THE SENIOR MEMBER.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 8351, 24 June 1905, Page 4

THE SENIOR MEMBER.

If the proceedings at last night' a inoeting in the Choral Hall may be jtaken as an indication of future events, ;Mr T. E. Taylor is destined, to have a " merry election " next spring. Last bight's meeting was reminiscent of Christchurch in the strenuous days of 4emocratio upheaval. At times thepro|oeedings degenerated into an uproar, and it was with some difficulty that order was restored. However, Mr Taylor held his own throughout. He is- not the kind of man to be daunted by a little opposition, and we have no doubt that his courage will carry him through any 'platform ordeals that may. bo in store for him. As he himself said last night, his opponents will get as good as they give, and, as he added, ho will probably win Christchurch North in spite of them. Mr Taylor is not a professed humorist like Mr Lewis. But his quick perception ought to have told him that in posing as a censor of the Premier he was being humorous, if not ridiculous. There is something grimly diverting in the spectacle of the senior member for Christchurch taking other people to task for using impolite terms regarding their opponents. Has Mr Taylor never said anything worse of an opponent than that he should be sent to a " sweetie shop"? As for the Premier having " grossly insulted ". Mr Herdman, did Mr Taylor, in his youthful days, never learn the adago about people who live in glass houses? Surely, Mr Taylor is not becoming squeamish in his political maturity ? With this one exception, his remarks last night gave no indication that either hi 3 vigour or his tenacity is waning. His address, moreover, was well worthy of his reputation as a brilliant speaker and a keen politician, with a strong grasp and wide knowledge of affairs. His views are so well known that there is no ne<*d to recapitulate here the various points in his speech. As a prominent " land re-

former" and as one of the authors of the third party movement, Mr Taylor naturally devoted a considerable portion of his remarks to the land question and the obiects of the new party. We could wish that all of Mr Taylor's colleagues were as " sound " on the land question as he is. There would then be no danger of the further alienation of Crown lands —a catastrophe which Mr Taylor thinks -s impending. As for the third party, Mr Taylor made its aims very clear. Neither the Premier nor Mr Massey is progressive enough to satisfy it. The Leader of the Opposition is quite out of sympathy with Mr Taylor and his comrades, while Mr Seddon has spent | his reforming energies. In short, Mr Massey, from the reformers' point of view, is impossible, and Mr Seddon, being no longer useful, must stand aside in favour of somebody who is more capable of rendering good service to the i cause of democracy. The project, no [ doubt, is an excellent one from Mr ; Taylor's standpoint. There is, however, one important obstacle to its fulfilment, and that is the Premier. Mr Seddon does not think that he is worn out yet, and, unfortunately for the. jiew party, his opinion is shared by a majority of i the electors.