PRECEDENCE AND POLITICS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 35, 6 March 1909, Page 6

PRECEDENCE AND POLITICS

Till?: OTHER SIDE OE THE STORY. Mr. Joseph McCluggage writes to the editor as follows:—Sir,-In your issue of this morning appears a paragraph entitled " I'recedence and Politics," referring to the -Ministerial visit to Whangamoinona. There appears to be some misunderstanding by Mr. Hiue and his supporters, in the tirst place; the banquet was a political one, given tiy the Iriends and supporters of Mr. Symes, and the expenses paid by them alone; not one siuglc penny was subscribed by any of Mr. Uine's friends or supporters. In fact, I think if -Mr. Hint! or his iriends were asked Lo invite six i'res* reporter* into Whangamomona at their "expense, beside other representative men, there would have lioen no Minister at \\ ha:igamoiuona. Then, again, the Hon Mr. Hogg accepted the invitation fvom the Whangatnoniona settlers and friends ol the party, and not from the local bodies, so J fail to see where Mr. 1 line comes in by threatening to bring the thing up at the next meeting of the Stratford County Council. The arrangement by the committee was that Mi. Symes, being a special guest, was to sit by the Minister on the trip from Stratford to Whangamomona, hut when that gentleman heard that Mr. Marehant was going as far as Douglas on county matters, lie very courteously said Mr. Marehant was to have his seat by the Minister. .1 very politely told Mr. lline iu the County Hotel in the morning, before leaving, that he was very foolish to go to the Whangamomana banquet, as it was a political one, and that his party did not invite any Government supporters to the Opposition banquet recently held ai Ilawera. However, he replied that lie was going, and lie went, making his own arrangements and paying his own fare, and his manner all through was that of an overgrown, spoilt seuoolhoy. If any of our party had done what Mr. Dine did on the trip onl, namely, pass the Minister and his friends on a dusty road when a wind was blowing, and enveloped them in dust for a minute or two, it would have, been put down as gross ignorance, but in Mr. lime's ease his friends simply say hi? was undiplomatic. If Mr lline does not show more tact and patience during llie next throe years than lie has done during the last i'ow days, he will be of very little use to his constituents or the district he represents.