MARRIAGE LAW.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 November 1920, Page 2

MARRIAGE LAW.

(To Hie Editor.) Sir—Tlio member i'-u* Taranaki (Mr. 0. Smith) Is reiHM'ti'd "to liav« said tliat the demand for tl'is leuislatlon was solely tlio | result, of the ltev. Howard Elliott a agitation, and there was no demand from the people, and that the V.Y.A. was a most danserous , organisation. 11l reply to this I should ulic | to point out to Mr. Winitli that the P-P- A ' : IB certainly a very dangerous organisation ; to thosp who are opposed to law mid order, but 1 challenge him to show in what way it is dangerous to all loyal subjects of His Majesty King Oeorgo V. If Mr. Smith will put Hmself in my P lace , 83 many others iire placed, whose father or mother, as tho/ase may be, have married a Ifoman Catholic, would ' he be prepared to be called an illegitimate and take if lying down! I think not However, M*. Rmllli will find out, when lie next faces the electors, that the P.P.A is a most dangerous organisation as far'as his political career is concerned. Ho has taken the gloves off. and l'lis openly declared with no mistake abqut it that he is out against us. the P.P.A I ., to the death. Very well. Mr. Smith. We nre glad to know how you stand, and can assure you your words Oil the debate will not he forsotten at next general election. I should like to deal with his colleague, Mr. K. Masters, of Stratford. His attitude is, to put it mildly, most ludicrous. When speaking on the above question 1-e stated he had not thought much about the matter, and therefore he was prepared to be guided by others who had given it much thuwht. So far as lie could see 79.73 per cent of the people were against, and therefore l:e was against it. Did ever a politician lay himself open to such ridicule! In other words, Mr. R. Masters says: "I am In a hole. If I say one thing I shall offend my friends of the P.oman Church who put mc in, and if I say the other 1 shall offend the misguided Protestants who voted for me last time. So I liad better say I know nothing about It and am prepared to be gui'ded by others who have given it much thought. However, though, I have given it no thought. 1 have worked it out to two points of decimals, that 79.73 per cent, of the people are against it, 30 I must he too." I do not know how he arrived at tl'is decimal deduction without giving It much thought, but I can assure him and Mr. S. G. Smith that wo are glad to know how much sympathy we may expect from them as far as the is concerned, and will conclude by reminding them both tl'at we stand for equal rights for all. j and special privileges for nnne. Whv a,l ; this abuse I fail to see.—l am, etc., j BIU'TANICUS SUM.