THE ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 328, 15 October 1908, Page 8

THE ELECTIONS.

v NEWS AND NOTES. CANDIDATES AND THEIR SPEECHES. Dr. A. K. Newman has definitely decided not to stand for the new Wellington Suburbs seat at the next general elections. Negotiations Have been proceeding for some timo past, and it is now definitely announced that Mr. R. B. Williams, of the legal firm of Williams and Meredith, and who was Mayor of Onslow for four years, will be the Opposition candidate for the seat. Mr. Williams, who has been visiting America and England, is due back in Wellington, on October 28. Advice to Electors. The Christchurch "Press," dealing with the scarcity of good Opposition candidates in the South Island, remarks: —"It is not sufficient to grumble at the class of candidates who present themselves. The electors themselves should take some trouble to induce men of ability and standing to place their services at the disposal of the public, and they should follow tnis up with a little personal exertion to secure the return of the candidate of whom they approve. When the new Parliament meets wo shall no doubt have the usual complaints of the deterioration in its personnel, and a little later-there will probably bo an outcry at the mischievous character of some of the legislation proposed, at the extravagance of tho Administration, and at some further increase of taxation in consequence. If so, it is quite safe to predict that the loudest outcry will come from those who were most apathetic at the time ■when a little live inl erest in politics on their part , might hate prevented the evils which they .protest' against when their protest is too late to lo of any good."' . Bombardeed with Queries. In the course of a political address last Bvening, Mr. J. W. Shackleford, the Government candidate for Eden, read what he declared was the Opposition policy, namely, provision for liberal labour laws, educational improvement, both branches of the Legislature to be made representative of the people, freedom of industry from unnecessary restriction, and settlement of Native lands. When the " question " stage was reached, the statement that this was the Opposition policy was challenged, and the candidate declared that it undoubtedly was the Opposition policy, and read as his authority a condensed telegraphic reference to Mr. Massey's speeoh at Palmerston North. The questioner, however.' was quick enough to discern the fact that many important points had been omitted, aud bombarded' the candidate with queries, the audience meanwhile highly enjoying the controversy.- At last the questioner was asked to go up on the platform, but he replied that it wasn't his business to make .the speech; but if he had been there to make a speech ho would 1 have had no, hesitation in giving his opinions pretty - strongly.. Need for Consultation. . "We should like to see," says the Christchnrch "Press," "some of the leading members of the Opposition'party in. Canterbury consulting'together with a. view to seeing whether it is not'possible to bring about a clearer and more satisfactory issue. for tho electors at the coming poll. Where two candidates are standing on the Opposition platform, an earnest .effort should be made to induce one to withdraw, and in the case of electorates not yet- provided .with. suitable reform candidates it is not even yet'too late to achieve success 'if only the right stamp of man can/be induced to present, himself." Town and Country. In referring to the relations between town and country in his address at Amberley, Mr. G. D. Greenwood said that if a townsman visited the country it was usual to meet him at the station with a vehicle, and entertain him, and give him drives 'or a little'sport, but on the other hand, if a countryman went to town the townsman would certainly shake hands in his best formal manner, and then the townsman would fire off,a series of questions such as, ''Well, what's, the country like?"'. /'How'are the sheep?" and "What about the crops?" "Did you come in to-day?" and "When are you going out?'/ and,"Good-dayl I must be going 1" That, said Mr. Greenwood, amid laughter, was the sum of town hospitality. The Hurunui Seat.' The Kaikoura correspondent of tho Christchurch "Press" states that private reasons prevent Mr. A. W. Rutherford complying with the requisition .to again contest the Hurunui seat. The Cabinet Vacancy. A feature' of interest in-connection with the Cabinet vacancy (says the Auckland "Herald") is the fact that the portfolio of Railways, which is about to be relinquished by Mr. Hall-Jones, carries an additional £300 a year in salary. It'is thus a "plum," in connection with which the question of seniority may crop up. The Hon. Jas. M'Gowan —assuming that he does not retiro from the Ministry, as has been suggested in some quarters—may be considered as ihaving she best claim on this specially-salaried portfolio. In any case, whatever happens, it is_ probable that there will be a general readjustment of. a great number of the portfolios. • A Straight-out Oppositionist. Mr. Harding, a candidate for Kaipara, in m address at Dargaville said he had pre/iously stood as an Independent, but cirjumstances -had -arisen which made it advisable for him to come straight out as an Oppositionist. Sir Joseph Ward and the Hon. R. M'Nab had departed from the late Premier's .land policy, and the reversion, he thought, was in the wrong direction. Tho Government leanings were towards revolutionary Socialism. For these reasons he had allied himself to Mr. Alassey and the Opposition. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried. ■ Bay of Plenty. Mr. J. Gow, Opposition candidate for the Bay of Plenty seat, in a speech at Rotorua keenly criticised the land legislation of tho' Government, denouncing the national endowments as a farce. Ho blamed tho Government greatly for failing to do anything to Bettle tho Native lands question. He said they had been in office for years, and had to give it up. Need for Fearless Critics. "Veteran Liberal," discussing election matters in a Christchurch paper says"Christchurch . East and Christchurch North, may prove eye-openers by the time the numbers go up. I had a very interesting communication from a high Government official in Wellington a few days ago. in which he sums up the situation as follows: —'I would liko to see our old friend Tommy Taylor back in the-House. In my opinion there is need of. fearless critics like him in the House at present. The Opposition is too weak, and it does not do for any Government to have so jnuch of its own way as the present one does.'" ' Jottings. Mr. Johnson, the Opposition candidate for the Bay of Islands seat, addressed' the electors at Opua on October 7. A vote of thanks and confidence was passed. Mr. Byron Brown, a candidate for the Otaki seat, speaks at Shannon to-night. ' Mr. J. P. Luke, who is standing for tho Suburbs seat, will address the electors at tho large room (next Luxford's), Miramar, to-night, and at St. Thomas's Hall, Newtown, to-morrow night. ' "FABLES AND FICTIONS." GOVERNMENT FINANCE. Christchurch "Truth" of Tuesday has a vigorous piece of destructive criticism in reply to tho complaint by certain Ministerial journals in tho South that the critios of the Government's finance aro indulging in "fables and fictions!" "The public that is enjoying the temporary benefits of a boom produced largely., by

