NOTES OP THE DAY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2327, 8 December 1914, Page 4

NOTES OP THE DAY

In a moment of perverted inspira- 1 ' tion the other day an opponent spoke of Mr. C. K. Wilson, the energetic back-blocks member, wno represented Taumarunui in the late Parliament, and will probably represent it again in the next, as "one of the dumb ' dogs in tho rear benches who hardly, ever essayed to speak in the House,, and could only yelp like canines on the chain." As a sample of the humour which obtains its effect'by, a comical inversion of facts this would be hard to beat, and lit is a ■pity that its real merit will be ap- . Ereciated only by thosa who have • card the vehement flow, of language ' in which Mr. Wilson is accustomed to denounce tho past neglect by the Wardist Party of the back-blocks ■ settlors, to whose cause he is devoted.Calling Me. Wilson a dumb dog is about equivalent to crediting Sir Joseph Ward with a humble _ and cautious disposition, or -political acrobats like Messrs. Atmobe and IsiTT with the virtue of consistency. 1 In the Taumarunui electorate MRWilson and his friends are able to . point to positive results of his powers oi language in the shape of an unprecedented aocelera* : tion of tho all-important roading works which in time will reduce'the hardships and rigours of life in the back-blocks to a minimum. But the work of the member for Taumarunui has not by any means been of merely local scope. He has been anything but a dumb advocate of \ the really vigorous policy of backblocks roading and development which stands to-day in the forefront of the Massey Government's programme. That policy has already taken definite and tangible shape, for the Government has not only largely, improved upon the Ward Administration's annual expenditure upon back-blocks roads, out has taken authority to raise a special loan of a million sterling to be expended . upon works of this class; Having assisted in no small degree to secure this measure of justice for the backblocks, Mr. Wilsoil must derive some amusement from the aspersions of the Wardist jester above-men- • tioned.

i It is interesting to note that the ' "Wardiot". candidate for the Suburbs seat, Mr. Fitzgerald, has been thrown over by his party leader, Sir Joseph Ward, in the allocation of the votes of absent, members of the Expeditionary Force. Under, the Act of last session the members of the Expeditionary Force were given the'privilege of any one of the; three parties (Government, Opposition, Labour), and the Leaders of those parties were authorised to apportion the votee in. each electorate to whichever candidate they pleased. This was the only way by which the men could be enabled to vote as the candidates for the different electorates were not known when the Force left these shores. Those good "Liberals" in the Suburbs seat who voted in favour of tie Wardist Party have now had their votes diverted by the Leader of that'party,' under the power" conferred on him! to the Labour-Socialist candidate, Mr. Moore. This is very pleasant for Mr, Moore, but very disturbing for Mit. Fitzgerald, the faithful Wardist, and maybe it will be far frpjn palatable to the men'who have gone to the front and who had no doubt expected that their votes would go to a whole-hearted supporter of Wardism. In Wanganui also Sib Joseph Ward has thrown over an old and faithful supporter in the person of Mr. Hogan and plumped , his party votes in favour of the Labour, nominee, Mr. Veitch. In return for these Savours the Labour-Socialists have in numerous instances cast tbeir party votes on the side of the Wardist. Of course this is merely coincidence. There has been no agreement or understanding on the point. It just happened that in about sixty odd electorates the Leader of the Opposition and the Leaders of the Labour-Socialists selected the same candidates to plump' for. What a remarkable—coincidence.