The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1914. THE TAUMARUNUI SEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 151, 2 December 1914, Page 4

The Daily News. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1914. THE TAUMARUNUI SEAT.

There is no electorate in Taranaki, and probably none in the whole of the Dominion, that entails such a vast amount of work and strain on its parliamentary representative (is is the case with Taumarunui. It is true that at the' extreme northern and southern ends it is in touch with the railway system, but by far the major portion of its area is in the backblocks of roadless territory where the settlers have had a long and arduous struggle against the disabilities caused by want of roads and railways, and for lengthy periods been cut off from the outside world. For the men it has demanded almost superhuman stoicism and determination, but for the women and children it has been a terrible experience, aggravated by that crushing feeling of hope for better conditions being always out of leach though constantly promised in the ever near future. Only those who know the country in this electorate—that is know it from acutal experience in the winter months—can have even the faintest conception of the tremendous 1 ;sponsibility which has rested on the member for the district. In one respect the Taumarunui electorate was, in the past, extremely fortunate, namely, in having such a tireless and sympathetic worker as Mr Jennings as its member. In session and out of session, in summer -and in winter Mr. Jennings sacrificed everything for his electorate, and the extent of that sacrifice only he himself knows. His heart was in his work. By frequent visits to all parts of the, constituency, he ascertained on the spot the needs of the settlers; lie was able to do wliat was humanly possible in bidding them take heart, and in cheering them in their continuous struggles, but above all lid was theif constant champion in the House, the true back-blo.ckcrs' friend whose voice was ever raised in thrilling appeals for the betterment of the conditions under which they struggled, and little by little he screwed out of the Government of the day all the money he could for improving the roadway facilities in his electorate. No one could have battled harder, and it was not owing- to any failure on liis part that better progress was not made. No doubt it was hard for the settlers to realise that they were so well and faithfully represented in Parliament. They naturally judged by results, and they grew weary of waiting for the long promised alleviation of their lot. The ■women- especially felt the hardships piess upon them more heavily every year, and they cannot be blamed for eagerly grasping at the first straw that I came within their reach, for»thcv liac] I fully realised that "hope deferred," mak- 1 etli the heart sick," It is not surpris- j ing, therefore, that when election time came icitnd three years ago, and Mr C. I ■N Wilson appeared on the scene to I voo t.-ieir suffrages, the Timmnrunui j '.'Jeei ors, and especially the Womenfolk, j lead willing ears to tile In'octijjill }>rom- i isi-3 made by. him as to satisfying their j neeos if he were elected. Apparently j ' they forgot for the time being the strenuous efforts made on their behalf by Mr. ' •leiming.s, and, doubtless, in the hope of getting niori' out of a jiew member than from their old representative, they returned ill* V\ ilsoii t After representing j the constituency for three years lie is now again a candidate, whilst Mr. Jennings is once more seeking re-election. The voters have had an opportunity of testing Mr Wilson's promises by comparing them with performances. They will probably note that very little result has accrued from the promises made by the Reform representative, though it is ti vie that tins year there has appeared on the estimates a much larger total vote for the district than heretofore. Ihe fact that this is election year may 1 possibly account for this exhibition of) unwonted liberality, but, iu any case, | there is a vast diilercncc between items on the Estimates and the spending of. the money. So far as we are concerned the question of political partisanship docs not enter into this matter of representation. It is the good of the district and the true welfare of the settlers that we have at heart. Knowing well the past and present conditions of this electorate, , the urgent needs of which we have stressed again and again, we cannot too strongly remind I the settlers of the consistent and zealous advocacy their cause has always received from Mr Jennings, who for the last three years, though not their member, has constantlyl kept in touch with even the outermost parts of the district and by voice and pen has done all that he could to forward their wishes. He is an ideal representative, as lie has shown himself to be, for such a constiuency, and no doubt the electors have by this time discovered the fact' for themselves. It is for them to select the member, and in so doing.to advocate the interests of the dominion as a whole.