ELECTION NOTES

Wairoa Bell, Volume V, Issue 225, 24 November 1893, Page 8

ELECTION NOTES

Mr. R. Thompson at Whangarei.—Mr R. Thompson addressed the electors at Whangarei on Wednesday last . The Good Templars’ Hall was well filled. . . .Prohibition to his mind was a long way off,'but he had always supported the Temperance measures. But there was a great difference between Temperance and State Pi’obibition, and he would now tell the Temperance party that they had by the extreme attitude they had taken up estranged the support of those moderate members who had been their best friends and without whom they could have carried nothing in the House. He trusted he had made himself quite clear on this question, and said he believed there was a very large amount of insincerity existing amongst the Temperance people throughout the Colony, for outside the pail lecturers the question was dead. When real work was required they stopped at home. He had been one of their staunchest supporters as an advocate of Temperance, but if they wanted him to support the hare majority or State Prohibition they must part company . Mr J. D. McKenzie proposed a vote of thanks and confidence. No amendment was moved. On putting the motion to the meeting onlyja few voted. A vote ef thanks to the chairman concluded a very orderly meeting. N B.—lf the Temperance cause is dead, as Mr Thompson says, it could never have been alive, for at no period in history has it been so active as at the present time.— 1 Gumdigger’s Weekly.’ There are now before us the numbers of electors on the rolls of the four principal cities of the Colony. First comes Dunedin with 16,936 electors on the city roll and 3,575 in the Caversham district. Auckland city comes next with 16.78 S ; then follows Wellington with 16,498 and Christchurch with 14,682. The little city of Nelson contains 3,814. A Flaxmill correspondent writes: —‘The electors about here are rather tickled to hear that Mr Frank Dargaville. one of the candidates for the Bay ot Islands seat, expects a block vote from us. It is, Mr Editor, just the other way about, as a strong committee has been formed here, pledged to support Mr James Troiinson with a block vote. In fact the majority of the electors about here, including several ladies, have quite made up their minds to support, Mr Trounson, in whom they have every confidence, as a straightforward, honourable, and upright man. Robert, Houston, James Trounson and Francis Dargaville have been nominated for the Bay of Islands seat. The Auckland ‘ Star ’ has the first name correct and the other two as Travers and Joseph Dargaville, and though not even knowing the names of those nominated it presumes to pick the favorite. James Harrison and Robert Thompson have been nominated for the Marsdeu election. Only three members have bceu returned unopposed to the new Parliament and these ai e Messrs Seddon for Hokitika, Ward for Avvaroa, and Allen for Bruce ; all the other members will have to battle for their seats, and some pretty severely.