LICENSING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1136, 7 February 1884, Page 2

LICENSING COMMITTEE ELECTIONS.

Mr George Edgeler, a candidate for election to a seat on the Temuka Licensing Committee, addressed the electors last Tuesday evening in the Volunteer Hall, Temuka. The hall was crowded to its utmost capacity.

On the motion of Mr George McS. Gentleman, ,MrF. W. Badharn took the chair.

The Chairman, who was decorated with the blue ribbon badge, on taking the ch-iir said they all knew the business for which they had ir-et. He hoped there were no publicans present, forhe wished to have an orcier'y meeting, and he knew there was no one to create any disturbance except the publicans. (Hear, hear.) He was n 't acquainted with Mr Edgeler, but if ha f he heard about him was true he believed that Mr Wakefield could no longer pretend to be the orator of South Canterbury (cheers) —as they had in Mr Edgeler one who showed himself immensely his superior. After a few more complimentary remarks, and referring to the brotherly love that existed between himself and the candidate as both belonged to the blue ribbon army, he introduced Mr Edgeler who was received witli deafening cheers. Mr Edgeler, after having referred to the pleasure he felt in seeing so many present, addressed the ‘ Editors’ of the papers represented, and expressed a hoped that they would put down every word correctly, as his speech would be read 16,000 miles away by his friends and schoolfellows, ‘ some of whom were dead ’ (Laughter.) Ho had come forward that evening to defend himself against what some ‘ aspirated’ persons in Temuka had said about him being in the School Committee, to give them an account of his ‘ schoolership,’ and his‘financical statement.’ He went 55 years ago in Whitney, Surrey, first to school. It was kept by two old ‘ women.’ (Cheers, laughter and uproar ) From the old women school he went to a Church of England School, where he learned to read the Collects, Espistles and a few verses of the Bible. From tins he went to a better school. He had learned to read well, but he was never much at arithmetic. (Cheers). He would tell them that some of the most ‘imminent’ men were educated at schools kept by old woman. (Great cheering for the old women and uproar.) He would now' give them something about his ‘ financical statement.’ He was notj insolvent, never had a bill of sale over his goods, and there was double as much due to him as he owed. (Great uproar.) The Chairman asked the public of Temuka to turn out a few publicans at the back who were creating all the noise, and after a short time the uproar subsided, when Mr Edgeler continued to say that if he had all the money due to him he could hold up. notes that evening that no man livine could lay claim to. After some more cheering he g ive the foil iwing strange quotation from Dr Watts ; “ Were I so high as to reach the sky Or the heavens with a span, It’s m t'be wealth, but the mind That makes the man.”

He %vonld give two hours hard labor to pull down the Crown Hotel. He had no animosity against publicans, and would he ready to shake hands with them so long as they kept within the bounds of the law. He meant to wake up the people of Tetnukn. Through his efforts there were 40 people in Sodtown now living in their own houses, and they had half paid for them. If elected he would not stop there. He was agoing to Wellmgtoo to represent the County of Geraldine, and if the big hugs cf Temuka would stand in his way he would step over them (and suiting the action to the word he made long strides across the stage), if Mount Cook was in his way he would crush it under his heel (making a crushing dig with his heel on the bo ird-s), and now that he had started he would not stop. His cry would be ‘Onward, advance Temuka.’ vVhen the speaker sat down there were tremendous calls for an encore, resulting in Mr Edgeler coming forward again and explaining that he had not a second speech prepared. The Chairman said the people of Temuka ought to feel ashamed of themselves for having kept a gem like Mr Edgeler back so long. Mr Edgeler said it was the drink that kept the gem so long back. The Chairman invited any one to ask questions now. In reply to the question, ‘Was the Licensing Act calculated to promote local industries T he said he knew nothing about tne Act yrt. but if elected he would learn it all by heart. The questioner expressed himself thoroughly dissatisfied with the explanation.

After a few more questions of a similar import, a stranger came on the platform and said he was in the habit of drinking six glasses of basr daily and it

never did him any harm. Mr Edgeler here stepped forward and entered into ap argument with the stranger. Both were 59 years of age, and a dispute arose between them as to which of them looked the best, but all that was said was lo>t in the noise made by the audience. The stranger insisted on continuing to speak, and was hurled off the platform with unnecessary violence, and- so indignant were some of the spectators that there was near being a row. Several questions were answered in an amusing manner to the entire satisfaction of all present, resulting in a vote of confidence being moved, seconded and carried unanimously. A party who: had left his blue ribbon at home that evening, and had been indulging in many antics, now came forward on the stage, and was jumping over chairs, tables, etc., till the Chairman pushed him off. As soon as he got off he turned round, canght hold of the Chairman by the legs and brought him clean down off the stage on the flat of his back. The Chairman with commendable forbearance let this pass and resumed his authoritative position once more. The speech-making continued, the noise increased, and the character of the meeting became indescribably amusing. The individual who had pulled the Chairman off, again mounted : the stage, and went on with a kind of acrobatic performance, now jumping over chairs, now sitting cross-legged on the-top the table, now rolling over it on the top of his head. At last he was hurled with the table down into the hall, and. a-man jumped down on lop of him. The table was broken to pieces, and some of his frie ids, net liking the treatment he was getting, rushed forward with the result that it took some trouble to prevent a disturbance. Ihe meeting got into great disorder through this, but after a few minutes it was called to order again; and the speechmaking went on. One speaker was complimenting Mr Edgeler on his oratorical powers, when he was interrupted by Mr Edgeler rushing forward and shaking hands with him. . This was repeated several times to the intense amusement of those present. The fun went on till about a quarter to ten o’clock, when one orator was holding forth on local industries, butcer and cheese factories, and kindred subjects that had no bearing on any tinner in particular. When he was in the middle of his best oratorical effort crash came an egg on the table in front of him, and it splattered all over the place. This brought the proceedings to a close suddenly.

Great interest was felt in the election yesterday, in Temuka and for the most part it was caused by the proceedings of the previous meeting. Rudely, executed cartoons were put up in many windows, referring to Mr Edgeler’s candidature. Early in the day Mr Edglerin the trap of a certain citizen was driven into town. The trap was decorated with banners, on which were painted the words ‘ Vote for Edgeler.* The horse and trap were kept in town all day, ostensibly for the purpose of bringing voters to the polling booth, and much amusement was created thereby. Mr Edgeler himself was very active all day about the town, and was always to be found the centre figure of persons who had a minute to spend at street corners. On the whole the day was the liveliest experienced in Temuka for some time. When Mr Wills made the result of the polling at Temuka known there was great cheering, and Mr Edgeler was taken shoulder high thro igh thea .reet The polling resulted as follows .

The first named five were declared elected.

Names. Temuka. Winchester Waitohi. 1 Total. S. D. Barker... 77 11 14 102 J. Talbot 65 11 14 90 W. SStewart ... 48 10 11 69 J. Meyer 32 8 8 68 J. Paterson ... 50 5 10 65 G. Erlgeler ... 40 2 7 49 S. Currie 30 6 8 44 J. Brown 33 4 3 40