POLITICAL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 133, 27 November 1911, Page 2

POLITICAL.

MR. OKEY'S' CANDIDATURE. Mr. 11. Okey, the Reform Pa/rty candidate, invites the ladies of the Taraimki electorate to meet him at the flood lem pin r Hall at 3.30 tomorrow afternoon. He also specially invites the Fitssroy residents to meet him at the Fitzroy Hall to-morrow evening; also the residents of Moturoa 'and St. Aubyn Town District to meet him at the West End gyanna-sium on Wednesday evening. The elinir will be taken at 8 p.m. at both meetings.

MR. FORBES AT KAIMERO. Mr. W. Forbes addressed the electors at Kaimero on Friday evening last. Mr. M. Peters occupied the cliair, and there was a good muster of electors. Mr. Forbes opened his speech by assuring the electors that although much might be said .to the contrary, he was out to contest the seat from a business point of view. He was not out to cut up the votes. II it eame to a second' ballot between himself and Mr. Oikey, the electors would only have to decide which was the. better man. The candidate dealt with the civil service, national debt, and railway administration. Economy in administration, lie said, was one of his strongest planks. He pointed out that two years ago the Prime Minister assured the electors that Re would save the country a quarter of ft million a year by retrenchment. Xine hundred and seventy men were dismissed from the civil service , but to-day it cost 11.700,000 more to administer the affairs of the country than it did in 100!). The candidate declared himself a freeholders and a supporter. of the deferred payment system, a more progressive land settlement policy, the breaking up of landed monopolies, including native lands and State monopoly, which he looked upon as the worst of all. Mr. Forbes was thanked and cheered.

m McCLUGGAGE AT LINCOLN ROAD. Mr. J. McChiggage addressed the electors of Lincoln Road on Friday evening. Mr. Kenwood was voted to the elmir. The address was on similar lines to those given previously by this candidate. During the course of his speech, Mr. McOluggage mentioned that the Leases of the Taranaki University Reserves would shortly fall due, and at last meeting of the Taranaki Land. Board the lessees of these reserves applied to surrender their leases in terms of the Act. Now these valuable endowments are at present set aside for secondary education for Tojanaki school children', and, as Mr. McOluggage stated, they will shortly he available as scholarships, by which any scholars attending our schools may, if they pass the university examination, attend the University of New Zealand fee of aW charge, and also have a •ash bonusi of about £7O. These reserves must be jealously watched by all those interested in the education of our country. The candidate stated that he had always taken a keen interest in this matter and would continue to do so. Some of the big centres, he asserted, would try to obtain control of these valuable leases, and with every man home interests must be first. Added to the value of these reserves there is a fund of £2OOO being accumulated by rents from the endowments. During the whole coarse of his address, Mr. McCluggage received an attentive hearing, and was applauded at the conclusion. A vote of thanks to the speaker, on the motion of Mr. 0. Uoddt, seconded by Mr. McMahon, was carried unanimously .—Contributed.

MR. HIKE AT SALISBURY ROAD. It is certainly fairly .good evidence of the interest taken in the political questions of the day liy the fanners in the Stratford electorate when they turn out in such numbers to midday meetings. It k an awikward hour, but Mr. Hine's day meetings have been remarkably suoecssfu'l, and the Salisbuiy road meeting on Thursday last was no exception to the rule, .between 30 and 40 fanners being present. Mr. lline dealt fuHy with the various measures brought down by the Government, and while giving credit where credit was due he severely criticised the administration of the present party. Ml particulars of the Mokau case were given, and also the various Land Bilk that have been brought down by the Government during the last three years and withdrawn. Referring to the dairy regulations which the Government now say were "bogus," Mr. Hine said he had heard an, amusing rumor to the effect that lie had appointed the inspectors that were going the rounds at that time. All ho could say in reply was that he certainly did not pay these gentlemen's salaries, but he kneiv the Government had done so.

