General Election

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 126, 21 October 1914, Page 6

General Election

THE LIBERAL CAMPAIGN. MR. G. W. RUSSELL AT HAWERA. 810 MEETING 'AT OPERA HOUSE,

Mr G. W. Russell addressed a big mating at the; lfaweiv. ;«Tii House <>u Momiav. The Mayor c 'awcra presided. Mr W. Morrison, tV Liberal candidate for the scat, was ;ji() on the platform. LIBERAL CANDIDATE FOR PATE A. Mr Russell common"' I by introducing to the audience Mr \\ il iam Morrison, the Liberal candidate for the Patea seat. Though not so v>ll known, perhaps in the Hawera end of the electorate, Mr Morrison was a man wno had taken an active part in the southern portion of constituency, devoting himseif thoroughly to every detail laid on him by the people who had fleeted him lo various positions. Mr Morrison had not thrust himself on the party. Iml had heen uuanimouslv seeeteil by trie. Liberals of the Patea ehetorate; and that selection was fnllv endorsed by the Right Hon. Sir Joseph Ward, leader of the Liberal party. (Applause). Mr Morrison was cordially received. He felt, he said, that lu; was in a position on this occasion of the small hov—meant to be sen and not heard. But in two weeks' time, or thereabouts, he would address the electors in Hawera, and lie hoped he would be favored to a similarly audience. Mr Morrison'smilingly referred to the tactics being adopted by their opponents. Of course, the first tiling done bad been to search his character with same thoroughness that the tit'e of a piece of land had to be perused. Fai'ing U> fill! anything wrong tiicre, the Reform people hail dubbed him a "Red Fed." ''lf I am that," he said, "1 am the first farmer !n New Zealand to have earned that title.' (Laughter). Then it was suggested that his recent trip to Wellington bad been taken "to get the Liberal brand on him," lo be approved, nnd to be told what to do and sa v . That. however, was the Reform way. For his part he had been given no instructions, and had been asked no question*, except that he. had been asked whether, in the event of a no-confidence division, be could vote for Sir Joseph Ward. That he had answered "Yes." (App'au-.c). As a matter of fact, bis trip to the Empire City

had lip™ undertaken to select a nice comfortable seat in the House of Representatives. (Laught.crl. Mr Russell, before launching on his political speech. a/.\ u referred to Mr Morrison, wbom be described as a man transparently honest, a man whose word could be accepted, anil a man who, if elected, would work bard and earnestly in the interests of his district. Mr Russell proposed to deal with political questions on broad national lines, and bad no intention of attacking or criticising the present member for Patea. (Applause). The people would soon be given an opportunity of showing their opinion of how their representative had carried out bis responsibilities as their member.

THE CRISIS OF EMPIRE. The Empire was at present engaged, said Mr Russell, in a life and death struggle, to which the wars of Xapoleon were child's play in comparison. Britain bad been forced into war as the result of the determination to maintain her treaty obligations, and also to say once and for all whether Europe was to live on to successive generations under the menace of German militarism and the threat of a German attack on Britain. Gerany liad no great colonial possessions, no great mercantile marine, to justify her enormous navy, which was constructed for no other object than to try conclusions with the British Empire. Britain was fighting to-day for her very existence, as a nation. It bad been, and would still be the policy of the Opposition to say 110 word which would hamper the operations of the Government as far as the. war was concerned. In this matter they held that there should be but one party in New Zealand, and it was not the desire of the Liberal party or of Sir Joseph Ward that there should he an election at the present time. Were the Liberals desirous of making political capital out of matters conneced with Defence, they could open out a line of attack, but they wanted this election fought free of any question dealing with or arising out of the war. (Applause).

the riiosrr.ROus liberal era. From January, 1891, to July, 1012. 'i period of over 21 years, this country had been ruled by tlie Liberal Party, first under Sir John liallance, then Mr 15. J. fieddon, (Sir Joseph Ward, and finally, Hon, Tims. McKenzie, now the I Hah Commissioner. During that 21 years, was there not a golden era of prosperity iu New Zealand lie touched on the growth during the Liberal regime of humanitarian legislation, of education, of post and telegraphs, and of exports, and made tho point that during that period the dairying industry, led off by tho late Sir John JTcKenzie, had made its strides. Xew Zealand was to become the land of small settlers, and the example was in Taranaki, svhose sturdy yoeinen were. turning out product? of world-wide reputation.

