MORE PEARLS OF SPEECH.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1300, 1 December 1911, Page 6

MORE PEARLS OF SPEECH.

THAT DANNEVIKKE MEETING. EXTRACTS FROM THE PRIME MINISTER'S ADDRESS. Sir Joseph Ward's meeting at Danncvirko seems to have boon even more hostile than was shown by the telegraphed reports. The "News" suys:~"Sir Joseph Ward, who was sufi'ering from a cold, met with considerable intciTiiption, particularly at (he outset, and at ono tiuio (lie uproar was so great (when a person who was interjecting was removed from the hall) that it appeared as if a litllo more fuel on the fire would have broken up tho meeting in disorder, However, tho stormy atmosphere was quietened somewhat, and the Prime Minister was able to proceed." Loss of Self-Conirol, "It is unfair,'" says tho tamo ■ paper editorially, "to judge Sir Joseph Ward s platform powers upon his appearuueo at tho Drill Hall last evening. Tho Mixed reception thut awaited him would have i been discuncertiug to any man, and tho Prime Minister inifjht well havo been excused for losing a httlo of his self-control. His whole speech, however, was of tho kind to arouso antagonism, and Ms method of silencing interjectors only in(lamed tho uudienco against him," The "News" also remarks that "the members of Mr. Jull's committee, will probably regret having invited Sir Joseph Ward to deliver a political address in Dannovirkc last evening, Tho wear and tear of a strenuous campaign are palpably beginning to tell on (he Prime Minister, and ho might well have been spared the ordeal of facing a largo and hostilo audience. We said yesterday that the Prime Minister was Quito justified in delivering an' address in Danncvirko in support of his nominee, but Mr. Jull ..could hardly be said to have benefited much by the speech made on his behalf. Sir Joseph AVard has seldom been heard to worse advantage, and his appearance here gives tho clue to his waning power." "A Grunt Like That." The report of the meeting fully bears out the above remarks as to tho hostility and uproar, and also as to the style of repartee. Wo give below some extracts from the local paper's account of (he proceedings. At one point it is stated that an interrupter gained the wrath of Sir Joseph Ward, who said: I do not know wholh"!' that gentleman over (here —1 suppose ho is a gentleman—has coma to hear me. Jf lm has not ho should go out and let others hear me. A grunt like, that such as yon gave just -now is no credit to you. (Applause and ironical laughtcr.i At a later stage one ijiterjeclor provoked tho following angry retort: "If you are going to act the part of die fool, go out. Go out," he yelled. The person so addressed did not go. out. "You Must be Drunk." After some more exchanges, the Prime Minister staled that the Opposition wont about the country "like a man who had been kicked by a horse with his face in a sling," whining about t tho money borrowed and never explaining how it: l la .d been spent. They said: "Look how tho Government has piled up taxation." A voice: So they have. Sir Joseph Ward (warmly): That is not true. That is absolutely untrue. I'ro-c«:-eding, Sir Joseph Ward said thcro wera l.W.Offll frechoklers in tho country, and of that number 121,000 did not pay a penny piece of land taxation of any kind. A loud voice: Rot. Sir Joseph Word (to his tormentor): I said before .you were a gentleman. Prom tho sentiments you' are expressing I recognise (hat you are. I should think that is tho sort of thing you live for. Cries from tho body of the hull: "Chuck him out!" I'proar followed. •' Sir' Joseph Ward said that tho Government, of whom he was tho head, had had to fight tho largo land-owners, on behalf of tho mass of tho men and women. Mr. Montcith: What about tho brewers ? Sir Joseph Ward: Well, I think you must he drunk already. If you are not in the ordinary seiv-.e you are intoxicated in some other direction. A voice: So aro you, Interrupter Removed, Sir Joseph Ward proceeded to talk of what ho had done for (ho small fanner, quoting ' figures relative to tho increased graduated tax and settlement which had taken place in llawkc's Day, south of Nnpjer, during tho five yrars of his administration. What had been done since September last? A voice: Nothing. Sir Joseph Ward: Sine* the time that I