POLITICAL GLEANINGS

Waikato Times, Volume 91, Issue 14240, 15 December 1919, Page 2

POLITICAL GLEANINGS

PICKINGS FROM THE PLATFORMS, THINGS TO AVOID. Proceedings may bo initiated by any person who voted, or had a right to vote at the election, or by any candidate against another person for illegal or fraudulent practices in connection with the election. HOTELS, SHOPS, OFFICES. On Wednesday. December 17, the day fixed for the holding of the election poll, it will not be lawful for intoxicating liquors to be sold on licensed premises after 12 noon. Shops and offices arc compelled to close for the Wednesday afternoon, and in consequence need not close for the weekly half-holiday if that customarily falls on any other day than Wednesday. Occupiers of factories need merely allow employees “reasonable time" (up to one hour) to record their votes. MOCK ELECTION. Considerable interest was taken by the children of Hamilton West school in the mock election held on Friday. The teachers had arranged that everything should be conducted in regulation manner —Returning officers, poll clerks, scrutineers, etc. The •candidates addressed their constituents m the various rooms, and they were bombarded with questions which they answered very readily. The candidate elected—L. Schwabe represented Moderate Labour, and it was without doubt the excellence of his speeches that gave him the victory. Some of the candidates truckled for votes by advocating such reforms as “Abolition o: Corporal Punishment.” “Bonus for School Children," “Abolition of Homework,” etc. In connection with the licensing poll the children were instructed how to vote for the different issues, but no sneeches were made regarding them. The fact that the informal votes numbered only two out of 200 votes speaks well for the intelligence of the little ones in Standards 3,4, 5, and 6. The school was divided into three nolling districts representing Hamilton, Cambridge and To Awamutu, and thfi votes polled were as follow: —Li Sohwatyo (Labour), Hamilton. 42{ Cambridge, 50; Te Awamutu, 21; total, 113. E. Grace (Reform), 8, 13, 4’4— 05. Gladys Walsh (Liberal), 12, 7, 15—34. Licensing: Continuance, 3, 10, 10—23. Slate Control, 5,0, 3, —B. Prohibition, 54; 00, 69—183. f

IMPORTED MISCHIEF-MAKERS. At one of his meanings during the week Mr R. A. (Wellington) had occasion to say that some of the leading mischief-makers in New Zealand to-day did not belong to the country. They were imported. A heckler immediately interjected, “Where are you from?” Mr Wright replied; “I am a native of Dunedin, where the Scotch people reside, who know what to do with porridge.” “What a shame," said the heckler, “to think that a man like you should be born In rny native city. It makes me ashamed of my birth place.”

LABOUR AND THE WAR. “I am not altogether in favour of extreme Labour,” said Miss Melville, who is contesting one of the Auckland scats. “I am altogether in of every -section of the population being represented in Parliament, but to my mind there is no definite dividing line between Labour and other things. I mySelf work 12 and 14 and 16 hours a day, and I am not a member of any union. Some of the alleged Labour leaders have done very little to help win the war, but I realise very wall that the workers have done very much to win the past struggle in Europe."

THE WAITOXIO SEAT. ' In the new electorate of Waitomo {Treat interest is being taken in the election, notwithstanding that the settlers are busy shearing, ploughing, or dairying. Mr W. T. Jennings, the sitting member, and Mr C. K. Wilson, ex-member, have addressed many meetings, Ss there are eighty polling places.

NATIONALISATION OF COAL MINES,

Mr D. Q. O’Brien, Opposition candidate for Buller, is a practical miner, who has returned to the mine after war service. His views on the nationalisation of coal mines arc therefor© of peculiar Interest. At a recent meeting he said; “The nationalisation of coal mines was a plank in the Liberal Party’s platform, but on this occasion he would support it only on a no-oonfldenoc motion, as he thought it would not be advantageous to the worker or the people as a whole for the State to hike over existing coal mines held by private companies.” A CHAMPION OP THE FARMERS. “One thing shied at me is that I am a squatter’s representative,” said Mr A. D. McLeod at Martinborough. “I wonder what constitutes a squatter? I don’t know. I don’t come across very many men who stole their land. Well, say for the sake of argument that a squatter is a man who lias more than 5000 sheep, and that ttie man who has less than 5000 is not a squatter. There are in the whole of this district G 1 people who have more than 5000 sheep. Give every one of them five votes for their families, and that makes 300. Now what candidate in an election would be out asking for that little lot?” (Laughter and applause.) He did claim to be a farmers’ representative, and he was proud to be so described. He had worked for the farmers for many years, and not for the squatters.

