A SPLENDID PRELUDE

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2329, 10 December 1914, Page 4

A SPLENDID PRELUDE

The elcctlon-eve meetings held by Ministers and other supporters of .the Reform Party in the local electorates last night furnished a splendid prelude to the task that awaits electors to-day of wiping out the undesirable elements which have lately made themselves notorious in the politics and public lifo of the Dominion. In oach and every case these _ meetings were a triumphant vindication of the Reform Government and its records. The greatest gathering of all was that addressed by Mr. Fisher in the Town Hall. Massed thousands of citizens crowded the building to its limits long before the hour of openine, and nearly as many as gained admittance had to be turned away for lack of room. From first to last the enormdus audience was wound up to a' fine pitch of enthusiasm. The disorderly element was represented, but its feeble efforts were completely submerged in the thunder of approving plaudits which punctuated the Minister's speech. It was a stirring occasion—the most enthusiastic political gathering ever witnessed here. The Red Feds, have too often been allowed to pursue their organised, disturbance of public meetings without let or hindrance. On this occasion, in face of a great concourse aroused to electric enthusiasm by the words of a brilliant speaker, they sank into their natural insignificance. A somewhat similar experience was repeated on a smaller scale at tho Sydney Street Schoolroom, where the Hon. A. L. Herdman addressed his most successful meeting of the campaign. The building was crammed, and as at the Town Hall a never-failing tide of approving plaudits bore, down and extinguished the efforts of the revolutionaries who attended in the hope of disturbing the meeting. Other Government candidates who spoke last night had encouraging meetings, a notable example being the splendidly enthusiastic meeting addressed by Mr. A. M. Samuel at Lower Hutt. In Auckland too the Prime Minister appears to have had magnificent receptions at his various meetings last evening ( tho Press Association report describing the enthusiasm as unprecedented. Taken as a whole these/final gatherings of , the campaign have been the occasion of a spontaneous outburst of vmblic enthusiasm, which augurs well for the success of tho Government at the polls to-day.