SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CAMPAIGN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 141, 7 November 1914, Page 3

SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CAMPAIGN.

I Sir,—ln your advocacy of Sir. Joseph Ward's campaign, you forgot to mention that the samo Sir Joe- fought against our Local Railway Bill, against our West Coast getting relief, and he jails against the Government for borrowing, and, says, in the same breath, that they ought to borrow eight more millions, and then, when war started, TWB so full of patriotic fervour that the Financial Statement was too much for Mm, because he said he had dropped all party strife and was now 'ojily working for the common good. How soon it washed off. Before the session ended he was in Auckland electioneering for all he was worth. Sir, I think it ♦ould be better for you, to refrain from printing any contentious matter just now, whilst the war is - in the acute state, as, for instance, Mr Hughes' unwarranted attack on Mr McKemue, who as not here to defend himself, and is fulfilling his duties with conspicuous ability, and his appointment is a credit to the present Government, in appointing an opponent to such a position. Mr McKenzie is incapable of anything underhanded, and I don't think any onr, will agree with Mr Hughes—l am, etc., m HENRY DUGGAN. .Warea, November 5. [To refrain from printing contentious matters just now is hardly possible. The Candidates have to be reported. It would have been possible had the elections and licensing polls been .postponed, as they plight to have been at such a critical time in the nation's history. The responsibility of holding the elections and causing the feeling that an election generally engenders rests with the Government. The Opposition to a man, was for postponement.—Kd.J

PRACTISING ECONOMY. (To the Editor.) j. Sir,—ln your issue to-day you publish a paragraph about practising economy by a Kcotch employer, wherein he re'bukos his clerk for making such long tails to his "y's" and "g's," as it. was wasting the stock of ink. The paragraph was probably meant for a humorous one, but why should poor old frcottie be always the one to be held up as the leading actor in meanness'; Now, Sir, will you publish this little story? It also relates to meanness, but, unlike yours, it is a true one. A

"generous" individual went into a store, and, after purchasing items of remarked that as he intended giving lus purchases to the Belgian Relief Fund, the storekeeper should not charge for them. The storekeeper could not see the reasonableness of .the request, and objected to his •'customer" gaining a reputation for generosity at his (tin; storekeeper's) expense. The customer thereupon indignantly departed, taking ix'th him his cockney accent, hut leaving behind his "purchases." hi "these, strenuous times" Scotsmen, no doubt, practise frugality; indeed, it is a virtue they possess in times of plenty. It is interesting to make comparisons, howover, with the donations to the several funds which are being raised in the larious centres, und «ce how Otago (which is largely peopled by Scots) com];arc3 with other provinces. I feci certain that you. will candidly admit that that dour Scotch population have been as open-hearted as anyone else. Why. the Daily Times (Duncdin) fund alone stands at about £30,000, and 1 know of no other paper published in non-Seole.il centres that can boast of a similar j achievement. Then, if you want further evidence as to whether the Scot is worthy of all these miserable stories of meanness, just ask any traveller (ehoose an English one if you like), ■whose business takes him among the I farmers of this Dominion, to tell you from wdiom one Would expect the warm-1 est hospitality—from those mean Scotch [ farmers of Otago or the open-handed and generous settler (not Scotch) of Taranaki or Wellington? Scotchmen have no need to be ashamed of their nationality, and Englishmen should by now have learned to respect them enough to drop their sickening stories about ''Scotch meanness.'' Even in these dark days Scots have come to the front more than their Southern neighbours, and, in proportion to population, Scotland can boast of having more men joining the colors than any other portion of the Empire.—l. have, perhaps, taken the little story widen is the subject of this letter too seriously, but I have been listening tn

and reading" varus of iii"i'ti:i».« for years without proje.t. and thhjfe if time that newspa-jicis (at air." vat,!' leading dailies) should dvoji that kind of stupid and foundationals -stati'. -1 am etc., TiAlhY IvHWS "RHADKK. Kltham, November 5, YMi.