The Daily News! MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16. THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 276, 16 November 1908, Page 2

The Daily News! MONDAY, NOVEMBER 16. THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Throughout the Dominion the Loca Option poll, through the aggressivenes; oJ both siiles, having practically niouo polised interest in tile issues to be pu before the electors to-uiurrow, exeitv. luent over the electoral contests, will tile possible exception of three district,' ims never reached election heut. Am what is the general experience over th

Dominion as a whole applies partial larly to the contests in Taranaki. C'ei tainly in two of the electorates, Kgmoii and Stratford, some interest lias Iraci added by the introduction of personal! ties, the use of which would be uiiici better left discreetly nloaf. There ha> how.ever, been little confusing of intei ests, and with the solitary exceptioi of one Independent candidate, Hie el v tors throughout this province arc diviil ed into two camps, under the respec tire iulluence of Kir Joseph Ward an. Mr. Jlasscy, as leaders of the two p:in cipal parties in politics. l''or the liv Taranaki seats, there are eight candi i ates oll'ering on the Uuvui-nmeiiL suk while six candidates aspire to strength ellillL' the OtiiinsiLinn naitv in Hi

House. In only ouu electorate is th. Opposition facti'oji diviiU'd within itsell Messrs Dive and Wilkinson, in the 'Eg niont electorate, being engaged in ; contest not less bitter against one an other than against the candidates 01 the Government side. Egmont, indeed is somewhat singular in this respect for (here are also two Governmeu candidates (.Messrs Wake and Astbn-y ia the field. In Stratford, .Mr. Symes the Government candidate, has to cou test the seat with, besides the Opposi lion candidate, Mr. X. J. King, who, 01 Independent lines, gives a more or les; general support to the Government." li i'auniarunui and I'atea respecMvelj there is a straight-out fight between the Government and the Opposition while in the Taranaki electorate ws have a triangular contest, two candid ates aspiring for the liberal vote.

illii' bulk of the Opposition to the (jovei-nmeiii in luranaki coines from !ilie man on the land, who affects to l see in every attempt of the Governliient to improve tile country, :in iasidious desire to injure Ilim. Jt almost seems ilia I opposition to Gov.'rnment in power—Liberal or Uouservativx>—is indigenous to the soil, hut we would remind the farmers that very many of their number would never have have had an aere to cultivate had it not been ior the determined attitude of the Lilwra.l Tarty, some of whose members sull'ered contempt, ostracism, ill-health and worse in the cause of I land settlement. Whilst we sympathise, with and support the freehold, we re-1 cognise the Government has conceded, or will by the end of next session, as much freehold as there will be demand for for many years to come. Jir. Mav sev now has the audacity to object .0 national endowments, and demands that all be made freehold. I'll-re is reason ia all thhigs, but we consider Mr. iMasscy, in this matter, is going beyond a point whence he can have the support of reasonable-minded men. We entirely support the system of national endowments, and would iust

•now point out that no discrimination can be made between national endowments (for old age pensions and education) and Harbor Board, Education Hoard, municipal, hospital or any other special endowments. The fact' of the national endowments being administered by Ihe State and the special endowments by line local bodies owning thou makes not the slightest difference. If U is good enough lo sacrifice the State endowments, then by the same prh ciple all must go. Vor instance, tenants of Taranaki Harbor Board, Education Board, Hospital Hoard, or School Commissioners' endowments would hav; an ec|iia! right to the freehold of their lands. The man who is prepared, merely for political purposes, to sacrifice everything to a cry is not a trui friend of the fanner or the endowed institutions. The farming community must realise that many of Air. Massey s promises are lllusioiiaiy and extravagant, and that the dovciunient is not the iniquitous engine of oppression, working againat the welfare uf the backbone ol the country, that Opposition critics would have them believe. Jt j 8 hardly too much to say that neither'in .Parliament nor on me platform has one tittle of e\illume been adduced in support uf the charge of "reckless niisinanagemjiu of the public linance" or of the cogmuc statement that prudence anil caution arc absent from the character of tlv l'nuio Minister. When Mr. Massny declares the country is badly in need of "straight, honest, reliable, and vigilant men" the use of these words "is not only unjust, but extremely offensive. Mr. Jlassey dare not say in so many words that any of the -Ministers or any of the Ministerial ex-members are crooked and dishonest, and such indirect generalisations as lie and others indulge in, and from winch the electors are virtually invited to draw invidious inferences, should be deprecated by too electors in no uncertain way. So hard pushed, however, is the Opposition Immaterial whereby to endeavor to discredit the C.ovormnent. and make good a case for themselves, that such tactics a-, misrepresentation may be in diligently pardoned. The people of this province have for several years, with the solitary exception of the late byeelection m Ue Taraimki electorate sent none but supporters 0 f the (,'overnmenl. to represent them i„ Parliament, and has anything transpired to turn the majority against a (iovernment under which the country, inclusive of all classes, has grown and*prospered' Mr. Bellruiger in this electorate, Mr Jennings in Taumarumii. Mr. Symes in Stratford, and .Mr. Major in' I'atea stand for Sir Joseph Ward as director of a,civ Zealand's affairs, and those who desire that -tli.it regime shall continue nave a clear duty to perform. In th • bgmo-.it Weetornie two able men in Messrs. Wake and Astbury are out in support of the Cloverniuent policy, and ivlule any one of thein would be a cr(lit to ihe electors in the House, we aw inclined to think that purely local consideration, combined with the somewhat advanced views held by Mr A-, - l ""' o» the question 'of lavaJion will eombin,, i„ a. ss „,.j„„ ,- or Mr . v\ake the honor of eonl-stiin' lb" secondl balint with cii!,,,,- J],.. Wilkinson or Mr. Due. Of (he Iwo Jailor. Mr. Wilkinson, another abb- man. has b*cn gaming ground very fast »f J a |,.. and few would lie surprised to see the two "W s' lighting „ti t th,. iinisi,. i SJ . crad ballot is utmost certain in this electorate, and possibly also in Stratford.