THE SECOND BALLOT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2357, 25 November 1908, Page 2

THE SECOND BALLOT.

NOTES FROM WELLINGTON

[Special to “Times.”]

WELLINGTON, Nov. 24. Mr. Atkinson, the Independent candidate for Wellington East, speaking at one of his recent meetings, said,, in his construction programme of add niinistrative reform, ”1 would givdjj Mr. Massey the heartiest possible suinja port and, in my opinion, the n' : 7 Parliament would have done bowery work than any other if it put 4>usiy programme through without ge33bt©i anything else done at all.” horns, evident'that even the ludeppdkardcandidates have noticed the linodious the tide anti are getting repl|i swing with it. It is quite re " cards that before three jcv&SSmp* over some of those returllKgPPas Government candidates will. wise. Indeed, it is quite plainr now that in some of the seats iu ■which Government majorities of over a thousand have been reduced, to majorities of less than .a hundred any Opposition candidate must now have an excellent chance of victory. "nabor candidates have a great deal of prejudice to meet,” said Mr. McLaren, in one of his speeches on Saturday night. ‘T have heard of one case in which a husband last Tuedsay kicked his -wife up in a room” because she had said she would vote for me, but the woman, womanlike, says she will vote for me next Tuesday if she has to get out of the window.” (Laughter and applause.)

Mr. Luke, one of the Government candidates for the Suburbs seat expressed regret that the Government spends considerable sums of money bringing out experts from Home and then loses them. The system of dealing with our experts, he thinks, needs overhauling. The attitude of Mr. Izard, tho defeated Government candidate for Wellington North, has been causing much comment. After the election, Mr. Izard was, owing to huskiness-, unable to speak, but his brother, on liis behalf, called for three cheers for Mr. Herdman, -and also urged Mr. Izard’s supporters to vote for Mr Herdman. During tho campaign Mr Izard also was severe in his condemnation of Mr. Bolton. Then lie announced that,ho was supporting the latter and urged his late supporters to work for him. People a tie naturally, askfng what lias happened in the interval to change Mr. Izard’s ideas. Much satisfaction is felt at the return of Mr Heaton Rhodes by such a substantial majority, especially affor the repeated prophecies of his defeat telegraphed from Christchurch, it is generally recognised that Mr Rhodes is one of those straight-going representatives that the House could ill afford to lose, especially at the

oresent iuncture. ' Mr R .B. Williams, who, arriving •ate on the scene from a trip abroad, ,iut up such a good fight'for the Op position in. the Suburbs contest, lias been adopting a strictly mitral attitude in the present fight. “I shall mot,” he says, “interfere in ‘any way.- My former supporters will therefore receive no dictation or advice from me. I make this explanation in consequence of the numerous inquiries ot my friends and after having been seen by both the Mr Williams, by the way, is quite an orator. He has a fine command of choice language. His address after his defeat was one of the gems of tlio election campaign and is worthy of more than \local publicity. It was as follows: “Will my devoted friends and the 1357 electors who voted for me please accept my sincere thanks lor tlieir assistance and support in the late contest. I shall never forgot the enthusiastic friendships formed in iny short iwift campaign of only nineteen days. Let me say that I only hangup my armour now that 1 shall certainly not turn it into ploughshares or pruning hooks. Let but the occasion arise again and .1 will answer the call, if I am wanted.” Mr Williams would certainly be an ornament to the jpre>ent House. In addition to being .a nne speaker, Mr Williams has a beauiiul voice and sings with all the expression of .a true artist.