THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 274, 12 November 1908, Page 3

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

STRATFORD ELECTORATE. MS. HESE'S REPLY TO THE PREMIER.

Speaking at the Maketawa factor) on Tuesday evening to a large and representative gathering of electors from the surrounding district, Mr. Hine replied at length to .Sir Joseph Ward's re marks OU the linaneial operations oi the (ioverament. Mr. lime prefaced his speech by saying it fell to the lot of very few men just entering the political field to have drawn the Premier's attention, and he felt highly honored, especially as the Premier admitted the investment of a large amount of Post Office Savings Bank deposits in Egyptian bonds. The great weakness in Joseph Ward's contention was the attempt to draw a red herring across the scent by ungentlemanly reference to his (the speaker's) public utterances, designating thein as the words of a gentleman of superior intelligence and sublime ignorance, etc., and yet not attempting to disprove any of his statements. His contention was right (in spite of any quibbling on the part of the Premier); in fact, Sir Joseph Ward corroborated the speaker's statement befoie ne left the subject. He explained the whole position. The £BOO,OOO which Sir Joseph Ward states was held in London for emergency did not exist. io quote his own words from Hansard: "The original £BOO,OOO has disappeared.' Otherwise, he asked, what need was there to draw £BOO,OOO out of the sinking fund to redeem the debentures which were supposed to be in hand to pledge ia case of financial panic! Further, what connection had this transaction to do with borrowing another .£BOO,OOO from the Post Office Savings Bank at 3% per cent, and investing the same in Egyptian bonds, Irish stocks, etc., at 3Vi per cent.! In the one case a loan was raised and expended, and, upon maturity, was repaid by a sinking fund. On the other hand £BOO,OOO Was sent out of the Dominion at a time when financial stress was keen and money badly wanted in every channel of currency within the Dominion.

In our correspondent's report of Mr Hine's Kohuratahi meeting, it was stated tliat Mr. Hine said he had lost th? support of the Farmers' Union because !he was not in favor of the Arbitration Act. This was obviously wrong. What he stated was that he lost the support of the Farmers' Union because he ;™as "not" in favor of the "repeal" of the Arbitration Act. THE TARANAKI SEAT. Mr. Malone had a very good meeting at Fitzroy an Tuesday night (writes our correspondent). Mr. Jackson was in the chair. Mr Malone was in good form and received an extremely friendly hearing. He referred specially to the alleged stuffing of the public service with Catholics and characterised it as a gross falsehood. He said that an enquiry had been held and it iras found that though proportionately there should be one Catholic public servant in seven there was, as a matter of fact, only one in ten. He quoted the figures of New Plymouth. They were as follows:—Post office, 63 officers, of whom only five are Catholics. As regards salaries:— £1 to £SO, 8 officers, 1 Catholic; £6O to' £IOO, 18 officers, 2 Catholics; £IOO to £2OO, 24 officers, 1 Catholic; £2OO to £3OO, 12 officers, 1 Catholic; £3OO upwards, 1 officer, 0 Catholic. Railway —B4 officers, of I whom nine were practical Catholics and three nominal Catholics; 18 of the 84 were yearly salary men, only one being a Catholic. The remainder were day wages men. Of 10 casual workmen only I one was a nominal Catholic. In the other departments there were 07 officers, only 7 of whom were Catholics. Of the seven two were constables, one a warder, one a caretaker and one a cadet. These figures proved that on a proportional basis Catholics had not their proper representation. Hut appointment to the public service was, with the exception of the Post and Railway Departments, made under the Civil Service Reform Act. after competitive examination. Candidates were only known to the examiner by a number, and it was ridiculous to think that r«igion was ever taken into account. Business, religion and politics would never mix. He would stake any desired iudi for forfeiture to the >'ew Ply'mouth Hospital if his statement's were proved to be incorrect. His remarks were loudly applauded. N*o questions were asked. On the motion of Mr. G. Colson and Mr. R. F. Cornwall a vote of thanks to Mr. Malone was carried with acclamation, as was one to the I chairman. |

Mr. W. G. Malone will address the electors at the Theatre Royal on Monday evening next, when, amongst other important matters, he will speak on alcoholic liquor sale and control, de-1 fence, the civil service and alleged improper appointments thereto. In our advertising columns will lie found a notice of a political address to be given by Mr Bellringer at 3 p.m. to-day in the Foresters' Hall, for ladres only. It is Mr. Bellringer's intention to speak on political subjects of special interest to the women of this electorate. A large attendance is expected as a mark of Mr. Bellringer's forethought, this being the first political meeting for ladies held in New Plymouth for many years. Mr. C. E. Bellringer addressed the electors at Kent Road on Tuesday evening, and met with a very hearty reception. A vote of thanks was unanimously passed to the candidate. On Wednesday night Mr. C. E. Bellringer spoke at Oakura. His address was Well received. At the close numerous questions were asked and answered, and the candidate accorded a vote of thanks.

THE TAUMARUNUI ELECTORATE. (Special to "News"). Tongaporutu Ferry, Last Night. Mr. W. T. Jennings, Government candidate for the Taumarunui seat, has just completed a tour of the electorate, which has taken one month, The candidate has been received favorably all round. The roads throughout the electorate are now getting m good order, owing to the dry weather. There is a great abundance of grass in most places, and stock of all classes arc aunv erons and looking well owing to the favorable winter weather. The whole of the Rohae Potae country, which comprises the Taumarunui electorate shows a remarkable increase in population, and in the opening up of the country from the productive point of view since last election.

The Second Ballot Act, while it doubtless removes difficulties in one direction, seems to have created a. new problem which has already been submitted for an official solution. Under the general law regulating elections, every person nominated has to deposit £lO with the Returning Officer, which is forfeited if the candidate fails- to secure 25 per cent of the successful candidate's votes. This produced about £2OO for a grateful country last election, and should be even more lucrative this time if the lawyers hold that " successful candidate:' "as specified in the Legislature Act. is the man who wins the election When there are three or four candidates at the first poll, only the veriest outsider could fail to secure a | 25 per cent, proportion of the total number of votes cast for the winner, but if the second ballot is taken as the | standard, the task of_ securing the minimum proportion wilr be very dimeult as even the loser's friends may vole to swell the winner's total, thus making surer the forfeiture of the A" 10 note.