LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1980, 10 February 1914, Page 8

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

MR. WILFORD IN REPLY. Sir,-—i haye to thank you for the opportunity given me of replying to a. jotter in your paper of yesterday's date, headed "The Wisdom of Wilford." I do not propose to reply to tho part- of it which deals with al>use of myself or to break tho lake of controversy for the degenerate trout your correspondent si»aks of, but I do wish to say that the part of jour letter which refers to my majority at.the Hutt election is, in tho words of Mr. Hemes, "inaccurate and misleading." In the first place, the figures for one part of my constituency quoted in regard to the last election arc inaccurate. Let mo Rive you tho exact number of votes polled by me in tho contest, and my opponents. I polled , 3471 votes. Mr. Rcardon 1540 votes, Mr. M'Ewen 911 votes, and Mr. Short 881 votes. My majority, therefore, in a "first past the post contest" was 1931 above Mr. Beardon, who eamo second. It was 2560 above Mr. M'Ewen, and 2591 above' Mr. Short.. In regard to tho Petono division of tho electorate, I have reocived the figures to-day trojn tho Electoral Office, I beat Mr. Reardon in Petone by 552, I beat Mr. M'Ewen in Peteno by 849, and Mr. Short in .Petone by 1209. These arc the official Sgnros. I hopo the Reform Party will ho game to label a candidate en tliis ftccasion, and I would, in conclusion, point out that any man who represents tho Hutt constituency must during the session of Parliament Sive in Wellington if he desires to attend Parliament. If you would liko my majorities for the'other divisions of my electorate, I shall bo most pleased to supply them. I wonder whether tho Reform Party ospecfc next election to get the 1640 votes polled by Mr. Beardon, the Latiour candidate, at last election? Your correspondent quite aptly calls himself "Artful Dod-Kcr."-'—l am. etc.. THOMAS WILFORD. [Our' correspondent, it will he called, stated that Mr. Wilford, at tho last general' election, polled only 1431 votes of the Slßis votes east at Peteno, which ho regarded as an evidence of tho sitting member's lessened popularity.]