POLITICAL NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3388, 1 December 1911, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES.

Speaking at Hastings the other evening Mr. A. L. D. Fraser, a candidate for the Hawke’s Bay seat, referred to the action of the Government, or Sir Joseph Ward, in affixing to Mr. H. lan Simson the Government- diploma. Mr Fraser who stands as a supporter of the Government, endeavoured to draw the distinction between the ‘dumb dog’ type of supporter and the type which 'would support the Government when it was right, and criticise it freely when it was wrong. It was in the latter class that Mr. Fraser placed himself, claiming that bis nine years’ record in Parliament justified bis claim. What was to Income of a country, he asked, if the people who were to allow their God-given rights of franchise to bo usurped by representatives of a party sitting in Wellington? Such dictational action should never be tolerated by any community. Furthermore, Mr. Fraser declared, the nomination for the Hawke’s Bay seat- had certainly not been made by the Government as a Government. He produced communications received from Sir James Carroll when he was Act-ing-Premier, stating that no candidate would be selected by the Government for any seat in the Dominion where there was more than one candidate standing in the Government interests. Sir James Carroll still adhered to this policy, and stated to him the other day that he had had no knowledge of Mr Simson's selection until he saw it publicly announced in the press. WHY HASN’T IT BEEN DONE?

Every politician in these days has his pet nostrum (writes “Mercutio” in the Auckland “Herald”). Sir John Findlay pins his faith to a phrase, and Mr Fowlds his to a fad. The Knight believes that New Zealand is to be made a country worth living in by the adoption of his rallying cry. “access to opportunity.” The Prophet of the new evangel considers that it can only obtain salvation by another turn of the land tax screw. His meak and evangelical motto is “bleed, the farmer, bleed the landowner, and God bless the Queen Street retailer.” In the multitude of political cries one gets a little bewildered. Besides it is puzzling when one hears a Minister and an ex-Alinis-ter gravely tell us what must be done if New Zealand is to be saved from damnation. "Why hasn’t it been done? Their party has been in power for over twenty years; they themselves have held office—one still holds it —then why in the name of all that is Parliamentary have they left undone all this time, the one thing—or is it the two things? • —necessary to put the Dominion on its feet and make it a light and an example to the world ?

Says the “Dominion”: — We begin to believe that iS’ir Josepn Ward’s greatest misfortune is his lac is of any sense of humor. Yesterday „ o set his remarkable statement that he “does like a straight deal” alongside a few examples of the Government’s tytremely crooked practice. In his AYainiate speech last week he posed as tne Chesterfield 1 of our politics. “There was no necessity to he calling one another names,” he said. “That did no one any good. Not tlie least good could he done by simply indulging m generalities and personalities such as he was subjected: to.” This pious sentiment appealed so strongly to t.ne “Christchurch “Press” that it culled “a little, bouquet of the flowers or speech” with which, in his references to the Opposition, the Prime Minister adorned his Winion address. Here are some of them : “The baselessness of their innuendoes.” “Supporters of the Opposition so devoid) of fairness.” “The diseased imaginings of some of these critics.” “Basely engaged in detracting from the efforts of the Government.” “Their criticism is the more despicable.” “The hollow inconsistency and political hypocrisy that characterise their actions.” ‘ 1 H y poc r ibi ca 1 econ om ists. ’ ’ “Arrogant defiance of the rules or the game.” “Deliberate misstatements contrary to fact.” “Vt'ilful mendacity.” “The miserable, fault-finding Opposition.” “Grossly inaccurate statement.” “Grossly unfair and incorrect.” How impressive, is a lecture on the avoidance of “generalities and personalities” coming from a gentleman with so chaste and courteous a tongue!