a Hugo expenditure of borrowed money never has a-very sensitive political conscience, but it is not such a comprehensive ass that it cannot understand the elements of sound finance; nor is it stone-blind to the experience of the ages which is crystallised in the truism that 'he that goes a-bor-rowing goes a-sorrowing.' Yet the whole gang of press writers who aro busily engaged in the search ,for arguments to support : the theory that a young and prosperous country ought to go in for a permanent debtj that by some special dispensation of Providence the pawning and squandering that leads to bankruptcy in private and national finance all over tho rest of the world produces quite the opposito result in New Zealand; that it is a good thing to defer expenditure and transfer it to another account in order to show a paper surplus; that the usors" of the railways and telegraphs should not bo asked to pay value for what they are getting, because it is really profitable .to run theso things at a loss; that posterity should' pay' the cost of assisting immigrants, replacing and .repairing shortlived wooden buildings, maintaining roads that may be washed out by the first shower, or buying farms and accoutrements for volunteers that will be useless or worn out in a few years, know perfectly well in their hearts that all theso things are absolutely wrong in principle, perilous iu practice, utterly indefensible, and incompatible with honest politics and good government. Because they have no answer to mako to these specific objections to the financial methods of the Government, tho Ministerial organs ovade the point by talking about 'fables, fictions, and silly innuendoes.' But there is no need for any , opponent of the Government to indulge in fables and fictions: the figures talk, and when we find the Government, which after all is a huge trading and business concern in which every taxpayer is a shareholder, adopting methods that are at variance with- the recognised practice of accountancy,'.and. when we find it deliberately violating the principles which by means of the Companies Act and the criminal code it has taken very good care that private corporations shall not violate, where do the 'fables and the fictions come in, unless it is in the attempts of the Seddon-AVard newspapers—who will bo the. first to-disclaim responsibility when the washing-up starts —to bulldoze the public into believing that everything is'all right?" - ■

