HERE AND THERE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1295, 25 November 1911, Page 6

HERE AND THERE.

CAMPAIGN POINTS AND PRESS COMMENTS. . An Historic Parallel? It is of course, difficult for the present veneration to believe that a Prime Ministor,"can sustain defeaPat the polls (says Iho "Bruce Herald"), for, as a matter of fact, it is 2t ycai'3 sinoo such a political disaster overcame a Prime Minister. In 1887" the then political David, who slew the then political Goliath, was Mr. James Allon, who defeated Sir Robert Stout, the Premier in the Stout-Vogel Administration. Is political history about to repeat itself? Is Mr. Hamilton, an untried politician, about to defeat the veteran Primo Minister, Sir J. G. Ward? Xf so the coincidence will bo more than singular, it will bo plural. Sir Robert Stout, in 1686, accepted a title, and incurred, great political unpopularity thereby; at the next election ho was defeated at the polls by a young man 'untried in public life. Sir J. G. Ward has accepted the- title of baronet, and this, it is alleged, has created a strong feeling of antagonism in Awarua, and he is opposed by an" inexperienced politician. Will the cause and. effect be the same in 1911 as it was.in 1887? It is difficult to fay, for tho ballot box.is_ your only true political prophet, but it is obvious: that the stars in their courses are not at present working very favourably for tho member for Awarna. . .What For? ... An inquiry at the Town Hall yesterday Trith reference to- tho-bookings.'for the evening before tho day of tho election, and also the evening before . the dato of the second ballot elicited tho fact tbat both the big hall and the concert chamber had been engaged by Mr. Bert Boyle, New Zealand representative of J. C Wil-ji.-unson, Ltd., for the evening prior-to tho goacral election, and that tno big hall J, ail been "pencilled" by.. tlio Rose and Carnation Club for tho evening boforo. the sneond ballot. In onsreer to a question by a representative of Tne Dominion, Mr Boyle declined to stato for what purposo he had engaged both halls on the evo of tho general election.

An Arithmetical Problem. "If it took on© Dreadnought to make <i. baronet, how many would it tako to inafc ft duke?"■'-was. a question asked Mr. I'ishcr last, night. A Standing Indictment,, . . The Government has been in office for. twenty years and from tho ■. commencement line done its best to lock tho King Country against'settlement.-The records show t'iiiit it not only attempted to present prirato individuals from acquiring 'Native hinds, but that H legislatively prohibited further Crown acquisitions; n'ao tlr.it when tho. embargo was .abolished and when Native owners'were eager and williii!,' to sell to tho.Crown, tho purchasing of Native'lands by tho-Crown was deliberately- Nor,is there to-day any honcstnnd genuine doterminatiou on the part of tho Government to ninend it<! v;nys. Native blocks are beihtr shelved by the short-term leasing systom which shiiuld be purchased by the Crown nnd thrown open to true settlement. In short, the prim it) v« condition of the Kin? Country is a standing indictmont of tho iS'a'tivo land policy of tho Government, as Sir Jjsoph Ward probably realised when ho arranged that tho niain lino expresses should go through it in the dark.—"New Zealand Jlorald." . Lords in the Making. "Wliy, Indies and gentlemen, thero are many "men in that Upper Honso who couldn't get a seat in a city council or a road board, or anything," said Dr. Nowman last night. Then ho told a story or two to indicate how they were chosen. "Once," ho siiid, "a brave man caroo out io do battle with tho Leader of tho Opposition. That brave man was defeated, but ho was found a seat in tho Upper House at .C2OO a year for seven years. Acain another bravo man contested J[r. Mnsspy's election, and he, too, was sent upstairs io got £200 a year for seven ymiis. Coincidence-?— Perhaps. But I'll t«Il you a coincidence which won't happen. There's a man named Hamilton ivho is firrhting Sir .To?eph Ward. If lin i« liroton you can put your shirt on it H'nt !?<■ won't bo put into tho Upper House." Man's Own. "They know lif.t!» nf life, private or public," who do not know what a strengf,!ii>nip£ ami alwulyins effect the fissured poewssinii of :i. home has upon individual nnd Ti-itioisnl diameter. The knowled.se Hint tho soil he tills by tho sweat of his lirr.w is his own. brings out the best Hint is in him. ami produces the best results from the 1-ind. I feel sure that this

