THE REFORM VICTORY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1314, 18 December 1911, Page 4

THE REFORM VICTORY.

■ ' «— MR. MASSEY CONGRATULATED A GREAT BATTLE WELL FOUGHT. ME FOWLDS AND THE "TRADE." Wrom Our Own Correspondent.) Auckland, December 17. Congratulatory telegrams luivo Iji-cn received by JLr. Massey from 'all purls of the Dominion. The first duy's collection numbered iiiuuy hundreds, and their cumulative ollect was a esplenditl testimony of the delight which the result of tho elections has created in the. .Dominion. Several cablegram? hr.ve also reached Jlr. Jlasscy. The majority of the people were so eager to transmit their congratulations that they contented themselves with brief messages, but a liimilicr of the telegrams wen; very elaborate. Several people selected Scriptural passages. "Awake, intake, put on strength 0 arm of the Lord." ran one niessugi!. "Awake, as in the ancient tljys, iu the generations of old. Art thou not ln< that hath cut It alia b and wounded (he Dragon? Break forth into joy; sing together yo waste places of Jerusalem, for tho Lord lintli comt'orled His people, lie hath redeemed Jerusalem." A ChrMchiirch telegram read: "For our sentiments, see St. Matthew'?, chapter x.w, verse 21." The reference is to Iho passage: "Well done, thou good and faithful somrit, thou hnsl been faithful over a few things, I will make thce ruler over many things. Enter thou into the joy of (lie Lord." Other telegrams typical of Ibe public feeling were as follow:—"Well done; we are all proud of you and of the success of the parly. It is a great and wclldeserved victory, achieved by ii'oility, stcadfuslner-i, and earnestness of purpose, and by nolle and patriotic advocacy and action. May the .Reform (lag long remain in tho ascendant, and thus enable you to accomplish such reforms as will advance, tho highest interest of our country and the prosperity and happiness of its people." "llcartiest congratulations on tho country's splendid victory. You deserve it all for tlm great battle you have determinedly fought against overwhelming odds, lias only been won by determination and genuine British pluck." "Hearty congratulations self and party. A glorious victory. We want true Liberalism, progressive legislation, honest administration, and a leader with courage ami backbone. Plain liiil always was a good fencer, and at woight-for-age boats Ward every time." "l'atea Reformer? congratulate you most heartily on the reward so well and faithfully earned. May you bo spared ninny years to carry on the glorious work of liefnrin." "Hearty congratulations. Waited 20 years fqr this. May now rely on having clean politics and justice." A Maori supporter telegraphed: "God help you. Thank you for your great work and power. Very glad." The One Topic. Public feeling is slill greatly excited here over tho result ol tho general elections, anil the political situation is almost Iho solo topic of conversation. By general consent tho dignified tone of Jlr. Jlassey's letter to (he electors is a bright and shilling contrast to the bitter vituperation indulged in by tlio Prime Jlinislor tllid his defeated followers. Indeed, tho bad graco with which tho verdict of (lie people has been taken by the 'WardiUis is looked upon in Auckland as tho worst feature, ot their liolitieal careers. Soured by his tailing in Grey Lynn, Jlr. I'owlds snid those who di.l not vote for him were sufi'ering from Inental aberration. His successful opponent has been quick to resent tho insult, and has called upon the disappointed "new evangcl■isV to-apologise for - hi&'slur, which be says amounts to calling his (Jlr. Payne's) supporters imbeciles. Sir Joseph Ward's nice mild way of accepting deteat is also exoinplilied iniiteloi,'!'«m published in the "•Star" on Saturday purporting to have come from the Primo .Minister to a citizen, and tho wording of which is: "Jinny thanks for your tolegruai. 1 hope none of my friends will believe the lying statements of Tim Dominion regarding 'Wellington last night, for whnt they stale is ciuite contrary to fuel. — J. G. Ward." Sir i. Findlay's Farewell Speech, As for Sir John I'indlay, (he "Star" devotes nearly three columns to it itilsqme account of all his repiliilißs and of his i'nrcn-vll gatherings, l'rinr lo departing for Wellington on Friday iiigltl, Sir John's to the number oi several hundreds, gave him a great send-oIV and a present of a silver cigaivtte case and a gold-mounted fountain pen. In return Sir John favoured them with many words of wisdom. Some oiliis farewell remarks make good reading. Like Mr. I'owlds, he had a cheap sneer for those who voted against him. tie sai>.l that although he was beaten, and although 101)0 odd people in I'iirnoH had declared thry did not want, him, he felt a much greater pride in believing that tho 1101)0 odd who diil want him wore the best people in Parnell. Sir John also stublranily refused to recognise Iho worth of tl'e party to which Wnrdism o-ves its downfall. With fi.ue sarcasm , he remarked: "KiSltcr the great ConsvrvfiHvt! parly is prtin , ; to be dragged at the heels of'wlial 1 liiny i-nll the almost revoliilionnrv social parly, or it in turn must drug that nariy tn its own heels. But 1 contend Hint, you cannot get any logical consistent policy irom any pnrt.v which has sol to live by IesTTO and content of another pnrly diametrically opposed to il, I will concede U> you tint (lie prejeul Liberal Government; would find iholf in Iho same plight were it to attempt to carry on for uiiy length of time :\ consecutive logical policy. What, then, is to Uapt>eu? Obviously, if I hat last refuge of the opportunist is not resorted 10, and tome amalgamation take place, which God forbid, there must, bo again a reference lo tho countrv. Now, a reference to tho country thorn of « great many of the bitternesses of the last contest will never result in tiro return of a combination of nion whoso o'.ear and avowed purpose is to put their hnud on the clock of progress and slop its advance. "Dangerous." Dunns his address (o his circle of admirers before leaving them, Sir John Limllay had a tilt at his newspaper critic?. Said he i "I am now fold in Inn Domxio:; newspaper Hint 1 am agood riddance to Parnell, and (his district is congratulated upon having rejected me, because, fortonlh, ] am tho moit dangerous man in the Cabinet 1 am dangerous because of the policy t have bee:i frying to submit to the audiences of Pal-noil; 1 am clangorous as I s.and opposed to land and all olher monopoly. They say the devil .steals (ha 1 ivory of heaven for his purpose, anil -i great many of the journalistic Tories of this country have been stealing the g;ivl> m Liberalism for thoir own purpose. So 1 nm dangerous; yes it is true, and now •hat I W my freedom, and am no longer nmbr obligation to nny Cabinet J promise my opponents that I shall grow not lets danguroiis, but more danS i'"'] u S''i i? ,||,s 1 tlulv exploded by the mortified lcni K ht, lie touched Upon a personal lnal^r: I lelr a lucrative practice at. the bar five years ago," he declared, "in order to devote myself ttiiircly lo the public service of my country, and since coining to Aiicklniul I have ln-on accused of mitltiiiß desperate elforts to secure a fat billet. Well, tins fat liillol 1 am entitled to means less than nriiuiibly throo-fourths •it aw ' v(,r , s of >■'«•«• Zealand nro earnin* to-dny. A memorandum sent to me ho other day by m y accountant shows ; i , ■ ''/!' ls : ,'"-v , rp " Iv(o t|ic?o «■«<> alk "bout the Int bi11,.!. 1. After statin, hat his iipt Ihj.nahl- now would have t<, bo devoted U, his impaired fortunes he said that In- yet hoped to sv iho i]:\v when hi> iniylit a»:ii!i enter (he fijjlii. lints ciidelli Hip episodo of tho iill.mipl ol Sir .lolin Vindliiy t., gain the I'arm'll seal. JTis chiui.'o wos never slromr, but it was allnstc-iln'r niuiihilali-d by his own twtioal bliindi'is durin* his Vi-nuwißn. The grentesl of llkwo was tho holdini; of packed uic-elinss oflor the first Iv.lloi. from which .-. ir-ft i-'iilheriitss lie not only ox. eluded his public op|»nenls, but ' hud them turneil out. The Grey Lynn Sent. As rrnanls the Grey Lvnn mat. (here have been iicrsistent rumours Hut >\-it.b the aid oi the 31 voles of absent voters.

