The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1914. WIRE-PULLING.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVI, Issue 260, 1 April 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 1914. WIRE-PULLING.

That amiable gentleman, tho member for Patea, has again been indulging in his favorite practice of tilting at New Plymouth. It really seems impossible for Air. Pearco to make a statement, be it at a road board meeting, harbor meeting, or public meeting without disclosing his ineradicable bias against New Plymouth. What we would like to know is, in what manner has New Plymouth hurt Afr. Pearce for him to entertain the feelings of animosity to which he habitually gives expression? Has he ever honored the town with his august presence, and met face to face the ogres that exist —at least in his imagination—lor the special purpose of thwarting the development of the south, and particularly that portion directly served by the river, port? On this occasion it is the selection of the Opunake railway route that is troubling his omnipotent mind. "The Government had made a very weak decision, which would satisfy no one" —a Government, by the way, of which Mr. Pearce is pleased to pose as one of the pillars, and which, we had always bean led to believe by the member for Patea and his friends, could do no wrong. This criticism of his Government is surely unkind of Mr. Pearce, especially in view of the fact that the good folk of Patea are quite enthusiastic about the Government's decision in respect of the railway line, and grateful for Mr. Pcarcc's efforts in that behalf. For evidence of this we have but to turn to tho Patea Press: "For this happy state of affairs the thanks of the settlers of Patea and Southern Taranaki generally are due in no small degree to the member for Patea, Mr. G. V. Pearce, who from first to last has left no stone unturned to advocato Patea's interests." After telling the unsophiscitatcd Hawera folk that the route chosen would not suit the people north or south, Mr. Pearce, with characteristic logic and neighborliness, said "there had been a good deal of wire-pulling to get tho railway near to New Plymouth!" We would be great!;/ obliged to him if he would enlighten us a little more on the point. New Plymouth's eomplaint, as a matter of fact, is that it can get very little consideration from the Government in regard to railways or anything else. It has boon veritably side-tracked. It was promised by Afr. Masscy and Air. Frascr thn it" the Government were unable to authorise the coastal railway to Opunake it would provido last session the necessary machinery to enable the local bodies to do so. But the promise has jot to be redeemed. New Plymouth, we are sure, is delighted to know that the Southern Opunake railway is about to be commenced, and never seriously expected the Government to authorise the coastal line, though it certainly expected Alinisters always boasting of their "square-dealing" ability to give the local bodies the opportunity of undertaking the work- themselves. Mr. Pearce credits New Plymouth with "pulling the strings," but the party who has been exercising himself most in that respect is the same Mr. Pearce. For proof, we have only to turn to the statement nude by the Patea paper, a consistent a:;d persistent supporter, which said, in a moment of exultation: "Air. Pearce iefi. no stone unturned to advance Patea's interests." The interests of the dis-

trirl served by the line, provincial or national interests did not count wiili Mr. Peareo; it was all for the little river town of which lie. is the distinguished high mandarin. And then Mr, I'earre, lias the effrontery to declaim against inoll'ensive, long-sulTering New Plymouth for pulling the. line towards its end of the province! Really Mr. IVarcc. ought to lie seriously taken in hand by his friends in order to save him from further lapses, which can only result in making himself look supremely ridiculous in the eyes of the public.