CRESCENDO!

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 511, 14 November 1928, Page 11

CRESCENDO!

ENTHUSIASTIC FINISH INTERJECTING DUET As the conclusion of an election campaign, the meeting at Ponsonby last evening of Mr. R. B. Speirs, United candidate in the Auckland West electorate, was ideal. It was in fact an example of political felicity, and with a bright, “peppy” chairman, and a happy audience, Mr. Speirs was quite at home. When the audience of over SOO people left the hall to sleep upon their opinions for the big poll to-day, the candidate tvas cheered enthusiastically, and 90 per cent, of the audience sang his praises for a particularly fine address. “Shorty,” Auckland's prize heckler, was there —with boots blacked, so to speak—while four sturdy policemen lined the walls and a fireman at the back watched the public safetj’. All was quiet and straight-going until question time. Then “Shorty” was on his feet with questions. “Ah, here is our old friend ‘Shorty,’ " exclaimed the chairman. Mr. c! F. Bennett. “Now bring out the peariv oue, ‘Shorty.’ ” Shorty did. With a lively appreciation of Mr. Bennett’s profession as a land agent, “Shorty” asked: “Would the candidate favour the nationalisation of lands and the abolition of all land agents?” When the candidate said “No” to the latter portion of the question, the chairman applauded with the rest. An amusing incident occurred when two questioners took the floor at once, and each thought the chairman was calling upon him to go ahead. Four times they started together-—to the huge delight of the crowd. “Now r then,” reminded the chairman cheerily, “this is not a duet.” Mr. Speirs was asked if he favoured the pensions for “ordinary” widows being the same as those for “extraordinary” widows. He did! Things were going so well that a middle-aged friend and supporter of the candidate could not resist having a say. “Will Mr. Speirs recite for us?” he asked. “Give us a few verses of ‘Hello!’” This suggestion was accepted along with the rest by the cliairilmn, and Mr. Speirs—anything to oblige even after a hard campaign—recited “Hello!” Then the news of United’s first victory—the election of the Hon. Sir Apirana Ngata for the Eastern Maori seat —and a fresh supply of enthusiasm bubbled Over among the audience. A well-deserved tribute to the chairman was given by the audience when the meeting closed.