POLITICAL ETIQUETTE.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XXXIV, Issue 9388, 6 March 1909, Page 2

POLITICAL ETIQUETTE.

An unfortunate .incident, some say that it was an aooident ooonrred during the Ministerial visit to Taranaki. When the various conveyances started out/v from Stratford, it was noticed that the Liberal for the district occupied a seat m the Ministerial carriage, m which were also Messrs G. A. Marohant and W A. M’Ontoban (chairman respectively of the Stratford and Whangamomona County CounoiiS. , at whose instance the Minister was making the trip), Mr W. T. Jen pings, M.P., A. E. Copping, O. Mewhinney (Minister’s _ secretary, and others. Mr J. B. Hine, member for Stratford electorate, was not allotted a seat, but be found a place Portland waggon that followed. Those in charge of the arrangements nadfbeen notified, on the previous evening, that Mr Hine would aooom the Minister, who had oomnmnioated to Mr Hine his intentions of touring through the electorate. On the way to Toko, the waggon which conveyed the member for the district forged ahead, and clouds ot dust from the vehicle enveloped the Ministerial party close behind. t Douglas this action was brought under the,notice of Mr Hine by Mr ‘ and a point of etiquette cropped up. Mr Hine complained that he had been slighted and insulted by the promoters, who had denied him his rightful privilege of travelling with the Minister. Relations were strained, as they say in diplomatic circles, for the remainder of the trip, so far as some xnembexs of it were concerned. At Whangamomona no secret was made of the fact that Mr Hine, as an Opposition member, was not the choice of the local people. When the banquet opened, visitors who were not “behind the scenes” were surprised to see chat, whereas Messrs Symes and Jennings were at the right of the Ministei, Mr Hine was not present at the function at all. Inquiries elicited the fact that he had not even been invited, although^he banquet was tendered to the Minister. Mr Hine made no secret of his opinion that the whole idea was to heap insult upon him, and he promised that there would be at least som mention of it at the next meeting of the Stratford County Council.