spirit is inhorcnt in the breasts of the : great majority of the people the world over. Landlordism is hateful to most tillers of the soil, and Stato landlordism ■is no better than individual landlordism. .Indeed universal State landlordism;nieans nothing more nor loss than a nation of 'serfs, as bad as that of Rns*ia."--Mr. Thomas Fleming, Opposition candidate, ! in a speech at Invercargill. , An Act That Has Failed! ; "I think that the Arbitration Act has failed absolutely," said Mr. A. K Herdman, in reply to a questioner Inst evening. "It was'originally created," he went '■m\, "to prevent • strikes and to bring iabout friendship and harmony, between lemployers and workers. Instead, employers and workers have drifted further apart, and the Arbitration' Act has absolutely failed to prevent strikes." Legislation shotild 'be introduced, Mr: Herd.uian remarked, .which would enablo a special tribunal, consisting of workers and'employers in. the industry affected, :to-come into existence whenever a dispute arose. The parties should endeavour, to arrive at a settlement of their differences under a purely voluntary system. . This plan- had 'worked well in Canada and in France. The- New Zealand Arbitration Act, while it had prevented strikes, had hampered industries and discouraged tho investment of capital. Convictions and the Cabinet. Mr. Herdman told a story last evening of an eminent Irish Judge who went at great length into tho nature, of various crimes iu addressing the Grand Jury, and concluded his harangue- by' saying: "Now, gentlemen, please take your places." Six of the jurymen thereupon went into the dock! There was no real analogy between this case and that of members of (ho Liberal party who got into the Cabinet in this. country, said Mr. Herdman. People, who found themselves in the dock sometimes got convictions, but those who entered the present Cabinet lost all the convictions they ever had. The Financial Gallop. "Just try to grasp the significance of the following figures. In 13 . years of the Seddo'n Administration the public debt of the Dominion was increased by practically X 23.000.000, and in five years of Sir Joseph Ward's rule the pace has been increased to a hand gallop, and close" on'another i' 10,000,000 has been piled on to the dobt-in all .£42,000,000 in 18 -years."—Mr.. Thos. Fleming, Opposition candidate for Invercargill;"Not Getting Our Snare." ■: ' • In going through the Bay of Plenty electorate, Mr. do; Lautoyr, the, Reform candidate, was struck with the amount of dissatisfaction among' "the /workers. Everywhere one heard the same : ory from them: "Although- the. country is prosperous, .we are" not .'getting our share of the,prosperity ( on account; of tho increasing'taxation." ■ ... The Woman Who Knew. As a sample of some'of the; misleading things-which were being, said of mm, Mr. Fisher told a good story at his meetln| kdy "who called at. a certain honso was told, Mr. Fisher said, .that tho householder' would not:voto for. .1 isner on anv acco.nat because a man .who illtreated his-mother.should not , be yoteel ft-,-. "Are you suro he does?- asked the caller.-'"Well, Ihave been told so, said tho'householder. "I am'his mother, was ■the -'caller's next remark; ■' I. ought to know.'" ' , '.''. _ " '" ' . ...