Jlr. Fowlds will oust Mr. Payne. This ie totally unlikely, however, seeing that Mr. Fowlds would need to poll practically all llicso votes, and that tome of them were recorded at the polling booilm and are therefore iilrcadv accounted (or. 1 venture the opinion that the position will Ijp iinallcml by the official count tomorrow. Meanwhilo Mr. I'owlds's illconsidered statement to the effect that his opponunl was helped by the brewers is stoutly denied by Jlr. Leo -Myers, president ol the Auckland Provincial Council of the Trade. He has stated thai he could not protest too strongly ugainst tlm outntiri'ous und totally unwarranted in— siniiiitioiis and inissblomonl.s made |>y the Hen. Gco. I'owlds in his interview ;i)>ppuring in the '"Star." Kvery member uf the Trade tell the utmost indignation at Mr. Fotvld-'s iinjustifhible allack. Tiie whole, interest of the Trade in the Grey Lynn licensing poll was c.v]irp««i'd in the purchase of a few rolls and the issuing of onn circular to (lin electors explaining (he meaning uf "national prohibition." "I assert niihesilalingly," said Mr. jMyers, "that 'the trade' look no part whatever in Mr. I'owlds's contest, and that: any slalemciit to the contrary is absolutely untrue. I. don't pretend to bo able to explain the cause of Jlr. I'owlds's defeat; I leavo that to the electors of Grey Lynnj but that the Hon. Gco. Fowlds 'should attribute it lo methods of an unworthy character is deplorable in tho extreme*" AMENDED RETURNS. WELLINGTON EAST. Eighteen additional absentee votes wcr» received by the Wellington East Ikturning Officer on Saturday. They were evenly divided between t)r. Newman mid Mr. M'Larcn, so that, as when the, totals for Iho electorate were last published in. Tub UojiiNioN, Dr. Newman's majority stands at 03. Tho totals now arc:— Newman , H7T.) M'Laren 1)710 THE MAORI SEATS, DR. POJIAKE'S CANDIDATCEE. (Bt TelcKrabh.-Prese Aeeoctatton.l New Plymouth, December 16. At a meeting this morning of 150 Maoris of the Western electoral district, it was resolved unanimously to support Dr, Pomare in (lie coming oleclion, and to advise the Te Whiti people to support him. WHANGAREI, Whangarei, December Iβ. The official figures for Marsdeu are:— Jlander (O.) 3,120 l'urdie (G.) 2,57(i Members of tho late committees of Mr, W. 11. D. IJell are invited to meet him at the Hurlington liooms, Lnmblon Quay, on Tuesday, December 1!), at 8 p.m.