Correspondence

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 79, 30 September 1893, Page 2

Correspondence

I „ ! MX BBUCE, M.H.R. TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR. Sir, — I notice that is possible our present representative in Parliament, Mr R. C. Bruce, will contest a seat in some other district. Masterton is talked of as the likely electorate, at tbe coming general j elections. It seems a great pity that wo j should lose a man of Mr Bruce's stamp j without some protest. He is admittedly j one ofthe most, if not ons men in the present Parliament, a splendid speaker, and a man of thought. If he is to contest an electorate I would strongly urge on the party who supported bun in tbe past to make another bid for hnn. Tbe last time Mr Bruce addressed a meeting in Feilding he said he would retire from politics after the present Parlia- : ment and people evidently took him at bis word and thought no more about him. Mr Bruce is willing to and always does assist any necessary reforms, it does not matter from which party they emanate. Tbe Seamen's Representation Bill was tbe result ot his labors and from that has sprung a wider and more liberal franchise. In this movement it wa3 his popularity that was mainly instrumental in getting the Bill passed, members prefering to test the proposal before condemning it. I should like to see Mr Bruce contest Rangitikei again, and I am sure his party would rally around him as of old. I might mention that the Minister of Lands on one occasion (during the debate on the Land Bill last session), said that Mr Bruce's earnest remarks made more impression on him than those of any other member in the House. On another occasion a prominent member of the Government said Mr Bruce's only fault was tbat he was on the Opposition side of tbe House. We want good, able men to represent us, and let us stick to oar present member. I am, etc., Elector. Feilding, September 29th, 1898.