EDEN BY-ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 60, 12 March 1926, Page 12

EDEN BY-ELECTION.

— I (To the Editor.) . j ' ~ Sir, —Miss Melville's persistency in her declaration of going to the poll, at the above by-election has made mc wonder whether she is in real earnest as a - professed Reformer, or is she a pa-sm ia the game to help a lame dog over a stile, in the person of Mr. Mason. A split of Reform .votes will give him a good sporting chance of winning. In that event Miss Melville becomes a staunch supporter of Labour, and should b<? disowned as a Reform candidate hereafter. To my mind. "Eden -, doe 3 not want another "Eve." the one written of in Biblical history did enough damage, anyway. In my opinion any son of a gun would be preferable as member for I Eden than woman or laboui. —1 am. etc., i AXTI-PETTICOAT AND LABOUR, j (To tie Editor.) ; Sir.—Whilst deploring the split! amongst the candidates of the Reform j party, in selecting their future memberi for Eden, I think that many of the j delegates of the Eden electorate were j obsessed by the "title" of the chosen : candidate. Had they compared the values of the platform prof erred, they ; would, perhaps, have chosen Miss Melville.J I cannot accept- "Staunch Reformer's" plea that a "woman would not be able to get about amongst the j electors on the land, and, as for ladies j not being an fait with all phases of life, I there- is now no profession in which " females hare not equalled or even bettered the leading male "lights.-" , I think the fact that "Girton" produced a mathematician. better than a senior wrangler, is sufficient proof of a lady's ability.- Whilst Mis3.Melville may not have this latter quality, she would understand the needs of the women and , children of the electorate. I submit f that' the electors will give sufficient proof of their opinions on election day. When they consider that Sir James Gunson, if elected, may one day administer the finances' of the country, it will behove them to consider whether his extravagant policy of the past, i≤ suited ■ for a young country like-Kew Zealand, or whether the English financiers would he so easily persuaded to underwrite Xcb" Zealand loans if Sir James wae a member -of the -Government. lam not . known to Miss Melville,- but I thrnk that the.addition of.-a lady of her capabilities is badly needed in the-House of Repre-' eentatives.—l. am, etc., ■ ■;- V TRUE REFORMER. ' j .letters .are typical of a J great amount of correspondence received J oa the-subject of-the Eden by-election, j