THE PREMIER'S OPPONENT

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11266, 6 February 1912, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S OPPONENT

« Thus the Christchurch Press:—A few months ago a Southland farmer named John Hamilton was almost unknown outside his own province. A few weeks later everybody in New Zealand knew him by name, for lie was giving the Prime Minister the fight of his life, and Awarua was attracting a greater share of tho public's attention than it had ever done before. Last week his friends met him at Wintern, a town which also leaped into fame during the campaign, and gave him a gold watch, and a silver tea and coffee service for his wife, and said a number of very nice things about him, of which the statement that the Awarua Reformers had made a good choice when they selected Mr "Hamilton seemed almost superfluous. Mr Hamilton strikes one as a candidate in a thousand—strong, warm-hearted, good-natured, with high principles, and apparently a certain amount of love of lighting just for the joy of combat, He told his Winston 'friends that "he would not have missed what he had gone through during the campaign for twice what it had cost him." During the tight he had not made an enemy nor had a cross word with any one, but he hud made many staunch fronds. His defeat, against great odds, has not daunted him: he is willing to light over and over again until the Reform Party captured the seat. He probably will not have to light more than once again to win the seat—the next contest should see him in the House.