawal without my consent. I was ‘shoved’ out by the Hamilton Labour Party—not by the Auckland Labour Party, which has supported me tooth and nail.”

A burly individual at Mr A. J. Murdoch’s meeting in the Whangarei Town Hall, after a preamble which no one could follow, yelled out: “This town is run by Freemasons, Roman Catholics, and Bolsheviks. Answer me that question!” Then he stalked out without waiting for an answer. Everybody else laughed, including those on the platform and the constables who were present. ’’

In a little heart-to-heart talk to his audience on the gamble in land allowed by the Reform Party, Mr D. W. Coleman, Labour candidate for Gisborne, said that he knew of one farm which had been sold six times in two years. The original price was £3O an acre, and the area was 130 acres. The sixth sale was at £9O an acre. The total charges in connection with the sixth sale amounted to £21.97/10/-, or £lB/6/3 an acre. The man who bought it for the sixth time had £lB/6/3 deadweight in interest. - The Labour Party would endeavour to make it profitable for a man to hold the land and not sell it.'

A voice: What did the man pay down on that place? Mr Coleman: Oh, do be quiet. This is my meeting. Your remarks would do credit to a fourth standard schoolboy.

“Red ones,” said Mr J. Thorn as he placed a bowl of camellias on the table prior to the big Labour meeting at the Wellington Town Hall. Laughter and applause greeted the remark and the action.

* * + * Maori Representation.

Ever since the court of inquiry was ■held at Tuahiwi at the beginning of the year, Mr Uru had not done a solitary thing to further the cause of the Ngaitahu Claim. The Maori language was dying away. He deplored this fact, and averred that it.,was the member’s duty to see to it that the rising generation would be afforded every opportunity of learning and studying their native language. Quarter-caste Maoris should be given the right to vote for tire- Maori member —Mr J : Ellison (1.R.), Southern Maori.

* * * * The Soft Pedal.

His opponent had opened his campaign with a milk-and-water speech. The word had gone out from headquarters that there must be a policy of “Hush, hush,” and the foot must be on the soft pedal. Mr Sullivan’s speech was a Socialistic lullaby, and he had omitted to say anything about the shipping strike, State-owned shipping services, and other proposals in the party’s platform. He had played a lullaby on the old Socialistic fiddle. Where was Mr Sullivan on the shipping strike? Was he on the side of Mr McCombs and Mr Armstrong, who had stated honestly that they were on the side of the seamen, or was he with Mr Coates, who had said that New Zealand produce was being held up, and the people were not going to allow the Dominion to drift towards a financial catastrophe?—Mr W. E Leadley (R.), Avon. ♦** . * Speculator Pays. “What about speculators?” asked a member of the audience when the Hon. Mr Downie Stewart was criticising the Labour Party’s land policy in his speech at Dunedin on Monday. “The speculator,” replied. Mr Stewart, “is hit by our legislation, which brings taxation on him if he holds land without using it.” The Minister added that speculation in recent years had been most marked, but under the Labour platform, if speculators got on to the land, they .had the right to sell to the State at any time. If they unloaded at their inflated values it would make a very heavy burden on the State, instead of as at present on the people who were indiscreet enough to pay the inflated price. That was where the burden should be. • * * * Mr Coates’ Vested Interest.

“It has been stated that I am the representative of the money bags, and that I have vestpd interests at heart. The only vested interest I have is the good of the community who send me to Parliament, and they consist of all classes. If they give me an opportunity of putting my manifesto into operation it will not be for want of trying if it is not set going.”—Mr Coates, at Ivokako. *