MR. FISHER'S DEFEAT AND THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS LEAGUE.

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2335, 17 December 1914, Page 9

MR. FISHER'S DEFEAT AND THE BIBLE-IN-SCHOOLS LEAGUE.

Sir, —I hope you will allow me space to contradict some statements which evidently were sent out to the Press of the Dominion from The Dominion office, in regard to Mr. Fisher's defeat. I quote the Hawke's Bay "Herald" :—"Ho (Mr. Fisher) had opposed to him the forces of the Hqiior trade, the Catholic party, and tho Bible-in-Schools League." The two former I have nothing to do with, biit I challenge the reference to tho Bible-in-Schools League. I should like ■to know from what source this information came. Some of the more militant supporters of the Reform League seized upon Mr. Fi&her's defeat to strike the Bible-in-Schools League, hut it must be remembered they were prepared to strike anything or anybody in the circumstances.

Now., what are the facts as regards Wellington Central. I claim to know something about it. There was no attempt on the part of the Bible-in-Schools League to defeat Mr. Fisher. Up to the beginning of the war I spent a lot of my spare time there. Since August there has been no canvassing for the league. All that has been done was to put our supporters on the electoral roll. I challenge tho party -or parties who sent out this to the Press to produce any elector in Central whom I tried to influence against Mr. Fisher. I never canvassed any; person for either candidate. How could I, seeing they were both opposed to our proposals? The Reform League will have to look elsewhere for some excuse for Mr. Fisher's defeat, arid try and fix the blame on the right parties. Sir, as you are aware, I had never any doubt as to Mr. Fisher being defeated, biit I was surprised at the majority that he went out by. I could point out soriie of the causes that led to his defeat, but it would not be any use repeating them here.—l am s etc., THOMAS M. MILLIGAN. December 16, 1914. [We do not know what Mr. Milligari means by his references to messages sent out .from Tub Dominion office regarding Mr. Fisher's defeat. The Wellington correspondent of the Hawke's Bay "Herald" is in. no way connected With The Dominion, and no messages concerning Mr. Fisher were sent out on behalf of The Dominion to that or any other journal.—Ed. Dominion.]