CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 617, 21 September 1909, Page 6

CONTRADICTORY STATEMENTS.

: ;/ .//;:'' :' INTERFERENCE.;; v.; .'-'Mangaweka .electors'.who wentto hear Mr. \,t ■ Smiih-'On iSaturday evening are quietly laughing : ' " up 1 : their, sleeyes' to-day. 'In ; : the .course of .his ;^;;::romarks";Mr^l'Smith ; :6aid 'he'-would have, pre-' '"•"'': ferred-ifo'--,interference on -of. the .■(.•.'leaders\bf/the.fespectivo. parties. ;He went-on Wi.to say .that.prior to'tho; first. ..ballot--he' was : V. masked by'the: Ministers, whether.; ho wished their /'assistance/in/th'ej event of his reaching - the ;<'Second;ballot;''To-day, Mr. Smithes hearers are ■ : ''gravely<jassured vby.. the ■ VMahawatu. .Daily'■ ; /' ; ;Times?V/that till' 'now/Ministers /have ■"■'• to ; . taks .any:-part'.in Jhß. "•■• .Rangitikei/electioni-'in spite :of,the. Opposition '. .organisers'' action and Mr.' Massey's/uuerauco ;;;-- : on polling'day.. ; It-was ".always. 'understood, ;■',--however, that ,if 'Mr./Massey ■ came.into• it they. ■ ■■ -::/yould-corned".. ':?:■. /;/'\ ; "■ : . -V-'-.''''-.;':!•:'..':'■■■'•' .1,," ? • •-'•'■ : - ; Editorially the; same journal says:—:'. They ~//." (the, .Ministers) did:not take part in 'the/first •-■ Fallot in any! shape, or form, though they, wero / ,; attacked in :■ it,". - ; Having . before ;■ thdm i two such contradictory statements,: eloc- '■'■• '"''■ tors 'should -havo .-no;difficulty>in 'deciding as /:;.to which is:the-more worthy of belief. . '■;■■. V-V- From. his references to>'the • subject at Mangai//; ,weka ; on.\Satiirday; .eveliing'j/j.'it. would :■. appear . '' V-. '"that ■ Mr.'; Smith was. aniious'to' arrange with .:'..:■-Mr.' Hockly. that 'neither.' of Vtherii': should ,ad- :'; 'dress meetings between.;the--first' and the sec-!:.'-'ond ballots.),' Had Mr. Hockly .agreed:.to the '-:■- 'proposal, he' would,'of course, have.been' placed ... ; at.a.serions/disadvantage, seeing. that ho would / /-have had/to v work ' by, way; of canvass,, not ''■:'/"'.'-/'aMhut';Mr.--Smith'''siiigle^han , ded, but against ..'"''.the.three;.defeated;candidates as' well.. That ■ this is so'is now shown by,, the: fact.that, tho "/. unsuccessful.'aspirants ..have,-,..in ..accordauco.. ; with the requested '(by. :circu : ; ; ■ lar) :all their friends .to. .vote'. for^Mr.-Smith; ■'/■ ■; "and:so .help to keep the Liberalflag'illyiiig,,'/!;