WELLINGTON NORTH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 101, 22 January 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON NORTH

Sir,—Your correspondent "Elector, Wellington North," must have been living out of town for some months, and is therefore unacquainted with what has taken place. He is evidently a Reformer, and maligns his own people —not intentionally, but because ho does; not know. He says: "Some- who, opposed to the party holding the scat, are by intrigue and submarine methods starting a campaign of calumny and abuse,"-etc. All this is not correct. The- majority of the electors who have expressed opposition to Sir. J. P. Luke as the Reform nominee, are members of the Reform Party, and it is a surprise to the Prime Minister himself that the strongest opposition to Mr. Luke comes from the very people he thought he could control by the partv whip. I supported Mr. Luke for the Mayoralty, but not for Wellington North. Mr. Luke has got his C.M.G. for his war work. He is not doing very well as Mayor. He has increased "the rates when he said ho wouldn't. Ho has caused the city no end of loss in various ways; his last the milk business. What does Mr. Luke want? He has been a Liberal, and was defeated. He has been defeated as a Reformer already. Ho should remember the fate of another Mayor more popular than J.P., and be content. Why should he court personal defeat in Wellington Noftli, aiid cause his party to lose the seat, which, according to Mr. Massey, would cause the downfall of the Reform Party? The strongest opposition to Mr. Luke in this electorate is from the Reform Party. And he is no friend of the Reform Party that would foroe Mr. Luke upon Wellington North aftor his experiences in two other electorates. No one villifies Mr. Luko whei they say they won't have him rammed down their throats. The Wellington North electors were not consulted about a candidate, and Mr. Luke thought a reliauco upon a three-year-old promissory note long overduo was good enough for payment by Wellington North at the dictation of it political boss, the olectors themselves not being considered. Mr. Luke is to blame for the dilemma of the Prime Minister, and for the opposition of Reformers to his candidature. It is :i plank in Reform that the electors must first bo consulted before a candidate is fixed upon; and Mr. Luke violated that plank. It is respect for that plank that the Reform electors of Wellington North arc contending for, and the electors will win.—l am, WELLINGTON NORTH.