The Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1902. MR DAVEY'S DEBUT.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 7545, 30 October 1902, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1902. MR DAVEY'S DEBUT.

Mr T. H. Da,vsy. who is a candidate for a- Chrisrohurch seat. *t the approaching ejection, mid? his maiden speech at th& Choral Hall last night.. Mr Da-vey is in the happy position of having no -political past, no ave.ngrnc angels lis ronreilc-d in the musty page? of "Hansard" waiting to trip his unwary fret, and 1 hi? path ParlianientwaTdß is thus smoother than that of most of thfl candidates in I,hc< KeM. New m«n are. as a. rule, proverbially easy to beat at elections, and the old dogs generally approach 1 J , the padding of their last electoral roads with comparative complacency, when nothing more alarming than thei competition of political puppies is to he met-. But even the sitting members for ( 'hrietchurch are prone, to admit that Mr D'avey will be. a factor in the coming election. He is assured of. support from rather -a, curioxis conglomeration of interests, and he only wants tiho effective vote of an organisation or two- to „ make him the most dangerous rival so far challenging the holders of the three City eeats. Mr Davey's address la*t night will strengthen his position. It disclosed him 'tobe aw out-and-out support Pr of the Got vernm pint, and srenwally a sound progressive Liberal. On questions of general policy he prpp ftve to eye with the staunehest demo" crat. and whilst, h* has the old nso-phytdo inspiration that he. cam settle the Bible in Schools question by a reading without expounding scheme, and shows one -or two other traces of political ■amateurishness, he is so sound and sane in his wider policy tha* thesft somewhat, academic little revelations may be safely overlooked. The City is, of course, s-a.fe to return three Liberal memhers, if Mr G. .1- Smith and Mr T. E. Taylor, who announce, themselves as Independent Prohibitionists, may be included in the category, so that Mi* Davey's candidature cannot- hurt the prospects of the Party. The three fitting members have an undoubted! ch<m \o a first consideration at the hands of the electors, but the contest must resolve itself in a large measure into or^ of individual predilections and personal appreciations. This makes it the more regrettable that, some form of ballot for securing absolute majority representation has not been introduced into nur electoral processes. Mr Pavey would make, a. good member ; but to become a good member he would first have to oust a good member.