THE EGMONT ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 117, 7 November 1911, Page 2

THE EGMONT ELECTION.

To the Editor. Sir—l notke in your issue of yest'erday that you puWish a letter by. Mr. W. H. Wright on. the subject of ;; tlie' coming election .fjglit .ij) this electorate. | As the letter in question appears to mej to be decidedly one-sided, I would a-k you to .kindly publish, the following remarks thereon. First, re the statement to the effect that all up-to-date dairy farmers in this electorate, intend voting for Mr. Thoi. Mackenzie: 1 have lately travelled practically from end to end of the electorate and find that very many tip-to-date (not turncoats) dairy farmers intend to stand loyally by the man who has served them faithfully in Parliament for the past three years, and refuse to allow their heads (to say nothing of their coats)' to be turned by the glittering prospect of having a Cabinet Minister to represent them in Parliament, Sec.-' ondly, re the extract from the October! is&ue of the. Dairyman I would ask Mr. j Wright why lie did tell the whole story ? i Why did he not state.that the article from which lie quoted was one of the last J of many devoted to the subject of tliei M.inistcr of Agriculture? If the whole story had been published the readers of the Daily News would have learned that in "An Open Letter,"' addressed to the Minister for Agriculture, appearing in the editorial columns of the July number of the Dairyman, occurs these words: "The trouble with you, sir, is that you jdo nothing but talk, talk, talk, talk. , I' . . Stop this eternal talk, talk, talk. Get busy and do something." Xow, sir. .comparing this statement with that'appearing in Mr Wright's letter to the effect that it would lie a calamity if the dairying industry lost the services of Mr. Mackenzie, what is the only logical conclusion we eaji come to?. It seems to me that it must be patent'to all cither. Wrat Mr. Mackenzie must, have done an enormous amount of good to the dairying industry in the' short spate of time from July to October to make up for the long period of idleness and tongue-wagging with which he is charged in the "ju'ly number of the Dairyman or that he was either grossly slandered in .Tttlv or grossly flattered in October. I think"that you and your renders will agree with me that the knelits that .Mr. .Mackenzie bestowed on the dairying industry from July to October have jiot been sufficient to convert an idle talker into a' very valuable acquisition and therefore we are forced to tile conclusion suggested in the •-econd alternative mentioned abovethat either Mr. Mackenzie was grossly slandered in the July number or lie was grossly flattered in 'the October number of the Dairyman. Xow. a nood old proverb says: "Flatterers, like slanderers, should be treated with scorn." and therefore I. would suggest to your, readers that the extracts from the October number of the Dairyman, which appeared in your issue of yesterday, should be treated with contempt.--i am. etc., V. W. FIELD. Rahotu. November 4, I'.llt