THE CIIAXfJF. IN" 10]-2. In 1912, came a change. There lia.il been an election in 1011. Tint Mr Massey had not born returned to power. (Jihad no majority. In the first session of that Parliament Sir Joseph Ward won two divisions—one oil the casting Vole of tlie Speaker, and one by two votes. Thou Sir .Toscph Wnl'd, according to a promise made, retired, and Mr McKenzie formed a Ministry. That Cabinet was defeated by four members of the party who turned traitors and gave Mr Massey his majority. lie would be very much surprised if one of those men was again returned. The voting at the 1011 election was: Massey party, 182,000: Liberals, 2fti.ofto; Labor 07.0011. So that Mr Massey bad been 115,000 votes short of a majority. He had got in by the ha<ck door—'but ije would be kicked out by the front. (Laughter). ; WHERE IS TIIE NEW PARTY"! When the Reform party sought too support o£. the people prior to last election, electors were tobl that this wjs not the old Conservative, Tory, reactionary party, but a new party altogether, representing the aspirations of young New Zealandcrs. If so, surely it would have been represented in the Ca-binet! But they saw tliat it composed of the old Tories—Hons. Massey. Allen, Herricß, Fraaer, filiodes. Bell, Herdman—not one representing this new party. But there :«ere -two new jnen, Mr.--Fisher—-

(Laughter)—and Dr. Roman*. Mr. Fisher (cries of "Rainbow") was the man who had gono to Christelmrch to try to form a new Liberal parly, because the late Mr. Seddon was r.ei going fast enough for him. Mr Fish- r was the man who had declared that, lie would never accept a Beat in a Reform Ministry because he was a leaseholder. But he was there in the Cabinet, an example of the mail who boasted that "consistency is the refuge of fools," and clTanged his politics to secure a seat in the Ministry.

ELECTION PROMISES BROKEN. Mr Russell quoted from Mr Massey'a Wellington speech in June, 1911, when lie promised to reform the administration by keeping down expenditure, n ducing taxat : ..'\ and curtailing borrow ing. Those js liis party had expected him to do. He promised revelations when he had th" chance of overhauling thi! pigeon-hole.-.. Me had bad the op and o\' of every pigeon-holt that he had opi nod had come a pure, white dove. I'., challenged anyone to show thai Mr Massey had found any thing .11 the pig. 'on-holes io prove 'that the Liber* 1 administration had not been e'ean an:! in the best interests of the country. BORROWING. The borrowing was going on as usjial. When Mr Massev came into olliee the national .1:1st was £82,000,001). Now it was already £"2 000,001). Another promise that had not heen kept. Coming lo the cost of administration, which Mr. Massey declared lie woti'il reduce, Mr Russell showed that under Sir Joseph Ward the increase was from £ KM),0110 to £500,000 per annum. In Mr Massey'? term the increase was ,17-11,000 in the first year, £743,000 in the second, and it was ,<:2!!;i.000 already in the first quarter of this year over and above the i June quarter of la. t year. Mr Massey Iliad now discover,-: that increased cxj prnditure was a normal and proper thing in a country which progressed and caused the activities of the public departments to increase. lie did not blame Mr Massey for the increase of expenditure, hut ho did blame him for deceiving'the people lr- promising that he would reduce it and staling that Sir Joseph Ward's Gov. rnaient was extravagant bemuse the cost of administration showed increases.

m'KxnoKs fade away. Tin' Reform IVrt 1i;i(l a'leged it was leading a cleaner political life than its predecessors, which reminded liim of tin-oft-repealed insinuation |>rior to last eVot.ion that Sir loseph Ward was poekclim; commissions out of loans lin raised. When the Tim. A 11!■ 11 leturiu rl from Lonilon after rairinp- the loan. Sir Joseph had asked liim in the House: "Have you had to pay f'c same charges, commissions and expenses in raising your loan as I had?'' And the .Minister of Finance admitted that he had. 'Again 7ucntioning the threatened revelations from the searching of the pigeon-holes, Mr. Rnsse'l said that despite all the insinuations, no cherge liad been made aj'alnst the honor of th<> mrmhersof the previous Liberal administrations, and the present Government stood as a number of men who had trot into office by a policy of slander and inuendo, ami who lmd not been able to justify the statements that that party and its Press "nad made.