The speaker placed the Reform Party's platform before his audience, and thought that if these beneficial measures were (brought into fore*' it would be for the welfare of the Dominion. Mr. Hine was listened to most attentively throughout, and at the close of his address '"received a unanimous vote of thanks and renewed confidence, which was carried with vigorous applause.—Contributed.

MR. lIINE'S MEETINGS. A correspondent writes:— On Thursday night Mr. Hine addressed a large number of electors at the Acklarad road school and was listened to with great interest throughout his remarks. As on previous occasions, he placed the Reform Party's platform before his hearers, and told ithem what tine Party would do for the welfare of the Dominion if they should be entrusted with the reins of office. Mr. Iline criticised the borrowing proposals, not that he waa against borrowing, but he wanted to see it brought within u reasonable margin. The way in which the Government kept back the expenses of loans was not fair to the public of the Dominion, whose money was being spent. At the close of the address, the candidate received a hearty vote of thanks and 1 renewed confidence as member for the district. After the meeting the ladies provided light refreshments, and a very pleasant hour was spent. At 5.30 on Friday evening Mr. Hine addressed the men. at the iSkinner road ballast pit and received a very attentive hearing, tine men being apparently very interested in the political questions of the day. At the dose of the address the speaker was accorded a hearty rote of thanks for his interesting remarks. Light o'clock the same evening saw the Bird -road schoolroom packed to its utmost capacity, about 80 electors bein<» present to hear Mr. Hine place his political views before thiem. The meeting was o.f a most enthusiastic nature, applause coming frequently from the audience. In referring to the public debt of the Dominion, Mr. Hine severely criticised the last Budget, showing where unfair comparisons had been made with the debt of 20 years ago. As at other meetings, the Mokau case was explained, and pickings'' w.e.re referred to, -all of which went to show that the time had arrived when there should be a change of administration. At tile close .of his speech Mr. Hine was accorded a hearty vote of

thanks and continued confidence in. him as their member, and a further vote of no confidence in the Ward Administration was carried unanimously.

MR. O'DEA AT PAPAITI. A FURTHER CHALLENGE TO MR. PEARCE. Mr. O'Dea addresed the electors at Papaiti on Friday night, Mr. 0. Robertson presiding. The candidate again challenged Mr. Pearce over hi.s national debt figures, and said he hoped thaifc this time Mr. Pearce would face the music. Jlr. Pearce had stated at Kai Iwi -that he was quoting the last Budget figures when he stated that the interest per head had increased to £2 18s 3 1 /;'!. Mr. O'Dea said that .this was absolutely incorrect, and if his opponent could prove his statement he was .prepared, as before, to retire from the contest provided Mr. Pearce did the same if were unable. If he again refused to accept the challenge the electors could judge for themselves what reliance could be placed on his statements. In reply to a question. the candidate said he was in favor of the Government taking over the Wangainui up-river steamer service.

Mr. O'Dea also visited the Jubilee Home for aged people at Aramoho, and met with an enthusiastic reception, being cheered by the inmates when leaving. —Contributed.

