A GOOD IDEA.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 136, 30 November 1911, Page 4

A GOOD IDEA.

The Tnglewood Record has emitted a gjlad cry, because for this election campaign at least it will not have to report another speech. The heart of every slave of ' thfe pen will go out to the paper which quaintly protests not at having to put down the quite unremarkable lucubrations of candidates once, but twice or many times. Our contemporary's excellent protest is really a well wanted accusation of the deadly unoriginal ity of the average candidate. How this Opposition candidate follows the good old track trodden by the other fellow and how the Government candidate uses precisely the some ammunition used by the other Government candidate, and so 071. "The same old chairs, the same old table, the same old cupboard—and the same old lie!" But the ■real vahie of our contemporary's protest lies in the suggestion that this fearful amount of deadly dull talk is unnecessary, because of its sameness and repetition. "How long," it asks, "is it going to be before the awful political address business is abandoned and the political information of the two sides, if that ridiculous system is to remain, is conveyed to electors per medium of printed circular, when candidates could go round their electorates, hold their meetings, get a friend to propose that the address bs taken as read, Which would be seconded and carried in a few minutes, a vote of lasting thanks to, and unending confidence in the candidate—no matter which side he represents—it amuses him and doesn't hurt anybody—and a similar compliment, devoid of confidence, to the chair, could all be completed inside of ten minutes, and the rest of the evening could then be devoted to some useful or entertaining purpose, and the audience would have a far better grasp of the candidates political ideas —always supposing he had any ideas at all—at the close of the evening, than even five per cent, of them, including the speakers, have to-day at tho close of the addresses. They would, also enjoy the additional advantage of having the actual printed, and, therefore, thereafter indisputable, platform and election pledges of the various candidates in their possession for future, reference—should they so desire.'' It is obvious that the Sitme circular would do for all candidates of a given party, and this would save money. If it were agreed, however, that each candidate issued 'his own circular, a statutory declaration at the foot might be added to show that the candidate was in truth and fact the author of it.