Captain Russell's Explanation.

Hastings Standard, Issue 227, 22 January 1897, Page 3

Captain Russell's Explanation.

[I3Y TKLK<;l:ai'H.] (Per I'ress Association.) Wellington, Jan. 21. At a social to Mr Ilislop Captain Russell was present. Referring to the statement attributed to him at Rongotea he said he was not so foolish as to say that any Registrar of Electors had told him he (the Registrar) had put on men to canvas against himself. What Ik; did say, and what he repeated, was that Ik: found in his own electorate there were certain persons canvassing the electorate against himself. He was told these men were receiving Government pay for their work and he went to the Registrar of Electors and asked him if there were certain persons receiving Government pay going round canvassing for voters? The Registrar said, "No, they are not going round the country canvassing voters but going round to get names on the electoral roll." He asked the names of three persons and was told the iwjiics of three, known to every- ■ body in his own district as three of his most vigilant and active political opponents. He asked the Registrar •• Are these men paid ? ' and the Registrar replied that they were paid by instructions signed •• Hugh Pollen, Under-Secretary. ' at the rate of 15s per day for horsemen and h* pi-r day for men. lie has since been charged with gro-- inaccuracy for saying the men reo i\i«l 1 "is per dav ; he ought to have said pir day and 7s extra for riding their own horses. As a matter of fact he understood there were also oth«r persons employed.