AUCKLAND NOTES.

Press, Volume LI, Issue 8717, 13 February 1894, Page 5

AUCKLAND NOTES.

February 12. The Herald thus concludes an article on the Waitemata election case:—" Mr Monk bad deliberately plotted to obtain votes by giving beer at Taupaki or elsewhere. He could have got agents in Auckland (who live by that kind of business) who could have done ten times the amount of bribery that young Mr Monk did, aud who could have done it in such a way that detection would have been impossible. Be has fallen into a pit which clever electioneers escaped, and he must pay the penalty. We can only hope that it will have its effect in securing purity of elections, but we are not very sanguine about it. At present many excellent men are kept out of politics by the contemplation of the dirty ways which they must travel before they are elected. The necessary expenses of an election are about £40. Probably tbe average cost of the candidates in widely-scattered districts was from treble this amount to ten times. AH this extra went for illegal purposes, and went to persons whom the candidate disliked, but could not afford to offend. Candidates 'ought rigorously to shelter themselves behind the Act and refuse to pay away any money for an illegal purpose. Every candidate ought to be compelled to give an account of what he has expended, aud to be made to swear that he has not directly or indirectly expended any further sums upon the election contest.'' Mr Palmer rec lived the following telegram from the Premier : —" Your telegram giving result of trial received. On reading Press report of the evidence tendered, and if the purity of Parliament was to be maintained it was impossible for auy other decision to be given. I am simply amazed to think that a geutleman holding Mr Monk's views of the temperance question should have defended the action. Many men holding less pronounced views would havescorned to hold a seat which had been won by such questionable means. Probably he did not believe it possible that alcohol bad played such a material factor in securing his return. The trial teaches a lesaou which it is well to observe. lam strongly of the opinion that if poor men are to have a fair chance of being returned to Parliament, and if the Parliament is to be kept pure, amendments of a stringent character are required in our electoral laws, one of such amendments being the closing up of public houses during the hours of polling on election day. I congratulate you on your success in exposing the wrong doing during the Waitemata election."