POLITICS AND HUMOUR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1917, 19 December 1918, Page 3

POLITICS AND HUMOUR.

One of Ihe candidates for the Wellington South seat is a ehemist, Mr John Castle, and judging by Urn press reports of Ins opening and subsequent speeches, lie afforded his audience more amusement Ilian is to be found at. (be movies. According to I lie I’oM, the candidate declared that the peoples health needed the “abolition <.f ra,W, mosquitoes, and big Hies, and the planting of trees on seienlihe principles.' 1 Dandelions were good for the liver. He remarked that at the age of seventeen years he had come out of u chemist’s shop to New Zealand. A voice: What about going back to it? The candidate retorted, playfully, that when lie went hack to the Old Country he would go as Prime Minister, as Mr Massey had just, done. He mentioned miscellaneous experiences after Ins arrival —(he working in a chemist's shop for <»s a week, and hunting for cows up in the hush with lanterns. He had “cut clown trees, Oft. through, 9ft, through, standing on,a ‘bungi’ fern.'' “Afier Hint,” he weal on, “I did twelve months ” (Laughter.)

“Kot where Mr Semple was, but twelve months on (he sea," said Mr Castle. “That expanded my chest."

The candidate next referred- to the excellence of lish as a food, and declared (lint he would favour a vigorous policy to as-ure adequate supplies of fresh lish for (he public. A -questioner, referring to the prices charged by some chemists during the epidemic, suggested that (lie people should be 'expected to pay for only the medicine, ami not for (lie water, which was already charged for in the city rates. The candidate explained how medicines had to lie made up in accordance with doctors’ prescriptions, which necessarily included water, in some oases, for the safely of the consumers, Mr Castle remarked that he did not deny that Ihe price of clinical (heniionicters had advanced abnormally during the epidemic. There was a dearth of those Iliermometers. He blamed the Health Deparimcnl; tor the position, which caused an increase in the price of Ihermomet-

“How would he cure in-growing toe-nails?" was one question. “Cut the toe oil,” interjected one person. The chairman said that the question was “not one of policy,” and therefore (lie candidate could not bu expected to answer it.