EGMONT'S MESSAGE. To the Editor. Sir.—Your space is too valuable and my time too 'limited' to deal with Mr. Field's letters, which were mainly a string of incoherences, and made toyperson' who had the time to read them scratch his head and wonder what they were mil about, but as that gentleman is a Sunday School teacher, the following verse (from the Proverbs of Solomon may appeal 'to him: "Answer not a fool according to his folily lest he be wise in his own conceit," and therefore Scriptural injunction prevents me giving the poor man a swelled head. People are beginning to see the horse sense in the sugggtion that the Minister of Agriculture should have been returned unopposed, for your up-to-date cow spanker knows how his bread is 'buttered, as he knows that there are 80 members, but only eight Ministers, and he also knows that, when the plums are being ladled out, it is just as well to have "his ten man power memiber" handy, but, of course, there are a few that are not able to keep up with the procession and who will make an infantile attempt to reject a Minister. Well, for these unfortunates the soundest advice obtainable is that, contained in the words of one of the 'latest songs, viz: "Now, don't you think you ought to go and see a doctor?" Two incidents have thrown the coast into convulsions, and it is difficult to say which is the funnier. A pillar of the Opposition in Eltham, writing to a former great Reform Party man, says, I regret to tell you that we a<re going several hundreds behind here, but we depend on the eoast to pull us through, and you will need to work as you never worked before." Well, that man is working as he never worked 'before, but not for Mr. Dive. It is always safe, either in politics, matrimony, or confidential business, to be sure of your man, and the neglect oi this lfctole contretemps. The second incident is Mr. Burgess' expressed' whine of disappointment at not being nvaxite a J.P., an "honor" (?), I may say, I turned down on three separate occasions, and I may tell Mr. Burgess that as regards saying Mr. Field was not an up-to-date farmer, Mr. Field put the cap on his own head.—l am, etc W. R. WRIGHT. '' Rahotu.

THE POLITICAL SITUATION. To the Editor. ,—By way of reply to a few matters on which I stated a little information from Air. Bellringer would foe welcome, a I couple of his supporters have kindly come forward to enlighten his opponents, \\ ell, look at that now! These respectively sign themselves "Worker" and pettier." Now, of these two, I like "Worker" the better, because, like myself, he is a toiler. Having been a toiler for a great many years, and hoping to be so yet, accounts for my preference for "Worker." A fellow feeling, etc. But, laihoa "Worker," as Jimmy Ckrl'oll, the strenuous, would say. (Note: Jimmy has not yet been made a duke or ail earl or anything of that sort, so there \\iH bo no harm in using the ancient familiarity in the meantime.) And by the some token "Worker" has not referred to my query re hereditary titles, and to where we wor-kers will come m under the new aristocracy that is in the making. This poor "Worker" does not seem to have been properly awake for some considerable time. While he I has slept, his fellow workers have been lip and doing, -and are putting up candidates against the Government in most of the constituencies. "Worker" makes some reference to trades unions. I had [not mentioned them, but if my friend will brush away the cobwebs that hang about him and read the papers, he wifl 800 'the unions, like the rest of us workers, are going bald-headed for a change of government. This is what the Labor candidate for Wellington North said m speaking of the so-called Liberal candidate for the same seat at a meeting a few nights ago: "He was a typical sample of present day Liberal politicians, of the party that had introduced snobooracy, class distinctions, ami hereditary titles into this country." cJo now, imy fried "Worker," who has been asleep so long- that tired feeling again ho doubt wMI see that whereas he has dreamt the Opposition were composed ~f swells and nwncy-kMitk'M. etc., quite : : l; revarse is the ease. And now after t>M* enlightenment of him on my part, no doubt friend " orker" will east his vote for Mr. Okey on polling day. To be sin- he will, and thereby help him (Mr. Okey) on to a two thousand majority. i'lie thousand ; ns assured long ago, but we Opposition workers ought to do better than Ah > J' 0 *- 1 ni-iiriy forgetting settler," and that would be a pit)'. yVell, frankly, I don't like him, liis title )s vague. He might bo a bloated capitalist; you never know. He is evidently looking out for a. i thing such a !i. tl ' r °f L ' Illdi - y A,okau sp'--«'.'U)i« pulled on. Then he argues in th;ti firstly, secondly, and lastly style thai - "wests the soap box spouter. He the great six fo„t track of roads m the back 11 locks, or the p: ■. . lie mental hospital patients have ado; U l' killin" each (other oil' so as to m,room for those who are left to lie dev. u. No; but he defends the Mokau K -aiHe says in effect this all powerful high titled Government did the right ng in helping the fat man and the -jdilator to suld to their already big p : > ~ at the expense of the future unl'ort- , te on .that block. .1 liaive , time for Settler.' He ought to .condemned to dig coal for McXab an : .o. for the rest of his life.— ( am, etc., ali:;i:i:t koad.