POLITICAL

Taranaki Daily News, 2 December 1922, Page 3

POLITICAL

THE EGMONT SEAT. (To the Editor.) Sir.- —In the News this morning appeared a letter signed by “D.M.C.,” Manaia, re the questions to candidates, and to Mr. Hawken, at his Kaponga meeting, on prohibition being an impertinent question.. Being the elector who asked the question, I am sure you will 'give me the right to reply to “D.M.C.” lam sorry that this has cropped up at such a late hour of the election, as it makes me write such a long letter, but I feel assured that all broad-minded electors will judge for themselves when they have read my question, whether it was what he says. 1 notice he agrees with me that candidates should be consistent in their attitude on. prohibition. Yes, especially from a public platform. Now, as to the question, this was it: “I would like to ask Mr. Hawked if the report in the Hawera Star of his Normanby meeting on prohibition is correct ?” Mr. Hawken arose and said “Yes, I have always been in favour of prohibition.” (Sits down). Elector: “Well, Mr. Hawken, why don’t you practice what you preach?” (Hear, hear, and uproar). Elector: “Last election time you came on to this public platform with the Efficiency Board and preached to us on prohibition, and on election night you came on to this

same platform and i don t go behind your back to tell you, Mr. Hawken. ’ Now, sir, Mr. Hawken could not deny this, as he was very silent and apparently struck speechless, and I fail to see why “D.M.C.” or anyone else can say that was an impertinent question. I will leave that to the electors to judge for themselves, as I am a believer of the truth without fear or favor to any man.—l am, etc., A. MELVILLE. Kaponga, November 30. (Published by arrangement.) MR. JENNINGS AND THE PRESS. (To the Editor). ’ Sir—ln your issue of Thursday last, in a sub-leader, comment is made on some remarks I made about a section of the Press. Let me say that so far as the Daily News is concerned, I have always been treated generously and fairly so far as my public life is concerned. My ramarks had reference to that section of the Reform Press which rarely publishes the public work of those who oppose Reform methods of administration, but the same Press readily prints anonymous letters and copies anything that may be harmful to those that oppose the present Government. The public see these things for themselves. Now, you ask me to furnish evidence. The Press Association agent at Te Kuiti, about seven weeks ago, sent a Press. Association telegram to all the papers in tlte Dominion that my opponent, Mr. Rolleston, had sent a letter to the Prime Minister, Mr. Massey, advocating the granting of the freehold to the lessees of Maori lands in Te Kuiti. This, with Mr. Massey’s reply, was telegraphed to all the papers, yet when I asked a newspaper man if he would send a short Press Association message about my big and successful meeting at Waitara on Monday last, he said the Press Association would not allow it to be done. I know, as a journalist, that some, curtailment of addresses by candidates through the Press Association has to be enforced. But, I ask, why is it allowed to my opponents and not to myself, the elected representative of the people of the Waitomo electors, who has advocated the freeholding of Te Kuiti lands? Again, sir, how readily the Reform Press _is raising that ghost, and accusing the liberal Party of being associated with the Holland extreme Labor Party, notwithstanding the denial of Mr. Wilford, and the statement of Mr. Skerret, K.C., or the Welfare League, that no alliance exists. So far as I am concerned, I have been identified with .Labor all my life; but my wonk differs from that of Mr. Holland and. his party. My methods are Arbitration and Conciliation, with the adoption of the Whitley principle. The charge of the Liberals and myself of being disloyalists is too absurd. Did not the Liberals and myself only quite recently vote in the recent Parliament of New Zealand when the leader of the Government (Mr. Massey) brought forward his proposals to assist the Imperial Government, when there was a strong probability of war with Turkey? Surely the editors of Reform papers should reflect and place the position of the Liberal Party more fairly and squarely before the people. All through the troublesome and anxious times of the late horrible war the Liberal Party gave loyal and useful service to the Reform Government, and the attempt to classify them with the Holland Party in aft unfair use of the greet privilege that the Press -has. —I am, etc., WM. T. JIENNINGS. Tongaporutu, Dec. 1, 192*2.