PATEA BY-ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 March 1921, Page 6

PATEA BY-ELECTION.

• P. O’DEA AND BACKING THE DOUBLE. Mi - . W. T. Jennings, M.P., writes to the editor: Sir,—When I read the letter of the above in your issue of yesterday, I felt somewhat as Daniel O’Connell did after his diversion with Biddy Moriarity, the voluble street fruit-seller in Dublin. Those who know the incident will recall that O’Connell for a wager said he would defeat the acid-tongued Biddy by simply using mathematical terms in the wordy warfare between them. O’Connell won his wager. Now, Mr. P. O’Dea, when I gave him facts, which are quite recent, rushes away from the dilemma I placed him in of backing, as it were, two horses—that is, the Labor Candidate and the Reform candidate, and in his reply he is discreetly silent on this matter. This hedging of policy is not sport, nor is it politics, and I would remind him that the jumping frog game is played out. He evades other points made in my letter; and in order to show his great erudition quotes Spain, Bruno and Galileo, suggests that I know little of them. Dear me, P. O’Dea, the pedagogue again! Is he not M.A. and L.L.B. ? Reminds me of a drama I took part in in Otago, where the principal character, Dr. Pangloss, would obtrude by announcing himself as Dr. Panglcss, L.L.D. and A.S.S., to the great amusement of the audience! Transeat. But if Mr. O’Dea indulges in this sort of argument, I can accommodate him. Now, to the reference to Sir George Grey and his advocacy for Home Rule for Ireland and for the working classes in this Dominion. With Mr. M. J. Sheahan, of Auckland, J was joint secretary some years ago in arranging meetings for John Dillon, Sir Thomas Esmond, and John Deasey throughout this Dominion. We asked Sir George Grey to assist us. He liberally responded with his money and spoke at the meeting held by the above gentlemen. When he told the large audience what he witnessed at an evicting scene in Ireland when he was an ensign in one of "the Imperial regiments, there was not a dry eye in the audience. This was from a man who was Governor of New Zealand,' of South Africa and South Australia, and Prime Minister of this Dominion. And yet tiffs neophyte in politics, Mr.. P. G’Dea, derides what that great man did for Ireland and humanity. Your correspondent admits he stood as a Liberal ten years ago, and rejoices that he was defeated. I share with him in the rejoicing, for if ever man deserved defeat on that occasion, he earned it by his backing and filling on most of the important questions of the day

Your correspondent, intent on trailing his coat for some one to jump on, brings in the name of Mr. D. McLaren in his letters. I did not mention this name at all. Well, if Mr. McLaren has the same credentials on behalf of Labor as I have he will pass muster. I was called to the Legislative Council on behalf of Labor, am a life member 'of three trade unions, have presentations from railway, timber, railway and public works men. typographical, saddlers and tailoresses unions. At last election, which is not misty and traditional, I received eighty per cent of the railway, timber, freezing and other workers’ votes, notwithstanding the action of My. P. G’Dea and his friends in bringing one of their party against me, and I had an absolute majority over Mr. P. O’Dea's double—Reform and Extreme Labor.

