CLEVER REPARTEE

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXIV, Issue 111, 24 September 1930, Page 5

CLEVER REPARTEE

<£>- Interjectors Answered HUMOUR AT ELECTION MEETING

REFORM CANDIDATE AT WAIPUKURAU.

From time immemorial there have been bright passages, quick repartee and smart retorts between prospective candidates for political honours and members of an audience. The present by-election for the Waipawa seat is proving no exception, as disclosed at the local Municipal Theatre on Monday night when the Reform candidate, Mr Wm. Tucker, addressed his first Waipukurau audience. Mr Tucker was ably supported by Messrs A. M. Samuel (Reform member for Thames), who has a reputation for repartee, and David Jones (Reform member for Mid-Canterbury) who is also well able to handle interjections from the platform. It was these two speakers, particularly, who faced a barrage of questions and interjections during and after their addresses.

The following are a' few of the passages that occurred, each of which caused loud laughter, and not infrequently hearty applause, very often to the obvious discomfort of the heckler.

Mr Samuel in reply to a constant interjector: “I am sorry you don’t agree with what I am saying, Sir. My remarks are like a dose of castor oil, nasty to take, but it will do you good.”

Mr Tucker: I can tell you I will be no party hack. Interjector: You’ll never get out of the hack class, Bill.

Mr Samuel: What’s that, I can’t hear you. Heckler: That’s all right, I can’t hear you either. Mr Samuel: Well then if you can’t hear me, what are you talking about?

Mr Tucker was quoting figures relating to unemployment when a voice from the pit asked What figures are those, Bill? Mr Tucker: They are jake, and you can bet on them.

Mr Jones: I want to say ladies and gentlemen —pause. Voice from the audience: Eat more fruit!

Mr Samuel: Alright my man, I’ll answer you presently. In the meantime please allow me to address the intelligent members of the audience.

A persistent questioner: What about Arapuni? Mr Jones: Well, what about it? If an electric spark could touch up your intelligence you would be the better for it. n In answer to a question hurled at him from the rear of the Theatre by one of the hecklers, Mr Samuel replied: Well Mr Man, if I had to charge for addressing men like you, you’d certainly never get in.

During the course of his remarks Mr Samuel paid a sterling tribute to the character of the present official leader of the Reform Party, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, and said that some very unfair charges had been made against him. Mr Coates was the ablest man in politics to-day and was too big to stand up against unfair statements. He preferred to treat them with utter contempt. A voice: Perhaps he couldn’t stand. Mr Samuel: That's one of the charges made against him. That charge made by that mean thing at the back of the theatre is made by one of the men whose outlook is as narrow as a hen’s face. In fact, I’m sorry I called him a man.

A heckler: Tell us how you are going to cure unemployment, Bill.

Mr Tucker: Put a better Government in power, and cut out extravagance.

Mr Tucker: If you can prove to me that the United Government is not dominated by the Labour Party, then I’ll go “he”. A voice: Then you’ll be “he” all right Bill.

In More Serious Vein

Mr Samuel: I thought I had a farm, but I soon found that it had me. I have a returned soldier’s farm, and I’ll hand it over to anyone who will pay the mortgage.

Mr. Jones said that the unemployment dole was an insult to the intelligence of the people, but it was supported by the Reform Party to save it from a worse fate.

In the opinion of Mr Jones New

Zealand was a wonderfully endowed country and its people should do all in their power to lift it to the highest possible level. In answer to a question Mr Jones said that so long as the economic position was sound and suitable land could be found for emigrants they should be encouraged to come to New Zealand. The Mother Country was the Dominion’s best customer and we should help England by absorbing some of the surplus population. (applause).