MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1908. THE ELECTIONS.

Bush Advocate, Volume XXI, Issue 94, 19 October 1908, Page 4

MONDAY, OCTOBER 19, 1908. THE ELECTIONS.

The contest for the general elections has now 'commenced in deadly earnest. From the North Cape to the Bluff the various candidates are briskly engaged in endeavoring to prove to the electors that the salvation of the domihion will alone be secured by the return of their particular selves to Parliament. How much of these claims is due to pure patriotism, and how much is due to the desire of the candidates to advance their own personal interests is a matter that is fairly open to question ; but of this fact' there can be no doubt— that if there was not a good solid inducement in the shape of £300 per annum and other advantages to the successful candidate, the list would be very much reduced. The liberal payment of members for their services has certainly not been the means of improving the personnel of Parliament. Mr Massey, in a recent speech, emphasised the necessity at •the present time for strong an.d patriotic men coming forward in politics, remarking that never were they more required than under existing circumstances. Of course., this is a mere platitude that is uttered with remarkable regularity at every election. The country always wants the best. Thero is always scope for strong and patriotic men. Unfortunately, they will not come forward, and when they do come forward they find that they must either support "the party" fetish, or else they are not Avant.ed. This applies to both sides of the ■House. If Mr Massey was returned to power to-morrow, one portion of his policy would be to find millions for the settlement of the Auckland district, and any "strong" man on his side who objected would either have to submit or leave his party. Under the existing system men are forced to tacitly agree to their leader's proposals "for party purposes," even when they know such to be

inimical to the general good. Unfortunately, there is no sign that any improvement m^y be looked for. The elective executive idea has no friends amongst the Government, and only candidates'' of a. rotfust indeijendence ventilate the. subject. ..Until that system, "or ?ouie iniprbvement^on the existing form of government by party is adopted, Mr Massey a-h<| others will call in. vain for "strong"' -and^"patriotic" men. ■ The best that can be hoped for is that the electors will endeavor to discern between the spurio\is and. the .true, and will make the best of the choice offered them. The fact of the elections being fixed for •so early; a date as. the M7ih of November will give an additional im- ; petus to the candidates,- and the^ voters ■"will be subjected to a; perfect; deluge :of political ideas. d\iring the coming four weeks. So far, nothing reniarkable for originaltty lias been- uttered by any of the candidates. The supporters of Sir Joseph Ward are apcontent to rest .'their claims for recognition' upon the. good work of the Government in the, past, and Mr Massey's jparty have- apparently no policy, of a practical nature to suggest.

Page 2: Cable news ; sporting ; mine closed down. Page 3: Taranaki petroleum; accidents and fatalities; roast beef indicted ; England's dairy. - Page. 6: Ship of the future. Page 7 : Man's place in nature. - ■

Mr L. A. Abraham has again been asked to judge seeds and grains for the Hawke's Bay.shbw this week, and has agreed to, act in the position, of jiuige. :.-:.. '

The seci'etary of the Dannevirke Hospital desires io acknowledge -with thanks the sum of " £2 10s from Mrs Ries, being pixiceeds of the sale of certain articles: fr<>in^the bazaar held in aid of the iristiiution.

The 11 a.m. train from the south to-da.y conveyed a number of show sheep and cattle to the Hastings Show. ' A number of passengers were aboard the train, showing that the railway traffic Is again increasing in volume. .

On Saturday evening a "wanted" advertisement for bushfeilers was inserted •in the Advocate. Judging by, the response t° the notification, there is no scarcity of men available for this work, as lip to rioon^to-day a dozen men must, have enquired at <our publishing office for the name of the advertiser. '

A return match between the MakO; tuku Football Club and the men employed round about Tev Ohu was played at Makotuku on Saturday. Both teams were. weakly represented, and this time Te 01m reversed the decision, winning by 5 points, a try obtained and converted by Mclvenzie to nil. Mr J. Drew was referee.

The Hawera Dairy Company is now making over four tons of cheese per day. Including the branch factories, about 10,000 gallons of milk are supplied daily. The present milk supply is about equal to what has been previously received at the height of the season. An increase of a,t least 25 per cent. on. previous years' output should be recorded.

A large number of fishing licenses have been taken out in this district, but no phenomenal bags are being reported. Sportsmen complain strongly of the action of the Acclimatisation Society in dispensing with the services of one df^the rangers, as it is asserted that a great deal of poaching — and even dynamiting — is going "on.-- These evils are bound to be augmented, if a smart" man with local knowledge is not put on to keep an eye out for offences of this kind.

Indications point to a very successful show in the Wairarapa at the end of the month in the matter of entries already received, .which are far in excess of those of any previous year. In purebred sheep and cattle the exhibits will be beyond the average in quality and quantity, and visitors interested in "these sections will be amply repaid by an inspection of the stock exhibited from such a variety of breeders in different districts of the North Island.

An Invercargill .wire states that Archibald John McNeill, aged 'about 35, wanted under several aliases on charges of false pretences, and also horse-stealing, was arrested yesterday morning at daybreak by Detective Cameron in a house at- Wood-end, about five miles from town. The nia.ii has been in Southland for about three weeks, but so far managed to elude the police. The acctcsed was armed with a loaded revolver, but had no chance to use it. \

Kemarking.on the general elections, the Post says: "In- -.our judgment electors will be wise "who support at the coining contest the best men who may offer themselves as candidates — men of character and ability informed with honest democratic spirit, irrespective of party ties and party declarations. . \Ve suggest this course in the hope : and belief that, whatever may bo the composition of the new Parliament in a party view, it will, in its general character, take a higher place in the estimation of the country tKan the Parliament which has just ended."

The -Christmas number of the Christchurch Press has now been issued, and the proprietors are to be complimented upon their magnificent effort. It is safe to say it represents "the apex of the pinnacle of newspaper beauty." As a memento of the Christmas season in this part of the globe, nothing more -appropriate could be imagined, for the selection of pictures is both typical of -the best in New Zealand, and charming from an artistic point of view, while they have been reproduced in a manner that might excite the envy of the world's printers. The letterpress, too, lias been most carefully selected, one of the most interesting articles being an account of Pelorus Jack, which invests this remarkable fish with even a more romantic glamor than we had previously suspected of him. As the issue is a limited one, intending subscribers would do well ■fco place their orders 'with tfcte local booksellers at once.

The Ormondville Town Board has now two formalin lamps and appliances for fumigating purposes in their district. • Farmers in all part* of the. district report a phenomenal growth of gTass this season, and many of them are already deriving appreciable benefit from the bush fires which were .-.-.so troublesome last year, the clearing which the country then got now proving exceedingly beneficiaL . ' ,

The annual m&&ting of the Hawke s^ Bay Lawn Teniis "Association "was held on Saturcfay '"night. The report and balanceMSheefr were read 1 'and adopted. The election^ officers Te*sulted aa follows : President, Mr F. Logan ; vice-president)- -]Vlt S. MoLernon; -hon. secretary vahd treasurer, Mr H. Bradley; Mr -Logan was also elected a vice-i)resident of - the New Zealand association. .Leave was granted to the Greennieadows club to play the Hasfke-s Bay championships on January Ist S&tt-Snd:.; '

A son of Mr T. 6'Grady; of Takap.au, met with/a serious accident on Friday..: He was cutting a boot laoe. when the' knif^ slipped, and entered his eye/ The. boy was tstken to the Waipiikurau,7hospital for treatment. Two scores ..of "The Mikado," and marked in .pencil "society," hare not yet been rdtxirned. .The persons JioMing these copies will oblige by returning them to Mr Lawford, the ton. secretary. ; ! . .