THE MEMBER FOR GERALDINE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1163, 10 April 1884, Page 2

THE MEMBER FOR GERALDINE.

TO THE EDITOR Sia, —I am more than surprised at his conduct at the present tinrS (since I know him to be such a good business man) that be has not announced to his constituents his intention to meet them, or otherwise, before Parliament sits. He canuot fail to hare seen the invitations to go to Temuka to see if they require anything, or can make any suggestion as to his line of action during the next session—and his constituents nt Geraldine are just in the same position for he either does not think it worth his while, or has more important work to attend to, to ask the electors of Geraldine to meet him. Surely be ought to follow the noble example of Mr Turnbull, Captain Sutter and other M.H.R.s in addressing the electors and acting up to his promise when he was elected to meet them and not to be above receiving any suggestions from the poorest, providing it is to benefit the Colony in general, and his own district in particular, I hare been told (but cannot say whether there is any truth in it) that he is afraid to meet his brother electors at Temuka—and well he may be! for one of their townspeople the other night dropped in for some rotten eggs. Ido know this for certain, that

many of his warmest supporters when ha was elected (both in Temuka and Geraldine) hare, since his first appearance in the House, lost all confidence in him as an M.H.R. And well they may, if it was for nothing more than voting for so much money (that had to be borrowed) to be expended upon so many unproductive works in the North Island, and never to think of the Temuka and Oxford Railway, to get a small sum to continue this useful work, until it was too late. Something like Jacob’s brother of old asking for his birthright when the thing was gone. Even £30,000 would have been a boon to this district at that time. But it 'is stated that as he does not believe in borrowing money. He was setting the northern members of the the House a good example by not asking anything for his own district, but be should have known that there was a large majority favorable to the loan, and it would come to pass without his interference either for or against, and, under those circumstances, he ought to have asked tor a sum to be put down for the Temuka Railway. Had it only reached Peel Forest it would have made use of the white elephant over the river on the north side of Temuka, and I venture to say that this Hue from Peel Forest to Temuka would pay as well as any line, it going through good agricultural land, within easy distance to the very valu able minerals in the Kakahu district, andleading totwoforests, namely, Waihi and Peel Forests. But lam afraid the golden opportunity has passed for getting a grant for this work for some time to come. Some people seem to think that it is a matter of indifference whether he meets his constituents cr not judging from what he has done, or rather left undone during the last trto sessions, as far as his own district is concerned.—l am, etc., A Brother Elector.