THE WAIPAWA CANDIDATES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3199, 29 September 1881, Page 2

THE WAIPAWA CANDIDATES.

(To the Editor of the Daily Teleoeajph.] Sir,—ln answer to " Verb Sap's" effusion on " Another Woodvillian's " letter, saying that Mr Smith's strong qualifications for the representation of Waipawa are that he has worked energetically in the County Council for the good of the Seventy Mile Bush settlers, and that he does not possess any large property." Granted. And he says, " had it not been lor Mr Ormond's influence the County Council would not have bad a sixpence to spend in the Busb." Further he says, " if the County bad had to depend on Mr Smith for the £5000, and on his influence to get it, there would have been no road through the Bush at the present day." Now, Sir, Mr Smith was not a member of the House of Representatives when the £5000 was obtained, probably if he had been we should have had it all the same. I was always unJer the impression that there was a road through the Bush before the above grant was obtained. " Verb Sap " doe 3 not tell U9 how the £5000 was manipulated after the Council got their fingers on it. Mr Ormond took care to have, through his influence, a large portion of it expended upon the road to hia property at Walliagford, while other urgent works were neglected. For instance, the Homewood bridge, the approach to which bad been washed away by the floods, but through the guarantee required by the Government (which was probably exacted through Mr Ormond's influence) that the above grant should only be spent in certain districts, that very necessary work had to go undone. So much for Mr Ormond and his influence, which the above clearly shows is only brought to bear where he himself is in direct benefit from it, as it is well knowo that he has large estates both at Woodville andjWallingford. In reference to Mr Smith's stake being in soft goods and Mr Ormond's in land, a very few words will suffice. Mr Ormond and his clique have taken good care that the soft goods paid very heavy duty, while he for his land paid no taxes up to 1875, when the provinces were abolished, which he greatly assisted in bringing about, together with the passing of the Counties Act. Notwithstanding Mr Ormond's efforts to pass the latter Act, upon his return from Wellington he advised his constituents not to bring it into force in the Waipawa County. Now, why did he advise such a course ? Was it to lighten the duty on soft goods, or to avoid the taxes on his own land? Perhaps " Verb Sap" can enlighten us on that point. Secondly, " Verb Sap " prefers land to merchandise. I should think he does, and possibly he enjoys that preference, and I think there are very few but prefer land to merchandise ; but owing to there being so many Mr Ormonds, or men like Mr Orraoud, who hold immense blocks of land, the many are prohibited from obtaining even a small farm. " The object of every Elector should be to get represented by the very best man he can find." So say I; but Mr Ormond doea not represent the electors; but sheep and land. Therefore the Waipawa electors think they have the ri°ht to be represented in the Government of the country —not sheep and land. And, therefore, we choose to support Mr Smith, who, we know, will represent men and not sheep. Mr Ormond has been in several Ministries, that is very well known, but as for drawing a comparison we will willingly do that when Mr Smith has been in as many. As for Mr Ormond's promises to the Bush settlers re railways, they may be taken for what tbey are worth, as he is neither Minister for Public Works nor Premier yet, and it will be time enough to listen to such gabble when he occupies either of those positions.—l am, &c, Waipawa. Septemper 28, 1881.