THE ROYD OARLICK AFFAIR. Mr Russell mentioned tlic Royd Garlick case. (Laughter). Mr Royd Garlick was a masseur. His wife, quite in defiance of the Government regulations, was still carrying on the business, although her husband was getting £OOO a year from the Government, a sa'ary far in excess of the highest paid to highly trained and long experienced teachers in the (State scliool system, This appointment had been made as the result of the deliberations of a Committee, whose members included Mr Royd Garliek himself, the Hon. Jas. Allen, General Godley, Dr. Hardwick Smith, and other gentlemen. The Committee sat on September It), 1912, and in his sworn evidence before a committee of enquiry, the Hon. Jas. Allen said: "At that time I had not Mr. Royd Garliek in my mind." Then Mr Wilford asked Mr Allen to turn ■to a document on the file. "Will you read it?'' Mr Wilford asked the Minister. "Xo. I won't." So Mr Wilford himself read out a letter written by Dr. Hanhvick-Smith to the Minister IS days before the Committee sat at all, to the effect that he had sounded Mr Royd Garliek, and believed he would take the position of director of physical culture if it were offered him. Sir,'Allen hadn't Mr. Royd Garliek in his mind! And yet eighteen days before the committee met to make the appointment he was already in communication with him through a third party! It\vas the most awful case of lapse of memory ever recorded amongst the public men of the Dominion.

Tin: PUBLIC TRUST. Mr. Rusesell then referred to the legal bureau in connection with the Public Trust Olliee, a bureau costing £ISOO a year, earning ,C' 2500, and saving to the people who used it some £3OOO a year. It was, of course, not popular with the Wellington lawyers, and came in for condemnation at the. hands of one of the commission set up to enquire into the conduct of the Public Trust Office, lie referred to its "cheap law, which was synonymous with faulty law." In the annual report of the Public Trust Office Dr. Fitchett referred to and replied to this criticism, but that year the annual report of the olliee was deliberately withheld from Parliament by the Minister. Mr. Russell had obtained from the Minister in the House a statement that no report would be laid on the table, and no such report was in his bands. Yet, within four or five days of that incident the Xew Zealand Times was in possession of a full-printed copy or the report! It was ready to be presented to Parliament at tlie very moment when the Minister denied that it was in existence. Xo man in the country could lay his finger on such an incident as that in the whole history of the Liberal Government. There was another interesting fact in connection with the Minister of Justice's work, and it was based on an extract from the printed report of the Wellington Law Society—the lawyers' trade union—that a draft of a proposed Bill hud been submitted to the Society, "and all clauses objected to on behalf of the profession wcro eliminated." Fancy their being admitted in this way to the secrets of the Ministers' office, when members of Parliament were denied access to a report of a public department, a report ordered by Parliament , to be laid 011 the table each year. How did these matters tally with the professions of purity? Those professions were not justified by the actions of the Government.

ANOTHER BROKEN PROMISE. Mr. Russell referred to the. Wostport Harbor Board appointment scandal, and to ii« pramigft by the Hon. Fisher that if Mr. Atmore's charges were proved lie -tt'euld resign, "TJve -a&arges were prar-

Ed, hut the man still represented the peop.e of this country on that board. The speaker contended that while tue.e were honest, respectable and law-abiding men in the country, it was not fair tknit an important appointment to a public position should be made of a man character would not bear investigation. Then again, the Minister in charge ol' the Police Department had definitely declined to raise the pay of the police. But this year, election year, an increase of a shiiling a day had been made. He did not criticise the increase, but said that the Minister should not have made the increase without authority of Parliament.