WAIRARAPA. MEETINGS BY THE RIVAL CANDIDATES. Mr. W. C. Buchanan held two very successful meetings at To' Nui and Whakataki, both of which places were formerly in the Masterton electorate. -His speech, writes our Wairarapa correspondent, was on tho lines. of those previously' delivered by him, but he devoted special attention to showing the crudity'of the present Administration as regards measures which should be to the in- ; terests of, farmers. If was apparent, said Mr. Buchanan, from such proposed legisla- ' tion as the'. Shearers'' Accommodation Bill, compulsory arbitration', the cow tax in the dairy regulations; 1 ;With the species of land taxes in operationr'that the Government looked upon farmers as veritable milch-pro-ducing animals for ' revenue purposes. It was the money which' I 'was obtained from the pockets of the farmers which enabled the Government 'to pursue its course of halfveiled public patronage, and hold its power at the expense of free thought and action. .The lopsided .legislation of tho past few months was a startling indication of the weakness' of, a Government which had been in office so long that it was prepared to sacrifice almost''anything, except its questionable 'patronage, in.'.order to cling to the Treasury benches'.' One of the features of the Ward Administration; was the political spinelessness of some of its Cabinet. It was very evident that a .change was wanted, something in the nature of a straight-going, clean Government. At 'the..close of tho addresses the speaker answered, numbers of questions with ' evident, satisfactio'ri'to'his'hearers. ' Mr. Hornsby h'ad'a' very good meeting at Kaituna last night, ' writes our Wairarapa correspondent. Mr. W. Falconer, J.P., was !in the chair. Mr..'Falconer delivered a lengthy speech ftt .the, pnd of Mr. Hornsby's 'address, r and'two of Mr.'Hornsby's supporters proposed and seconded a vote of confidence. The chairman declared, the vote carried, before.waitingf moie-'thari.'a second for a further motion;; and ;theri closed the meeting. It is only fair -to state that Mr. Buchanan refused a vote of confidenoe'at' Kaituna.

MASTERTON. SPEECH BY MR. HUNTER. (BT TELSaiIArB.—SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT.) Masterton, October 14. Mr. John Hunter, -the independent Government candidate,'' delivered ' his first election speech in tho Masterton Town Hall tonight. There, was a small attendance, but the' was/accorded q, very attentive hearing. Mr. Hunter devoted a large portion of his timo to a somewhat severe criticism of Mr.' Hogg, and finished up by saying that if at the end of three years he (Mr. Hunter) did not accomplish more than had been done in the previous three years ho would consider himself a political failure. He-advocated the -partial pooling of primary products :as a'means of keeping up the values of-our exports, arid declared that if the Government were to allow settlers tho right to acquire the freehold at. a 10' per cent, increase on the original value, the State would' then have enough money to spend half a million pounds annually on lands for settlement purposes without any further borrowing. Regarding the legislation of the country, he said there appeared to be too much of it What was , wanted was less legislation and'better administration. Tho Government had passed 137 ■ Acts in tho short session just, onded. ■ At this rate of adding to the statutes thero would soon come to pass the phenomenon of one Government inspector to every, two. men whom one might happen to meet along the street. If legislation was so good, however, why not havo moro of it and sit all the year round?. Ho believed in voluntary arbitration, and described himself as not a Socialist but social reformer. Regarding the defence of tho country, he believed in universal service, but not conscription. In answer to a question, Mr. Hunter said he preferred State control to tho present system of liquor traffic. He preferred not to say until lie knew what the business was whether he would support the Ward Ministry on a no-confidence motion. The speaker was accorded a vote of thanks. TUAPEKA. \ ADDRESS BY, DR. CHAPPLE. (BY 'TELEGRAPH—PRESS ASSOCIATION.) ' -... Naseby, October 14. Dr. Chappie, a candidate for Tuapeka, addressed a large meeting to-night. Ho gave a general support to tho legislation of last session, though he said he believed the Arbitration Apt would require considerable amendment.' He favoured the absolute majority system .-in. preference to the second ballot, which ,he,.believed would not work satisfactorily, 1 ; and advocated increased population for the - Dominion. We should be careful -to choose the class of immigrants. In-one batch of.new arrivals only 10 ,per cent, of the peoplo, were farmors. He spoke strongly concerning, the need of irrigation for Central Otago 'and other local wants, and was accorded a. hearty vote of thanks. HURUNUI., (or TELEGRAPH—f,RKS3 ASSOCIATION.) Christchurch, October 14. Mr. G. D. Greenwood, a candidate for the Hurunui seat, addressed a meeting of electors at Amberley-'last night, and was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence. Tho candidate announced that he would support the • Government' in its present general policy;' , DUNEDIN SOUTH. (bt telegraph—press association.) -Dunedin, October 14. Mr. R. Slater, who was recently announced as a candidate for tho Dunedin South seat, has decided not to stand.