LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1373, 26 February 1912, Page 3

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE END OF WARDISM. Sir,—The political end of "Wardism" has surely como. Do not Wardist-s by their actions admit' this? Why is it necessary for tho Prime Minister and his able (?) Minister for Railways, etc., to offer to resign in tho interest of tho Liberal (?) party, if the Liberal Administration has been so clean and so beneficial to the pjople of this .Dominion' It appears to me. Mr. Kditor, the above facts want answering. Perhaps tlieir action is, to hide the fact, (hey are making ft virtue of necessity. Another matter I consider .wants attention, is tho large surplus. Good Government is a benefit to the majority of . the people of the Dominion. Well,. the , majority of the people would "consider it splendid Government, if the surplus, were used to allow of reductions in the duty on some of the people's necessaries of life—l am, ° t0 " A YOUNG DOMINIONITE. • TRAMWAY MANAGEMENT, ] Sir—l have on a few. occasions pointed [ out through medium of tho local, press ■ tho desirability of allowing the rateriay- I ers the: privilege of selecting a board to run the 'Tramways Department. I am very pleased that you have taken the matter up, and further,-have drawn attention to the fact that a correspondent, voiced a grievance about tho sheer neglect of certain officials m not seeing that trams connected with the Napier mail train on. four : successive nights Doing an old Christchurch resident with intimate knowledge,of the. method of conducting tramway affairs south, and knowing the utmost satisfaction given by the several members of that' board, I feel desirous.of assisting in the endeavour to bring about a like. effect in our capital city. Such men as Messrs. W. Reece, one of Christchtirch's keenest and ablest men, are badly needed on a local board in Wellington. That gentleman was one of the first to act as chairman of the southern Tramways Board. That Christchurch folk appreciate the work of their board no . one will deny. - No "pulling, no red-tape, good • service,. satisfaction given -to all. These are many points to be copied by the Wellington-tramway I trust; the.'obstacle may yet be removed here and that'we will in dtio course have trailers in use on our Wellington tranis.—l am, etc., ■ RATEPAYER. • Kilbirnie, February 19, 1912.

POLITICAL PRINCIPLES AND AN APOLOGY.

Sir,—As a matter of political justice I ■trust that you- will, find speee in. your •widely-circulating columns foi: the following.:—A resolution' was passed at the Vlaxmill .Union Conference m Palmcrston. to. the effect that , Mr. Ro.bertsqn, the Labour member, should be released from his pledge to vote no-confidence in, tho Ward ' Government.. : Now, fir. that, resolution has caused me, and many others considerable consternation. At tlw.recent elections I endeavoured, with, I believe, some success, to. persuade a certain number of people to.vote for Mr. .Robertion'.at the second ballot, in order to ipiit-a liail in:the coffin of the Ward Government. -■ I am a wake worker and a "unionist, bfit also, I trust, a person of reasonable view?, who tries,to seo that, people-other than waze workers ;ir« entitled to a place in.the sun'. This being known, i was alife to influence (he rotes of .'time people who were inclined to refrain from-voting at the.,second ballot, and., people who would have.been changed from nniiopmbatants into.active opponents had they coiv.e into controversial contact wiUi the overzcnlous Socialist who moved the resolution referred to. Prior lo this I had seconded a vote of thanks anil confidence in Mr. Robertson, and, in the course of a,eulogistic snecch on his behalf, 1 had stressed the fnct that, although I could not with some of Mr." Robertson's Socialistic views, I, nevertheless, thought that Mr. Robertson would be a•■ member of one thing which was a most crying need in New Zealand, namely, a body of men of sincere convictions who would stand or fall by their principles and pledges. You can imagine what "mortification this resolution caiissd me. And what does it amount to? Simply this—the people of New Zealand have said most emphatically that they would net any longer tolerate Sir Joseph Ward on tho throito. "}A ell," say the political charlatans, ''wo will put a figurehead on tho throne and make Sir Joicph the power behind it." Good gracious, the ignominy of it is worthy of[ political intrigues-in countries less civilifwl than New Zealand. At oije of Mr/Robe.rtson's. Shannon., meetings he said that the Liberal party, was effete, and had lost its inspiration, and that new blood was;required to revivify Parliament, and 'yet he is requested..to support the defunct clique which he despises. Another statement from the same source: "Politics in this country .have sunk to a very low level, nnd it remains for a Labour party to raise them'to a higher standard.' Higher stnndnrd, forsooth. Will indulgence—at: the outset of his career—in political charktancy and quiliblinsy-roise politics to' a higlwr standard? Ko! but it will raise,' Mr. 'Robertson hig!i- and, dry as a political shipwreck at next election. Thi' resolution has obliged ine to humbly apologise to those .whom' T endeavoured to ncrsuade to vote for Tiabour. I trust that Mr. Robertson will.. not be base enough -ti .yield, to what, appears tn bo the expediency of the moment,:'that he will rot jeopardise his political- future and' that "of the.cause of labour generally, but above, all, to do justice to what is 'best in the ranks of Labour, nml'show those of his supporters who ' are mer» opportunists, ■ where the path of political honour lies.—l am, etc.. • T. E. M'MILLAN. ' Totoiuaru, February 24, 1912. [Our correspondent appears to Imagine that Mr. Roberbon. who.pledged himself to the whole of the Otoki electors, labours under the delusion that a section oi thera electors can' release him from the bond ho "ave, and Which alone secured his eleclion. . There is no reason to bjuieyc. so f.ir as wd are nwire, that Mr. Robert mm props-*-' to dishonour his' nlrdg-i in this ' way. Tht point made by our- correspor,- | dent reacting the degradation .of polii tics and His dwrvlstion of. Labour which i must, neccvarily follow on the ba?e vio aI ton bv a Labour candidate of a publidy- ! given 'plcd-re if ' °f "ur??, quite found, and is wcT; uindc]