THE TARANAKI SEAT.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1922, Page 8

THE TARANAKI SEAT.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —I have read Mr. J. O. Taylor’s letter on the subject of- the selection of the Reform candidate for the Taranaki seat, and I could not hope to have a more complete justification for the statement 1 made that the selection was the result of ‘’hole-and-corner” methods. When this great luminary of the party has to “bore” himself in to the inner circle, and there make his oracular voice heard, it proves that there’s something radically wrong with the present system of selecting a Reform candidate in New Plymouth. What right have a small number of men to arrogate to themselves the selection of the candidate? Supposing a few of us in the country got together similarly and appointed a man whom we thought was a likely winner, what would the New Plymouth coterie think of our action? They would describe it, and rightly, too, a« a piece of impertinence. Mr. Taylor says I have had two years and three months in which to bring forward a candidate. That is not the point: I say that all who are supporters of the Government should have been consulted in the appointment of a candidate, and then whoever received the nomination would have been assured of the undivided support of members and supporters of the party. The lamentable experiences prior to the past two elections should have taught the Tooley Street gentlemen that their judgment was sadly at fault, but the lesson evidently has not been learned, and they are committing the same blunder again. There was no reason for rushing the selection. The party could have left that over for a few months and confined their attention to thoroughly organising their forces and making all preparations for recapturing the seat. That it is possible to win I have no doubt at all. for all moderate and patriotic men, whatever has been their previous political creeds, are rapidly reaching the opinion that the present Government, with all its shortcomings, must be maintained in office in order to keep the extreme and disloyal elements at a distance. But the right candidate has not been found, and I blame the select few in New Plymouth for rushing the first man that offers and foisting him on to the rest of the party supporters. The man we want would probably not be rushing the game; we would have to bring him out. In saying this I have no one in particular in my mind, but in such an important and enlightened electorate surely some one could be found able and willing to come to the assistance of the country in its hour of need, one, too, not trammelled with previous political associations. I have nothing against Mr. Bellringer personally. On the contrary, I respect him as a worthy citizen who is doing his beat in accordance with hie beliefs. I simply object to the manner of his selection —for which he probably is not to blame —and feel that he is not strong enough to displace the sitting member. It is because I think we can win w’ith the right man that I have troubled you wjth this second, and final, letter.—I am, etc., COUNTRY REFORMER.