Tho Parnell Contest. .. ~, .;. . . < Mr. J. bickson, Independent candidate for.' Parnell, addressed Vthe. ;,el.cjtors at Newmarket Public Hall ;on-Wednesday ovon'ing. Mr. 1). Teed .(Mayor »or Newmarket) occupied the chair. As the can-, didate appeared, he was given a most eathusiastic reception by a crowded meeting. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried, only four peoplo voting against it. The meting throughout was marked by much enthusiasm, and at the close }Ot his address threo cheers were given for tho candidate. - -. ' Open-Air Meeting. Mr. W. T. Young, Labour candidate for Wellington Central, addressed a meeting at tho corner of Lome Street and Tory Street last evening. Subsequently he addressed a meeting at 9 p.m, at the corner of Abel Smith Street and Taranaki Street. The speaker dealt with tho platform of his party on tho same lines as in previous addresses. A number of questions wore asked and answered, and at tho conclusion of both addresses, a hearty voto of thanks and confidence was moved and carried. "Biggest Sweater in New Zealand." .The Railway Department was run on the most hidebound Tory eystem he knew of—it was-the worst in New Zealand. Tho red-tapo methods and annoyances would not bo .tolerated were the iincs privately owned. Tho increased rates of pay—Bs. a day to an unmarried mau and Bs. 6d. to tho married—were unfair. A married man might only have a. wife to maintain, an unmarried man the stay of a widowed mother and her children. The Railway Department was the biprgest sweater in New Zealand. Ho found that meji were being paid 7s. Cd. a day on the Ruakura Swamp, while private wages ran to 9s. and 10s. Tho State as an employer, should pay the standard wage and be subject to award conditions. (Applause.)— Mr. Greenslade, Government candidate for Waikato.

"Liberal" Tactics, Mr. ,W. H. 1). Bell will be interested to learn that the "Liberal" Dunedin "Star" has.reported him as having said he wonld vote to repeal the Old Ago Pensions Act! This is exactly and completely, the opposite of what Mr. Be-il has stated, as of course everyone knows. Tho exlremo and wilful mendacity of tho "Liberal" press appears to have no limit. Resigned. Tho following notice appears in this week's Gazette:—His Excellency the Governor has been pleased to accept the by the Hon. Sir John George Findlay, K.C.M.G., of. his seat.as a member of the Legislative Council of New Zealand, ag from.November 20, 1911." The resignation of Mr. Richard M'Callum of his appointment as Crown solicitor, at Blenheim is also .gazetted. Mr. M'Calluin is the Ministerial candidate for tho Wairau electorate. • Bunches of Titles. "First a man becomes a knighr, then he becomes a baronet, and then he hopes to become a lord, and all the . time he ia playing to the King and the Government of England," said Dr. Newman last night. .And, 1)0 added, this was. what led to the giving away of Dreadnoughts and of invitations to Kings and Queens to come to New Zealand' nnd be entertained nt a bnjje espouse to this country. Dr. 'Newman thought titles were going more or less out of date anyhow, and bunches of 'titles never had been-good for colonial Ministries. Advice, to Electors, , ■ "If on polling day you think you are on Wcllinfttou North roll,--and find that you are not, bo sure and ascertain whether you are on the Suburbs roll; and, on the contrary, if you think you are on the Suburbs roll and find you aro not, be sure and . ascertain- whether you are on tho North roll—don't allow yourselves to be W. H. D. Bell, at Wadestown. Mr. Hogan's Logic, One might havo expected that Mr. Hogan would havo hod a most enthusia-stic reception when ho addressed the_ electors in his home borough at Wanganui East (says the "Chronicle"). Both tho candidate and the largo audienco must have been disappointed; There was very littlo new in Jlr. Ilognn's speech. Mr. Hogan is just of tho average calibre of the politician who supports ■Sir Joseph Ward, Biiroiiot. He had, of course, to direct his hearers' attention.to the "whares" which wcro built here by the first settlers, and, by logical reasoning peculinr to Mr. Hogan, invited his audience to believe that the oresont buildings were not merely tho result of the colony's natural progress and development, but were purely duo to legislation passed since 1891.

