Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1894. THE NORTH WAIRARAPA LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4658, 26 February 1894, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] MONDAY, FEBRUARY 26, 1894. THE NORTH WAIRARAPA LIBERAL ASSOCIATION.

SECOND EDITION

We never wneoied the North' Wai■arapa Liberal Association to be h success, but we hardly thought it would be ihe dismal failure which it had turned out. At the appointed hour on Saturday when all true liberals were to assemble in the Temperance Hull not & Soul was present. Half an hour later the Secretary, Mr A. Vilpj, was there and " two truti liberals," Our reporter was then requested to retire unless he were willing to be sworn iu as a" true liberal," This overture he deolined and withdrew. About nine p.m. Mr Vile was observed to be engaged buttonholing "ti'ne.liburals"in the street and gathering them in to his meetingjbut the result is said not to have been altogether satisfactory. .We. have asserted that we did not expect the Association' to be a success. Its initiators were Messrs Pownall and Vile " true liberals" no doubt, but not the "real liberals" of the dicMct. The leading liberals of the Eleelofale were very prominent Borne three months ago when Mr Hogg was returned. Not one of them puironieed the Pownall-Vile side show end the reason is tolerably evident. Some lima back Mr Pownall threatened to oppose Mr Hog? for tlw'Maßterton seat and it was expected that if he came forward the paper wbioh Mr Vile represents would have given him a preference over Mr Hogg; ; Hence Mr Hogg's friends are somewhat auspicious as to any movement initiated by Messrs Pownall and Vile; They have the real Liberal Party well organised and in good working order and tbey are unlikely to assist.in starting an assooiation whiob might turn out to be a secessionist organisation. It was really a piece of impudence for a few persons to call themselves the North Wairaraptt Liberal Association because already a very strong association exists of this oharacter, of which Mr Hogg 1b the acknowledged head. The promoters of the movement have not the slightfAtclaim to be considered as the repreßehtativeß of the Liberal Party in this district, We do not say that Mr Pownall has made himself ridiculous by tbe part he has played in this affair because as yet he has not ken quite as prominent in it as Mr Vile, but certainly the latter has been laughed at by tbe Liberals of the neighbourhood for his abortive attempt to organise a side show for some purpose or purposes best, known to himself. His refusal to permit»reporter to be present at an advertised gathering was a very,.unusual proceeding, The Liberals'of this district do not want a " Keep It Dark Association " established in their midst and wisely,when they ; were not dragged in, bald aloof from tbe meeting,

The Pahiatua iferaM writing on the coming licensing elections says : The. question. of the number. of licensed houses that shall be allowed to exist is settled bythe vote of the electors, the Commißfliouejß conatituting the .execiitive bofly which gives effect to the wish <jf ; 'the people',' and upon whose ahqulders, in the event of a reduction being desired, falls the task of which houses shall be sacrifices to the willof ."■ the; electors, Arid here exists an anomaly, Thera 'are twenty, licensed houses the Masterton electoratei the result of the reduotion five of these closed.,, The Act, by a sight, renders 'it possibla all the hotels in fixed on as the victims, or ' raissiouera may olote five of w^M

in 'Masterton,'!;.,- The 'view, tokenl by our contemporary is worthy of consideration, but the remedy he suggests for it hardly hits the mark.: He advises everyone to vote, and by " going to the poll" prevent a dilemma of this kind, hut the recommendation should rathor be " don't go to the poll," beoauso if haf ibe electors on the roll do not reoord their.voto the poll becomes void, and the number of licenses in this district will remain as before. The probability'is., that hall the electors will not recorl their votes, and that the poll will be void. The Aot is a conundrum in its way, and it is -doubtful bow it will work. We are quite willing to give it a fair trial, and oh this ground we would join in the recommendation of our Pahiatua contemporary for one and all to go to the spoil, but if our special objeot were to prevent a reduction in the number of licensed bouses we should say " don't go to the poll." ButthiH would not-be giving the new Act a fair trial! ■