The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, April 21, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVI, Issue 1235, 21 April 1914, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, April 21, 1914. NOTES AND COMMENTS.

Since Mr Pirani has been officially selected as the Government candidate for Wanganui, Mr Veitch, the sitting member, has had his teeth on edge. Mr Veitch was looked upon as the most broadminded of the Labour group, who dodged into Parliament by trickery at the last election, and no doubt be nursed the idea that because of his refusal to follow Robertson, Payne, Webb and Hindmarsh in their extreme notions, the Government would deal kindly by him at the hustings. He knows differently now and the claws are beginning to show. He informed his hearers at Wanganui the other night, that be would be a traitor to Labour it he supported Massey and would not support either Ward or Massey, but if he had to choose between the two he would support the former. Now, what on earth can sensible people make of this reasouidg ? The appearance of Pirani in his constituency has apparently caused the man to lose his head. At the last election he was crooning to Massey in the second ballot, and now there is no second ballot, he is on his knees to Ward. Politics is a funny game.

From Messrs Hodder and Stoughton, the well-known firm of English publishers, we are in receipt of a review copy of the “Altar Stairs.” The book, apart from its interesting and literary merit, should appeal to New Zealanders, because the gifted author G. B. Lancaster, is a New Zealander by birth. This young lady has recently written a novel on Canada, entitled “The Law Bringers,” of very great power and interest, and critics are firmly convinced that she has an exceptional future in front of her. Another book from the pen of the same author is “Sons o’ Men.” There is no doubt that the latest book will find a ready sale in this country when it finds its way into the book stalls. We shall print a review of “Altar Stairs” in a subsequent issue.

During the course of an address delivered to bis constituents at Christchurch last week, Mr Isilt expressed his views on Labour, He said : In spile of extremists, the cause of labour was just. So lai as he was concerned, he would support legislation which would minimise more and more the economic gulf between the few and the many. Speaking to Labour, he said there was no short cut to its ideals. The only sure method was by legislative enactment. He was absolutely opposed to Syndicalism, and believed that the New Zealand Syndicalist was the greatest bar to present progress in the Dominion. The Wellington waterside strike was the maddest, silliest piece of business that Labour had ever been guilty of in this Dominion. The Wellington working men were almost without excuse. They “fell in” with their eyes open. Their leaders should have re strained them, but the irrespouslbles took command, and discredited all Labour by a show of violence which was absolutely useless. The whole thing was a deplorable blunder, and a huge misfortune. He wanted to know why the ordinary machinery of the law was not put into operation against the men guilty of lawlessness in the early stages of the strike.