ON THE HUSTINGS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3374, 14 November 1911, Page 5

ON THE HUSTINGS

MR. R. McNAB’S OPPONENT. HITS STRAIGHT FROM THE SHOULDER. PALMERSTON N. Nov. 13. Mr Buick, M.P., addressed a. crowded meeting at the Opera Hoiise tonight. The Mayor presided. In opening his electoral campaign, and replying to Mr MeNab, he said if he (Mr I; lick) did not do- more in Parliament in the next ten years than Mr MeNab had done in his thirteen and a half he would be prepared to retire. Referring to the statement that Mr Massey. had not been approached to join the Ministry, Mr Buick said he believed Mr Massey’s statement when he said he was. He (Mr Buick) said that he hadn’t been two months in Parliament when he was asked if he would join the Ministry, a coalition to keep down the working man (laughter). He was approached by a supporter of the Government, to ask if he would, coalesce with the Government party to fight the Labor interests. A voice: They were pulling your leg. He replied that he would rather ten times have a Labor administration than the present administration, for he knew what Labor would do, and he didn’t know what the present Government would do.. Mr Buick criticised the Government over the MacDonald case, the Rarotonga e>ase, and the employment of the Chief Justice. He condemned judges receiving more . than their salaries. “For God’s sake,” he pleaded, “let’s have our judges pure.” He condemned the presentation of the Dreadnought by Sir Joseph Ward as bombastic hysteria, but he wouldn’t object to fifty Dreadnoughts 1 if they were needed. Referring to the Mokau case he said members Findlay and Dalziell dominated everything. Mr Buick denounced the Budget as a conglomerated mass of verbosity. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried.

A. W. HOGG, INDEPENDENT

NO CONFIDENCE IN THE GOVERNMENT.

MASTERTON, Nov. 13. Mr. A. W. Hogg, M.P., who has not yet recovered from his serious illness, opened his campaign to-night, when he addressed a crowded audience in the Town Hall, and met with a good reception. He announced himself an Independent candidate, and stated he had lost confidence in! the Government. He regarded the Opposition, however, as retrogressive. He strongly opposed compulsory training, and advocated the remission of duties on necessities of life. The candidate was accorded a. vote of thanks and confidence.

BAY OF PLENTY SEAT

MR. H. DE LAUTOUR AT PON-

GAROA

Mr. H. de Lautour had a packed meeting at Pongaro a on Friday evening. During his speech he was repeatedly cheered, and a vote of thanks and confidence was unanimously carried at the conclusion of the meeting.

PREMIER’S PROGRAMME

DELAYED IN THE SOUTH

DUNEDIN, Nov. 13. Sir Joseph Ward speaks at Palmerston South on Thursday night, at Waimate on the 17th and Oarnaru on the 13th, reaching Christchurch on Monday the 20th. He will he unable to reach Franklvn on the 17th. ' DUNEDIN, Nov. 13. Sir Joseph Ward has arranged to speak in Mr Massey’s electorate on the 17th inst., the same date as Mr. Massey will be engaged at Winton.

A REFORM CANDIDATE. NEW PLYMOUTH. Nov. 13. Mr. H. j. N. Okey, sitting member and Reform party candidate for Taranaki, addressed a. big meeting of electors at New Plymouth to-night. _ In a speech lasting two hours, he reviewed the legislation of the past session, and accused the Government of want of strength to carry out the policy in accordance with its traditions. He believed that the people of the Dominion were ripe for a change of Government, more particularly because of the failure of the Government to enunciate a satisfactory land policy. He believed in borrowing for public works, but lie thought there was room for economy and better methods of expending the money borrowed. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried. GOVERNMENT LACE OF POLICY.

ASHBURTON. Nov. 13. Mr. W. Nosworthy, M.P., Opposition candidate for Ashburton seat, opened his campaign to-night, when the Theatre Royal was comfortably, filled. After setting forth the necessity for an Opposition and for party Government, and giving instances of usefulness of Mr. Massey’s followers to the country in the past he reviewed the Opposition platform j taking each plank in extenso, and criticising at the same time the- Government’s policy, or as he preferred to call it, the Government’s lack of a policy. He was always moderate in' condemnations, and at the close was warmly applauded and accorded the usual vote of thanks. COLORS THAT WENT DOWN.

The “West Coast Times” has lieen giving the member for Westland (Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon) a particularly lively time of late. The other day it referred to a remark by Mr. Seddon that.“Mr M*Nab was defeated by some Opposition trickery.” “Is this,” asks the “Times,” “the M‘Nab who was Minister of Lands when the Cabinet, overcome with the excitement of the first sweets of office, yelled to the world that they had evolved a, land policy and intended ‘mailing their colors to the mast/ and if necessary going down with them? The colors went down all right and so did Mr M‘Nab owing to his somersault on the land question. The other members of the Cabinet scrambled off, and they have had no land policy since. Mr. Seddon says,” the West Coast paper continues, “that the ‘Opposition trickery defeated Mr. M‘Nab,’ but Mr. M‘Nab will have revenge and get into the House again. Quite so. That is a matter for the electors to decide, and not an honor which the hand of Mr. Seddon or even Mr. M‘Nab, can bestow. But Mr. Seddon omitted one important piece of information. Mr. M‘Nob is like Sir John Findlay, he does not long for his old love, and is not going to defeat the ‘Opposition trickery’ on the old ground!! Mr. M‘Nab was defeated by a comparatively unknown man, who landed a victory by only 356 votes! If Mr. M‘Nab is so valiant and his cause so righteous, why does he not go down to Mataura and fight his vanquisher and the trickery Mr. Seddon speaks of ? Mr. M‘Nab knows too much for that!!”