THE ELECTIONS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXI, Issue 3030, 29 October 1908, Page 7

THE ELECTIONS.

The TBon. R. McNab declares that since the Ward Administration took office not a single relation of a Cabinet Minister has bean appointed to the' Civil Service. In the event of Mr Loudon findinghimself unable to continue his campaign for Bruce, Mr Joseph Moseley and Mr J. C. Anderson are willing to take the platform on his behalf. Matters are still quiet in connection with the general election in Wellington, the candidates for the most part contenting themselves ' with in out of the way corners of the electorates. « "The Native land legislation, is one of the completest 'monkeypuzzle' trees I have ever known."--So says Mr J. Stevens, M.P. forManawatu, who is credited with having a close knowledge of the subject, The Natives in the Huntly district are taking considerable interest in the approaching election of a member for the Western Maori district, and it is expected that there will be an exciting contest, from which the present member (Mr Henare Kaihau) is expected to emerge as victor with ;a considerably attenuated majority. V The question of free school books •was referred to by Dr. Chappie, in -speaking at Naseby. "If free school books," he said, "why not free pinafores and free food? It comes to that. Why not let us have Statesupplied pipes and State-supplied tobacco, and let us smoke the State pipe of idleness in Naseby and elsewhere? No; if the State wants to help us, let it do so by teaching us -to help ourselves." Mr C. E. Major, M.P. for Hawera, in a recent speech there, strongly supported the Government, and declared the financial position of the Dominion to be thoroughly sound. He asked the people to support him again, because—and he would say this openly—he might hold a portfolio. He would not think.of Parliament if he was going to remain there in the position of a private member for many years. Speaking at Waitara, Mr Jennings «aid it seemed to him that the point had been reached when there would be some divergence on the part of a section who ftad been allied to the Liberal Party. This section wanted to go further than the Government would be prepared to go, unless there was a fusion of the old-time Opposition and the moderate Government party, a third, but probably in- • effectual party, would arise. Mr H. L. Michel, who for the second time is contesting the Westland seat with Mr T. E. Y. Seddon, referred, in the course uf a speech, the other night, to the interference of public servants holding high positions in Kumara and Hokitika. He said these gentlemen were openly canvassing and otherwise behaving in a manner which was both discreditable to them and to their Departments, and that he would probably be compelled to communicate with the Prime Minister on the matter, in order to put a stop to such tactics. Government roadmen, overseers, and inspectors were, he asserted, wrongly -using their influence, and it was bad enough to have to fight them without having to contend with the heads of Departments, who occupied positions which should causa them to desist from their indiscreet and unfair practice. The candidate said his remark did not apply to all the Civil ■servants in Westland. Speaking to a Southern reporter, the Minister for Lands said he thought a Government majority in the North Island was assured, but it would not be so substantial as the South Island would provide. He did not think that from New Plymouth to Eawke's Bay there would be much change in the position of parties. The new constituency in Taranaki had four candidates, two on each side, and it was very hard to say who would win. With that exception there should be no change in the area he had referred to. So far as Auckland was concerned, he could only go on hearsay, but a desperate effort was being made to unseat the Hon. G. Fowlds for Grey Lynn. The speaker had no opposition' for Mataura, nor had the Prime Minister for Awarua, while the opposition to the Hon. J. A. Millar could only be called such by courtesy. "There will be a tremendous, change in the personnel of the new House," Mr McNab added. "Ten members are retiring voluntarily, and as two sitting members are contesting Tuapeka, one must go out. Of the other sixtynine members eight or nine practically have no opposition. Four are unopposed in South Otago alone. That leaves sixty men fighting contested elections. If we add the usual proportion of defeats to the eleven certain newcomers we shall probably have twenty-two new members, more than one quarter of the entire House. Changes are most likely to occur where two strong Ministerialists are "standing for the same seat."