Now, the lawyer pedagogue submits ten questions to me, and is- willing to bet a guinea to a gooseberry that I will baulk at answering him. If I fail, will he give to Rogers’ deserving case the guinea? (1) I belong to the Liberal Party that elected Mr. Wilford by a three-fifths majority of those present; (2) At the recent division in the House on a motion brought forward by Mr. Wilford, which was treated as a no-confidence motion, twenty-nine votes were cast for Mr. Wilford’s motion; (3) I am not aware by personal knowledge of the sayings attributed to Mr. Wilford; (4) Better a loyal adherent to principles under any offensive name employed by P, O’Dea than being a rat; (5, 6, and presumably 7) The Labor vote did increase, but in some cases, especially like the last election at Patea and where Mr. P. O’Dea ran a candidate who had no poseibte chance, and if his action was merely to get a few hundred more votes, to add to Labor’s total vote, then he is a greater humbug than I credited him before. Liberalism did lose votes by the O’Dea tactics and sectarianism, and I hope he is proud of his double; (8) I have answered the above somewhat fully in the foregoing part of this letter; and I did not vote against or for the motion, but I am a strong believer in selfdetermination for Ireland;- (9) I voted against indented Labor; (10) I have in both branches of the legislature voted against divorce laws. It is not my intention to continue this correspondence and I only want to say, in conclusion, that there is a, distinct revival in Liberalism in the Home Country and in this Dominion. Liberalism stands between extreme Toryism and revolutionary socialistic Labor; and while the latter is pushing forward, I hope it will not slide down like a glacier and destroy what was built up with deep knowledge and care by Grey, Ballance, Seddon and Ward, the advocates of Liberalism.—l am, etc., Wm. T. JENNINGS March 30, 1921. REPLY TO AIR. O’DEA. Our Hawera correspondent writes:—l feel I owe your readers an apology for noticing once again the effusions of Mr. P. O’Dea, who if you only give him enough rope, or space, will assuredly hang himself. Indeed, I fancy he has already succeeded in this operation, for if any doubt were entertained’as to his peculiar mentality and nature his letters will surely have dissipated it. He is still unconvinced that I spelt the Christian name of Karl Marx with a K, as if the right or wrong spelling of the name of that German super-socialist matt : a scrap. But this little thing furnishes an index to the superficial and distorted mind of your correspondent. He promulgates a long string of questions for Mr. W. T. Jennings, M.P. Now, I am no enthusiastic supporter of Mr. Jennings’ party, but I will say that it is little short of effrontery and presumption for a man who as yet has done nothing in the service of the community to attack and endeavor to hold up to ridicule another who has almost worn himself ouU in the service of the public, outside and inside of Parliament. Mr. Jennings, it must always be remembered to his credit, played the game during the war, and so did his family, two of whom laid down their lives that we (Air. G’Dea included) might retain our liberty and property. Mr. Jennings proved in .the aatisjg> hear of

need a true patriot. Now, Air. O’Dea, what did your Labor Party do in that crisis? Did they play the game like Mr. Jennings? Was not this the message they gave to New Zealand: “Young men, don’t yrtu go; don’t you fight for your country.” Did they facilitate the training and sending of New Zealand’s sons to help the Motherland? Of coqrse they did not, yet we have them, with unblushing effrontery, posing as the friends of democracy, the champions of the ex-soldiers, and the saviours of the Dominion. The public as a rule soon forget and are not very discriminating, but they have not yet forgotten the part taken by revolutionary Labor in the country’s hour of need, and Patea can be relied upon to give them the quietus they deserve on election day. They also know how to assess the value of any political statement made by Mr. O’Dea; if they had any doubt before they surely will not have any after what he has written to the Daily News.

MR. DIXON AT WHAKAMARA. Mr. E. Dixon, the official Reform candidate, addressed a well-attended meeting of the electors at Whakamara yesterday afternodh. Mr. Herbert, who occupied the chair, briefly introduced the speaker: Mr. Dixon, who was received with applause, addressed the meeting on the lines of his Mokoia speech, being accorded a very attentive hearing. At the conclusion of the address a vote of thanks to Air. Dixon and confidence in the Government was earned unanimously. At the close of the meeting a very strong committee was set up to further Mr. Dixon’s candidature, with Air. Herbert as chairman. MR. MoILVRIDE AT WAITOTARA. Gn Tuesday evening Mr. Lewis AlcIlvride, Labor candidate, addressed a

well-attended meeting at Waitotara, Mr. Kells presiding. Mr. Alcllvride who spoke for an hour and a half, dealt mainly with the land question, State banking, housing, cost of living, State shipping, nationalisation of medical service, and old age and widows’ pensions. He was accorded an excellent hearing, and at the conclusion of his address was warmly applauded. He answered questions for three-quarters of an hour, after which a hearty vote of thanks was proposed and seconded, and carried by acclamation. \ - .