Settlers and the Native Lands. Mr. do Lauiour, Itc'form candidate for the Bay of Plenty, has formed the impression t!i;it till the settlers in tluit large.-district favour the Maori being put on tho same fooling as tho pnkcha. It was quite, evident, he told a "Gisborne Times" reporter, that the people are far from satisfied .with the- ruto of settlement of f?,e Native land?. Living us they did in the midst of such large areas of Nativo lands, they would not take tho claims of tho • Government as to what was being done - seriously. Telling Ridicule. "The remarks of the-other delegates to the Imperial Conference lijiou Sir Joseph Ward's Imperial Council scheme are so full, of telling ridicule that it would illbecome mo to attempt to compete with thcm."-Mr. W. H. J). Bell; at Wadestown. ■ , • . ■ Feeling in Bay of Plenty. . To. a "Gisborno Times" reporter Mr. de Lautour, Reform candidate for the Bay. of Plenty electorate, - said that he was delighted with his chances of success. .On the Bay of Plenty side there was-a very marked feeling against the present Government. Notwithstanding the fact that the district from Motu to Te Karaka was considered by many people as Mr. Mac Donald's stronghold, he had no reason at all'to complain of the reception which had been accorded him. Must be the Right Colour. Referring last night to the position in which Civil Servants were placed in regard to politics and the treatment that had been meted out in some particular, Mr. E. J. Carey said that the Government was shutting its eyos to the fact that any amount of men in the Civil Service were taking part in party politics, but they were w;orking for Liberal candidates. So long as a Civil Servant was of the right colour he could take part in polities.. "A General Support," Mr. Hogan, liko other Government supporters, is taking pains not to appear too docile. He told a recoht audience at Wanganni that' he was. prepared to srip.port n more progressive Government, but it. was not in sight at present, and, therefore, in the interests of the people, arid notwithstanding the Government's- opposition to his entry into 'Parliament; he believed in.giving a general support to the- Government that had done so much; ...'•■■ An Earnest of Success to Come. "Mr.- Masse?. has -led the Reform party through the long,uphill.-fight—Jis services have.beengiv.cn because the country has needed them. I think .tlie saccess.of his great tour through New Zealand .is an earnest of' the success-to-come, I think the- evening at-Winton must have been the finest evening in his.lifo." (Applause.) -Mr..W..H. : D. Bell at Vradestown. - - Same as Elsewhere. • '.-. - The most noticeable feature of Mr. W. D.. S. Mac Donald's. meeting at Opotiki on Wednesday (says the "East Coast Gnarlilian") was the almost, lack of enthusiasm on the part of supporters of tho present Government. The .scanty applause was evidently, forced, and was confined to a very small section of tho audience. This is a sign of the times, bearing testimony to the great wave.of feeling in favour of reform that is sweeping the country from end to end. The contrast between the tone of Mr. Mac Donald's meetings of 1908 and. 1911 respectively was most marked, and the candidate's speech on Wednesday, was such a weak defence of the present Administration that it constituted a strong argument in favour of reform. It must be considered that -Mr. Mac Donald had set himself a very difficult task, for he could hardly bo expected to advance stronger arjmments than can Sir Joseph Ward in defence of the present effete Government, and Sir Joseph Ward's election speeches have been remarkable for nothing but a complete absence of policy.

The Usual Thing. "A motion that Mr. Hine be tendered a hearty vote of thanks for his address, with renewed confidence in him as our representative, also that it is the opinion of this meetine the time has arrived when a change of Government is necessary for the welfare of the Dominion, was carried with great enthusiasm."—"Taranaki Herald's" Tariki corespondent. TheTaumarunui Seat. Mr. C. IC. Wilson, the Opposition candidate for Taumarnnni, is prosecuting a vigorous campaign. Up to Saturday last he had addressed some 55 -meetings, and he has yet to speak at some 20 more centres. During the past fortnight Mr. Wilson has addressed two or three meetings, daily. He has ridden nearly 800 mile? since, the opening of the campaign!— "Taranaki Herald."