However, I had to come to Billsbury, nilly-willy. Met the Committee
after dinner. They were anxious that I should do some canvassing soon,
and wanted me, when next I spoke, to explain myself more fully (1) on
the Temperance Question and the question of Compensation to Publicans;
(2) on the Women's Suffrage Question; (3) on the Labour Question;
(4) on Foreign Policy; and (5) with reference to the Billsbury Main
Drainage Scheme. I said I would, but I should probably require more
than one speech to do it in. Afterwards a very solemn member of the
Committee, whose name I forget, got up and made a long speech, in
which he observed that my habit of appearing in dress clothes at
the meetings had annoyed a good many of my supporters, and that
he ventured to suggest to me, for my own good, that I should wear
ordinary dress. It seems a good many of the lower lot thought it
looked uppish. I'm glad enough not to have to do it any more. There
were other points, but I'm too tired to remember them. By the way, I
have subscribed to about a dozen more Clubs and Institutions, and have
promised to get Mother to open a bazaar here at the end of the month.
Back to London to-morrow.
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