LIBERALS A XI) CHEAP MONEY. Reference to the cheap money scheme of the Liberal Government drew lort.i : applause. All'. ii.usseU referred to the I conditions obtain')!);; in the days before ; the introduction oi' liuit .scheme. Tiien I sales of farm propertied "by orders of j tile mortgagee" were more, common, owing to the high rates of interest. They , had lieen stopped by the: masterly fore- | .sight of the 'ate Mr. John Balance and | Sir Joseph Ward. During the. Liberal i administration, if money tightened and , the rate of interest went up, what d.d , ill: Liberal Government doV Jt borrowed money wher 'ver it 11 : and lent ! out ,t0 settler.', and o;al bodies at j cheap rates of inierrst. 'J':ier« had be. n none of that sort of thing under the Massey administration. Luring Sir Jo- ! seph Ward's 'a I; year of cilice there had been lent int to sellVr.. v.-.,iters, and lo«al anl) ' ■ i-'s ov..r Ihre. and ahalf millions, v,' !-( Mr Ma = vv. for hw eighteen riionl'i . liad lent out on'v £•2.472,000, or .«U ,118,000 less. Let them look round tb: Pa tea electorate and they would real! 1 that the money iiig individuals were opposed to the Liberal candidate, because they were opposed to cheap money. The Opposition party was p" lad to eeO tain it-, cheap money p . icy. (.\!>"d::'K O : r Joseph Ward had shown, time and again, when there were financia' troubles outside, tliat it wis pos'-:li'e to keep a constant supply of c ! - > money fer setlers, worker, am! local aetho'itie • Mr Massey 1:"d promised to re-luce «•*- penditure of borrowed money, vet the netual cxpcne : '"re under t'i ; h.al '• til shown an increase each year. Where was the curtailment! THE 1111 I'V RAILWAY Ilii.L. The latest nie of this Government of financial tri''a.ti'is 1 was the: .vlieme brought down the in-lance of Mr. Hiley who iv,i ; . being paid a year to teach us Ik ' to manage our railways, lie ha. brought down a -hmc:i:c for the expen-'eiiire of £l.:l r >o(i.'N) for the improve;!" i. of our railway : 'ata>n and other expenditure in connect : on with our railways. Tim Government "opprd off .1:50,01)0. -i '.ich it pro]ioseil to tnke t from some othe" account for the pur- , chase of some i agines, but other .vise footed Mr. ITiI■ -" '- Bill. New stations at Auek'and 'MoO.OftO), We';i:i::tou (£4SO.OOO), Chi edchurch ( {."ViMI.OOOL and so on acc-iinted for nta"!' e:e. -tI a-lmlf millions. People would remember the row fir I. Mr. Massey ma le when ! Sir Joseph Ward spent £120.000 on the magnificent sis'.lon at Dune-din. tbomr!) that amount included the psm-Wr of ■ yards, etc. Auckland city and neighbor- ' hood was to £>t ;C I.'j.'ia.OOO out o? a | loan. The long-sull' -riii.;. pa'ieiit Ta''anaki people go' :io eonsidr ration, having still to put up with an "< Npres " :■< 2D : mile's an hour, top speed. Mr. Iti'-v 1 apparently had not s-ei-n th" *!.•>•;> "red- j ients which needed fa-ing on this Mr. Ililey's scheme was fathered by (be Government for the sake of securing ' seats in Auckland. It was wrong'v conceived, and should have been mill- | mitted to experts with knowledge of New I Zealand condit'ons. lie had failed 'to j grasp the fact that this was a you country, gradually building up from small beginnings. Anyhow, the Ho- I vcrnment knew there was no chance of j anything being done in the matter this | year, and, instead of forcing the Hill j through the House for electioneering i purposes, should have been allowed the jicople to express an opinion on it, and to have considered' the scheme in Par- j liamcnt next year. The railways under i Mr. Herries were going ba"k in the matter of revenue, as the speaker showed by his figures. NO REDUCTION OK TAXATION. Mr Massey. in his election propaganda, i had promised a reduction of taxation to ] lessen the co.it of living, but nothing had i been heard of it since the election. .As a matter of fact, the taxation had in- | creased from t Ills lid to i'.l 10s tin- ! der the present Government. Xot only ! had there been no attempt at reduc- j tion. hut the Government had been look- ' ing round for means to increase it, as an instance of which he mentioned the f Motor Hill, providing for the taxation of motor-cars and motor-cyc'cs. That j liill, however, had been strongly challenged by the Opposition, anil dropped by the Government. The motor legislation, whilst a part of the Government's policy, would not hj" put forward a-i part of its election platform. Mr. Russell then compared Mr. Mvers' loan transactions with those of the present Minister of Finance, and said Mr. Myers' loan had turned ou)i well for the country, cheaper by far than the much-vaunted Allen loan. THE SECOND BALLOT.

Mr. Russell dealt with the second ballot, designed to prevent ininm it. representation. lie, as a member of the Ministry, had proposed to repeal the Second Ballot and to substitute for it the single transferable vote so successfully used, by some Australian States. The Reform Party also pledged itself to repeal the second ballot, and to provide a substitute. They were absolutely pledged to find that substitute, but they had repealed the second ballot, and reintroduced the first past: the post system. Mr. Morrison would be "first past the post" here. (Applause). Under this system Liberal and Labor were meant to get at one another's throats, and under it, he understood, men could be paid to split a vote. The people of this country were entitled to a clean election, which-Mr. Massey denied then!.

