THE DANCER OF VOTE-SPLIT-TING.

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 126, 14 February 1918, Page 6

THE DANCER OF VOTE-SPLIT-TING.

Si,.—Your correspondents who write urging the rival claims of Mr. Luko ■md Mr. Brandon in the coming election fail to realise that tho fair name of New Zealand is in grave peril or receiving its first smudge since the beaming of the war. So far, there has been no split in our ranks. Mothers have gladly given their sons; wives have cheerfully said "Good-bye to their husbands. Now Zealand has stood united in its determination to beat the Hun. To-day wo are on the eve ot an election. On one side we have Mr. Holland, who is an anti-conscriptionist. Mr Holland, who stands for tho thing that the Kaiser would most applaud. Let it be understood that if Mr. Holland is elected, the outside world will interpret it as meaning that New Zealand has gone back on conscription. That New Zealand, in spite of her previous record, is on the eve of funking. A victory for Kaisorism can only bi averted bv the election of Mr. Luke or Mr. Brandon. They and their supporters have up to the present been regarded as men and women of undoubted patriotism; but unless one u! these men is hig enough and patriotic enough to withdraw -from the contest, then the result of the election is only too certain. , Let these men and their supporters remember that they hold the honour of New Zealand in their hands to-day. Let them understand that unless soma compromise or agreement is reached by which we may show a united front against, Kaiserisin, that they will be acting the part of Judas, and not the part°of New Zealanders. Surely a compromise of some sort is not impossible. At any rate, those of us who are New Zealanders first and politicians afterwards will never believe that truiy patriotic people could not find ■;■ way out of the difficulty.—l am, etc., UNITED WE STAND. February 11. ABOUT WELLINCTON NORTH. Sir—Quite a number of your correspondents are missing the real issue in this by-election, t am an elector of Wellington North and a ratepayer of Wellington. ' , My objections to Mr. Luke arc:— 1. He does not belong to Wellington

North and he has no businoss to allow himself to be nominated for tin's electorate unsought and unsolicited. 2. Tile seat is a Reform seat, but Air. Luko has not been consistently a Reformer. Ho was a Liberal and was defeated; he was next a Reformer and was defeated in the constituency in which ho lives. Can Wellington North bo sure they are electing a Reformer m Air. Luke and a supporter of the National Government? He has already told a public meeting that when he opposed tennis at Day's Bay he did not mean it and would not do it again. Mr. Luke is stable as water. 3. I supported Air. Luke as Mayor, and Air. Luke as Mayor has not carried out Ins election pledges. He promised not to increase the rates; they have been increased. He has in the last three years extracted £25,000 more from the ratepayers than was done in the preceding three years. AVhat has he done with it? Frittered it away on fish and milk schemes, and such like, in war times. 4. I am asked to support Air. Luke because he is a supporter of tho National Government in :ts win-the-wtir policy. In voting for a man who has been a member of the Reform Party since its foundation, who has sent two sons to the war—one a D.S.O.—and a resident of the district all his life, 1 am acting more safely to strengthen tho linnds of tho National Government than I would be if I voted for Air. Luke. 5. Air. Luko has forced himself upon this electorate on the strength of a three-year-old promise obtained from Air. Alassey, who had no idea of Wellington North becoming vacant when the promise was given. 1 am opposed to this bartering awav of my vote and the suffrages of my "fellow-electors, and in opposing Air. Luke I am protesting against tins flagrant proceeding on the part of a political leader. 6. I am opposing Air. Luko because as Mayor he has done such a lot for the soldiers, and itwould be wrong to thrust more work upon our Mayor, seeing he has not now enough time to . properly attend to the council's and tho .••atepayers' affairs without loss and mismanagement'.—l am, ete., „ T „„ ■ THE GLEN.

[The statement that Air. Luke lias forced himself upon the electorate on tho strength of a promise is given a flat contradiction by the Prime" Minister elsowhere in this issue.]