A WARM RECEPTION.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1985, 16 February 1914, Page 4

A WARM RECEPTION.

' There has been a good deal of talk df late about the havoc which same of the more loquacious qf tho Parliamentary, opponents of the Gov' eminent arc going to create in the Links of Reform by travelling about the country denouncing Ministers from the public platform. We have been told by , Mr. G-. W. Russell of the great oratorical gifts of tho members of the pArty iu Opposition, and here and there timid souls who may nave taken the tali talk qf tho member for Avon at jt§ surface value may poss'iVly have arrived at the conclusion that dreadful things were in store for the Government. Itj is possible, of course, .that Mr. Rugspt may really, il-ave believed thj?. himself, fcr, like his leader, he does not possess the gift of judging public opinion, As a matter of fact, however, the more the advocate of Ward' ism talk nowadays, fchg fiipre they,disclose the weakness of their owa position) and the more clearly It is brought hoaie to they arc a .party lacking in inspiration or worthy guiding principles, the ardour of the niisaioncys of Wardism who are thinking of taking the field against Kefofm is likely to be a little damped by an expemncc which befell two of their lesser lights—the members for Wairau and Nelson—a few evenings ago. It is true that neither Mr. M'Gallujj nor Mi>. AtMOfiE tan bo accused of occupying a>ny prominent place ia Parliament, but they certainly can both talk at great length, and Mr. AiyOß*.especially has a startling vocatmlafy oi choiee epithets to hurl at Ws political opponents. These gentlemen did not go v6ry fAr afield , to open their tjarn* paign—no fiirther, indsed, than the extreme limit? of their respective eleetorates, tvhich adjoin. They unit' edi their forces for the occasion, at H-a.yelo.ck,. and according to the il/fl.'rfhorough Press and the Martbfftwirih Express, received a very warm reception from their constituents. Thft Town fiallj we are told, was densely packed, and the attacks oil the Government appear to have provoked the antagonism of a large; sscstioii. of the aiidiepec. Indeed, at tho close of the meeting it seemed that a vote of noconfide.rie«. would be carried* kit the chairman declined to accept a motiori to that effect. It is qitite evident that the electors in theSavelock district have been following the caui'se of political events closely, and it is not at all surprising in the- circumstances that the efforts in F&rliarnenf; last session of their roprcsentativea have failed to meet with their approval. Messrs. M'OAiiLtril and AtjfonE were two of tho very talkative band responsible for the shocking wflfite of time dnrinu the eostiy stonewnljs which delayed the progress of business, and which assfefcett to embarrass the Government during the critical period ih which it was dealing with tire sti'iko. trouble.