THE LKGISATIVE COUNCIL. Tho so-called reform of the Legislative Council came in for severe condemnation. The speaker showed Unit by the time the first election was held the Council would he almost wholly composed - unless a change of Government took place—of supporters of the present (loverninent. The Council was being "stuffed" with Reform supporters. The leader' of the Government in the Council had admited that this was the policy, and had said, in the course of a debate, that "naturally no gentlemen had been asked to fill vacancies in the Council who would oppose the measures of the Government." That ill-support-ed Mr. Massey'a criticism of the Liberal Govtirmnent's appointments in the past, and was one of the most remarkable ad- • missions tJhat ; liad ever been made. Ho quoted from a public utterance of Mr. Wilkinson, formerly the Reform candidate for the Bay of Islands seat—who was again a candidate, but had been "turned down" by the Government in favor of Mr.- Vernon Reed, who had ratted on tho fjiWal 'Party and assisted Mr. Massoy into office—that he liad been

■ >•: t-y, and with tho (kuthority of the 1 Cabinet, offered a neat in the tippet House ii' lie would withdraw frbm the ■ iiay of islands contest. Mr. Wilkinson had honorably declined the offer, and, if tin- Liberal candidate, could not win iiio seat, he hoped the Bay of Islands people, would return Mr. Wilkinson, because ho was evidently a straight man. Reverting Legislative Council Reform Bill, flk. Rnssell pointed out that there would be no full election of the Council by the people until 19-23, and uriiil that time the Government, through its majority in the Council, would fill the vacancies diciiraing. instead of reforming the Council, the C!overri j

ment was entrenching itself behind the Council, and ensuring the passage of '•Reform" measures and the crushing of any Liberal aspirations. Air. Russell's own view was that there should be a proportionate representation scheme for the Lower Mouse, ai:d a revising board instead of the I jiper House, a scheme that would save the country thousands of pounds annually. Or, if there must be a second chamber, let the member be elected for six years' terms, one member for every group of four contiguous constituencies, thus making the Parliament a true reflex of the people. PUB,JO SbitVll'B AIOIIP COSTLY. Ihe Government had promised to purii';, thi-' p.ml.c service, ant 'lira: teoiuiuy ami purLy would result from t.u.imn -siouer control. The Convmias.oncr luul lomul none of tile "iiieonipet^;u.s' thai Air .Massey had cried out about. '1 lie Public Service Commissioners weru supposes to eileci economy, au.i .bey stauul by spending £&Xt on mcir uivn (jfaco in.nitaie, Dunn" their two ;i.,ies tile cu-:.t of the service nad b tti ncreased be £S)i,O , ;O. That was nt waa. the peoaie. had been led to cx]net v. lieu ill,, removal of the public L< -' • acu Ministerial comi'oi filid ! been ..j strongl; advocated 'by 'Tie- , i 0:.., ' Tile country ha.l gained no- ! )w«l o-.'l nnicii. I; had losl | l'—MuenU.y con' .oi. .Mi in.:.peytor of i ...... .ii fdiu-at.e.ii had been promoted, 1 an.. ssa are increased, anu the Aliii- | ister aad denied any knowledge of it, ; L Li'uispircd 'l'.owev, r. in Parliament, t.,ii 'lie moil.olion hud been made on ; 111. : .cominwidatipn of Mr llogben, aLo... tile Ilea. ; and wi.hout )he know- ' J«i. gf the .Minister. H e rdatod an i inc u.-nc in which the Pwumaster-Gcn-i e.ai .e.l shown t'hnt be was absolutely | imil. r lie doiniiKition of tih e Public Syri v.e, .'oaniiissioners, so much so that he . had r fused to enforce a contract made b ..v.,-.-ii the Postal Department and one of our expeditionary force because, altbo .iga the Depar;.ment bail made the arrangement, "the Commissioner re-iu-e i to allow it."

