PROVINCIAL NEWS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 11 May 1907, Page 2

PROVINCIAL NEWS.

TATAKAI.MAKA. (From Our Own Correspondent.) The chief topic of conversation just now is the electi if a member in p'lace of the late Mr. 10. At. Smith.'and the candidates are addressing mei'tines all over the place. Mr. 11. Okey is the f,,. vored man in the country, and rightly so. Jlr Okcy's interests are in the'country, while the other two candidates' interests are in the town. I see hy tlie Government candidates' addresses' that ; the present Ooverninent take credit for the woman's franchise. Is this corree: ; Was not Sir 11. Atkinson the first mover in the direction of getting the ladies the privilege to vole, and, if niv nieniorv 7- serves me right, [ think it was done a'-, L . a counterblast to manhood sull'raw. which had just, become law. Our createst cause of comjilaint, as countrv setI tiers against the present (,'overnm'enl is not so much that thev are endcavorim. I" wrest the Ireehold'from us -bad n.!, that unduobtedly is—but because th-v pander to the towns to the delcriinen'l of the country. Take, for inslanee. the •C- Jlutt railway. A ipiarler of a inillio'n spent to enable the business men to complete the journey iu (en minutes' ii less time. Then there are t|,,. p „b|i ( . huildiiigs; C-lO,ililO spent on Dun.'din railway station. And where do the poor haek-hloek settlers come in? Their share is at best a six-foot bridle track. We have an example very close at h uid. 'the t'anington road between the Iviri and Tiniaru streams, where in places the bush is only felled a chain wide and 12fooi stumped in the centre. A slMii ml contrast ),, the road to the •Momiiain House, a pleasure resort for the towns. people.