Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1894. LICENSING ELECTIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4652, 19 February 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 1894. LICENSING ELECTIONS.

FIRST EDITION

At tbe head quarters of the Licensed Victuallers Association arrangements have been made for conducting the cooiing Licensing Elections in the interests of the trade. These arrangements, of course, include the M asterton district, and they mean that the trade will nominate and support eight candidates who will be acceptable to it. This is a matter of conrde and we take no exception to ibis proceeding; indeed, if the nominees of the trade were men of independent character and position, we might even vote for them, but another little proposal has been made to which we demur. The latter is that not more than eight candidates should be put up and that the eight should be returned unopposed, There is a charming simplicity abool this suggestion which ostensibly emanate from our local contemporary, We hardly tbink that be can have evolved tbe idea out of his own brain and wonder where it really came from. It means that the Licensed Victuallers elect eight and nobody else make a nomination. It. is about tho funniest proposal for conducting an important election which has eyer been submitted to the public and even now we have a doubt iib to whether our local contemporary is serious in making it or whether someone with a tendency to practical joking has not influenced him. Of course if our contemporary happens to know the eight names which are to be submitted and they happen to be particular friends of his he may be justified in asking tbe public to shut their eyes and open their mouths and take what he or the Licensed Victuallers may send them, but we, who do not know the names of tho coming men, wo are not behind the scenes, are not disposed to go info the election blindfolded, or walk into any Bimpletrap thatmay be set to catch the unwary. Pur contemporary even goes fO far as to declare that leading prohibitionists endorse bis proposal. We would like to know who these leading prohibitionists are. It is weMnown that in Masterton we h#vß some peculiar prohibitionists and we are not surprised jf some of them oommend tbe'extraordinary proposal of our local contemporary, but the new Apt is on its trial, and it is essential that the- trial should be a fair one, A proposal to burk this by miMittilitig selection for election is not likely to be received with general acceptance even though it be submitted to a public meeting and endorsed by all the lairikins in the town. Was it, we may ask, a Liberal or an Old Tom Association which was floated at a certsin Masterton Hotel on Saturday evening and if, as we are assured, the indiviijjjal who signs himself; " Editor, Wairarupfi Sfar," was the most prominent person present, whaj; right has ho to claim that leading prohibitionists confide in him and sympathise with his views, We dp not übjeat to the Licensed Victuallers making arrangements for the .coming election) but is it necessary that a spurious liberal association should be called into existence to give effect to them, and a real live Editor who has tho confidence of leading prohibitionists employed to work the oracle.

not rUapoßed to betleve-tbat either the piiblio':'p ; colony are impreguttble; :Mr Seddon, in;hiß;Foxton/B|!eeoh,itrieiKip throw the bltme of lhe : existing, depression on financial institutions, and (his is something like adding insult to injury, The policy -of tbe Government : lias been one of defiance towards such institutions, one which has endeavoured to supersede ordinary business enterprise by State socialism. Of coarse, the logical putcomo.of such a policy is for the State to tulle the business cf the country 'out of the hands of such institutions, and make direct advances to settlers. This Mr Seddon : proposes to do, but "he'does not" say where the money is to come from. He, on the contrary, openly says that his government are averse to borrowing. How iB Mr Seddon with an empty purse, going to restore a financial equilibrium in the colony and give farmers cheap money! We fear Mb speech at Fnxton is not likely to reassure either.business men cr farmers, it is true that he promises to remove ■ the existing depression, but he fails to show how he iB going to effect his • purpose. We are anxious 10 see the prepent depression disappear, and would gladly welcome from Mr Seddon nny proposal or suggestion likely lobringabouttpdesirableanend. , All ve get is an assurance thnt ha ! will find money without borrowing, and this means that he will find precious little. *