AN OPEN LETTER.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1086, 23 December 1911, Page 3

AN OPEN LETTER.

To Mr Edward Trhgkar

Dear Sir. —When our Union nominated John Robertson M.P., as candidate for the Otaki seat, we prefixed to the circular issued to our members the following qnotation : “Arouse the workers to a sense of their folly in doing as they have so often done in the past, namely, voting for men who are the open and avowed agents ol those who exploit the workers and suck them dry. I tell you that with regard to the Arbitration Court or any other Gout I, the ballot in your hands can be made a whip of knotted cords, wherewith to scourge the money changers from the temple of God’s justice.’’ Those words were taken from a speech by one, Edward Tregear, to the Trades and Eabour Council. We fought an uphill fight for weeks. Against us were allied all the resources of the Government, all the inline!!, e of a wealthy party, all the power of the local liquor Uade, and Edward Tregear. Every “groggsry” from Shannon to the southern eud of the electorate did their best to ensure our defeat, and the efforts of “Bung” were bolstered by Edward Tregear. Of the somewhat dubious and devious methods of electioneering practised by our political opponents, we do not propose at the moment to speak, save to call your attention to the fact that these methods were backed up and endorsed by a telegram from Edward Tregear. “Eel the electors know,” said the message, “that Robertson has no connection with the New Zealand Eabour Party.” The telegram was addressed to the Government candidate and was signed Edward Tregear. The implication (to the average man in the street) was that Robertson had claimed connection with this Party. As a matter of fact our candidate made it perfectly clear at every meeting that he was connected with no party and pledged to no platform save the one which he so clearly enunciated. If there is any explana m ■. oi your telegram we shall he gi.i lto have it. As it now stands you would seem to have urged the workers to vote for the “open and avowed agents ol Wardism ” in preference to a straight out Eabour man. We owe you gratitude for much courtesy aud consideration vvheu you were Secretary for Eabour, aud, it is with deep and sincere regret that we find such pleasant memories overshadowed by the recollection of Edward Tregear as the “open aud avowed” ally of priest-craft, publicanism and “Eat.” —I am dear sir, yours faithfully, PIvKCV T. Ro him. sox, Secretary.