HOME TRUTHS FOR EXTREMISTS. Although his meeting in Wellington was a rowdy one, Mr Pirani never lost an opportunity to, ns he himself expressed it, “instil a few more truths into the hide-hound minds of men who won’t see what is in their interests.” More than once the candidate scored in handling the extremists, notably when enlightening them as to the lamentable absence of-a White New Zealand plank in official Labour's platform, '•’lie candidate was being heckled about the Liberal leader’s loaning towards indentured labour in Samoa, and in reply he ejaculated: “You extremists f-iik about slavery, you—you! Whywhy did the Labour Party take a white i’-w Zealand off Labour’s platform wiien no matter what party is returned to power a white New Zealand should he one of the most prominent planks in its platform? You (the exlrcrnists) talk of indentured labour, hut you act for slavery. You are not only prepared to allow all coloured labour info the country, you not only propose that tiiere shall he an internationalisation of New Zealand, hut you yourselves are the greatest slave-drivers that exist!” / Uproar.)

“The South Island is going to return five mbre Liberals than it has remarked Mr H. Oukley SDfißM* 8118 Wellington meeting.

JOTTINGS. i “Never so long ns lam in Parliament will I serve under Mr Massey,’ said Mr Wilford, when questioned as to his attitude if a Coalition Government was again formed. Mr Massey would, no doubt, endorse the statement with equal emphasis, says the Christchurch Press. " The first duty of a man was loyally to the people and to the country he lives in, and the Umpire to which he belongs,” said Colonel Mitchell .vtien addressing a meeting at Wellington. "The Liberal Parly of to-day has lost its punch,” said Dr. A. K. Newman, .n (ho course of his address at Wellington. "It has lost its enthusiasm, it is splitting in two, and a large portion of it has gone over to Labour.” Mr P. Fraser says that “the spirit ot social service displayed by all sections during the epidemic is the spirit which the Labour Party wants to see for all time.” During the present election campaign candidates have been asked whether they would support an Act for town planning on modern methods being applied to all lands' and works throughout the Dominion including Crown lands and works. Over 100 candidates have signified their willingness to help in the direction suggested, the parlies being representeu as follows: —Reform, 30; Liberal, 32; Labour, 35; Independent, 0. Martin William Tier, who interjected too frequently at Mr Pirani’s meeting at Wellington on Friday night, was fined £5, in default 14 days' imprisonment. As Labour stood at present, said Mr Clutha Mackenzie, at Auckland, it was composed of paid agents, imported, not of the local working men. A man/ who loved his country as he (the speaker) did could have no truck with it.

“Will the candidate explain the origin of wealth and how it is created?" was an awkward question put to Mr Pirani by a woman at his Wellington meeting. The candidate was equal to the occasion. “If the lady will come along for a couple of hours some afternoon I will tell her all about it,’’ said Mr Pirani suavely.

Quite an intcre-stlng ueslion put to Mr Pirani at Wellington was: "Who are the interrupters at election meetings; New Zealanders or recent importations?” “I think the recent importations are,” replied Mr Pirani, with jj. smile. “They make the balls fog the others to fire.” (Applause). “A resident of Taihape purchased, eight years ago, land at £l4 per acre, and recently sold it at £3B per acre. This is one of the causes of high taxation through the Customs, as the farmer, whose land has not been revalued for many years, is not paying his full share of taxation, though the price of his land has increased enormously in value."—Mr McKenzie at Wellington. "I believe," said Sir Joseph Ward at Maryborough, “that after December 17th I am going to be in a position to place on the statute book the things I am advocating.” The prediction was greeted with applause. "New Zealand is a wonderful country—richly endowed by nature,” said Colonel Mitchell at Brooklyn, “but until we realise the possibilities of our country we shall be at the mercy of