LAND SETTLEMENT. Air Russell refeired to the cry of the Reioi..i pan'y Uhat its policy would be '•Se, I'lesiiem, more scttiemieiit, and still nor s tikiiiem,' and quotckl tigures to s!).-w ilia,' Mr Jo.«i)«i \\ a d had settled in h.s la_-;t t'.vo years of office more I'' i' '- on u grcit:ei' area of land, than Air ,ias-;tv,' i n his ;wo years, Hie ilgurea ee ng 2tili; people on 875,(M) acres, aj.a us; 2i")l) p. oplc on 708;tM)J acires, by their own figures, the land m tl.ciiicih' policy of bile Government a own to 'be a failure as comrxired t that of vh« Liberal adinfinisWation. AIINIXG DISASTER . Air Russell's reference 'eo the Huntly was lißtcned to amidst a hush that could be felt. After referring to the loss ot 41) lives in the Huntiy U,»a»UT, and asserting that lie wou'ld not cmieavor hear.lessly to make political capital oitt, of tllie incident, the sptaicer said ho owed a duty to himself, tae ni.nem, and the people, lie related jl'Oi »> lfll a Aiincs Commission fully investigated tho whole of vlhe mines of the Dominion., and particularly theii ventilation and sanitation, and with a view of inkin" slx-ps for tilie better preveiition of accidents, particularly those arising out of the use of explosives in mines. Tiho Commission recommended that .no light ior lamp other tta-n safeliy lamps be used in coal mines., and that report came dawn during Mr Massey's first year of-office. That same year a Bill was 'brought, in to trive effect to the recommendations of tile Commission, :but. it was not 'proceeded with, nor was anything heard of it in the next session. Tho;.) Urad now come to 1014, an.,l 'tho disaster had taken place. 'Forty-two men had 'been hurled into eterni'.e-, widows .mioiirned the loss of husbands, ■bothers the losu of sons; ami the country bitterly sorrowed with those peoph\ A responsibility was laid on ahe present Government to show w?Ly that .Mines Bill had not been proceeded with. Mad it been passed, this disaster would never have occurred.

A PAItTY THAT FAILED. Mr Runaell asked wlulihor hia audience wiis no;, now convinced that the country had. gained nothing by tihe diangu of Government. die was pot sorry that the change had 'taken place, for it had swept away the inuendoe® and slander which had gathered round Sir Joseph i\VarJ and ttfie memlbers of :tihe Liberal party, and it had enahltd; idw young people to sec the difference 'between Liberals and Conservatives. They hud been enabled to see thati the party i preaching purilr,! were not the white- | robed anyeis twanging harps tbat they had' .been led to .expert. But the magnificent iree'c.rd of 'humanitarian legitslation of the Liberal party had been i stopped. iW'e were still enjoying the results of t'he Liberal admLnia,ration, for WW it not the Liberal Government's military scheme which had enabled .us in 'ten days to wind a fully efficient force of trained young jim to capture Samoa V Anil, despite nlie howls of criticism of tht> gift of the Dreadnought, Iliad not our hearts tlmllde v3th pride when the message came from JJulsey that when our gift, foattfchip, the New Zealand, was in the firing line, the flllag given by <i'he women of New Zealand fiuttired in the breeze? (Cheers.) W hat evidences of s tsitesmanship could the Ma-ssey 'Government slhow to it credit? Think cf tihe Ijberal party's achievements, of Sir Joseph Ward as one of the foremost postal odininistra tors of tlie world and eon:|;>are 'him with Mr Jtasey. There was all the difference between a great statesman und a man fit to preside over a meeting of a village roud 'board. The speech concluded with the as. serration that tihe Liberal Government stood for the masses not for the classes; and it dtood for government of the people by the pociple and for the people. Mr Russell resumed his scat amidstapplause. Air R Dixon's motion of thanks to Mr Russell and of confidence in the Liberal party was carried .V,; acclamation only three voices Ibeing raised in dissent. Mr Dixon said that' Ilawera had a distinct grievance against the present Government over tho To Bwti-Opim.i>ke railway. A Royal Comimission had taken evidence "right throughout the district. ftfTecfced, and had come to the ocnclusaon tihat the line should join tlho main line about a mile on the H&wera side of Te Roti, but, pro'baMy for political reasons, to maikej sure sof the Egmont scat, the Govern- J ment, had ipJaced tihe junction some dia-i .tancc to the north of Te ftcf.i. A Gov- ;

♦mmout) that would do that sort of tiling was no longer worthy of tleir •onfldence. Three dicers were given for Sir Joßeph Ward. y Subsequently there was quite a big gathering lof Liberals at a supper at Mr Keene's rooms, and a few short addressed on prospects and organisation were given, the general tone Ibneig !ihat the chances of the Liberals regaining the Paftea seat were very bright, ami there was a great determination shown to' completo the organisation and work liard Tight up to the poll. Oheers for Mr Itusaell, Mr Morrison and the Liberal patfty were enthusiastically given.