returned to this country from the Old Land Mr. Montcith: With the title— Sir Joseph Ward (angrily); There is one thing perfectly certain. You will never get ono. (Laughter and applause.) Tho Mayor (rising): Mr, Montcith— Tho opening remark was all that was beard, thcro being an uproar mixed with hcofs. After a while his Worship was able to proceed, saying: Mr. Montcith, if you continue to interrupt I shall havo you removed. This put the fat in tho fire. A burly bystander grappled with Mr. Montcith, and forcibly removed him, being finally assisted by an aspirant for the llawkes Bay seat. Pandemonium reigned for a time. His 'Worship (hen rose, and again interceded : Kindly bo seated, and allow the gentleman to continue. This was followed by hoots and a counter-demonstration. When Sir Joseph Ward resumed ho commenced: I want to tell you what (ho position is fullv. A voice: Bring Montcith back. Sir Joseph Ward: 1 want to tell vou what Die position is. More hoots. "Since September, tho time I havo rcterreU to, recommenced Sir Joseph Ward, but. he had to temporarily desk on account of more uproar, people standing up all over tho hall. A Blasted Lyre, After this (ho Prime Minister seems to have got on better for a whilo, until mioilier troublo provoked him to utter tho Aeolian harp" metaphor, which ivns noticed in J iik Dominion vesterdav. The ■News reports tho outburst us'follows' - Sir Joseph Ward: You, mv friend, remind mo of the Aeolian barn struck by lightning'. 1 will explain (he remark' J. no Aeohan harp is a lyre, and being struck by lightning is u blasted lvn\ ami that is what you arc. (Cries' of disgust). "'Ounht to be Polc-axod." _ Concluding his speech, tho Prime Minister asked why tho present Administration should bo put out of office. A voice; They are suffering from senile Av-iy. The Prima Minister: Men like you shoiud at pole-nxod. J.n regard to tho motion of thanks and confidence, the "Noire" reports: Tho Mayor, Mr. E. A. Ransom, did not ask for an amendment, but put tho motion to tho meeting. A largo ioh:r.io of "ayes" responded, but war, counterbalanced by the volume of "noes." The Mayor declared tho motion tarried, but his remarks wore practically drowned in uproar. Replying at the finish, Sir Joseph Ward said he wanted to thank them very heartily for tho way in which (hey had carried the motion—(A voice: It was not carried.)—and to ask (hem to join villi him in carrying a vote of thanks to the chairman. This was done, and die meeting eon. eluded with cheers for the Prime JMinisto, and counter-cheers. Ladies, Disgusted. Two letters (o tho editor of the "News" go to ■•.how the impression created by the new style of aristocratic repartee. ' One correspondent writes:—"This election my wile and my three daughters expressed a desire to hear as much as they could of polities so as to be able to decide for themselves for whom they should vole. They heard Mr. Laurcnson and Mr. Jull when they spoke in the Drill Hall, ami later on heard Mr. Hunter expressing his views. When it was announced that

the Prime Minister was to come here and deliver an address, my wife said: "Wo have had both candidates lolling us their views, we must; now licar Sir Joseph Ward. Ho is sure lo give us the posiliim from a broader point of view. He has just conm from London and the big conference there, and they say he is a very gontlemanlv and polished speaker.' Wo hesiid Sir Joseph last, night, and it will please vou to know that tho Government have lost all chance of getting the lour female votes in my family Sir Josephs angrv remarks when he called some men in tho audience 'pig-,' and "blasted liars" settled the matter. The "»? of the latter term disgusted the girls. From Billinijsgnto. Another writer, under the heading of "Pish oh!" asks (he editor: "When m London, in which part did Sir Joseph Ward reside? Prom his language last night 1 should think that he hod recently completed n term of residence in tho vicinity of .Seven Dials Whilocliapo!, or liillingssate. Perhaps you could tell us if he had been spending much time in the latter locality, where he might have brim studying the condition of the fish market with a view to the application of any wrinkles learnt to the fish business established by the Uovcrnmri.t lust year in connection with Itotorna."