TO-DAY'S POLL.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 619, 23 September 1909, Page 7

TO-DAY'S POLL.

*HE§BaNGITIKE^CONTEST. "•very close" election anticipated. INTENSE EXCITEMENT. MR. MARTIN TARES TIP -MR, SMITH'S . ! CHAIiENGE. .";-.;;; (By TologranU.-Sjeoial Ecportor.) Hiinttrville, September 22.. Nobody will be sorry-when; tho.' election is concluded. So intenso has been tho excitement;' ■ to-day that residents havo spent most of their time .discussing tho.various .matters, affecting-»-, ;.' the contest. 'Both of the candidates,, as well'■"'. as tho representatives.of tho respective parties,-V" addressed several meetings' l to-day; and 'are . busily engaged in tho samo capacity; this'oven- ' ing. Tho Hon. J. A, Millar and tho Hon. T.v Mackenzie :aro. at Taihapo, and. the Hon. G. Fowlds; at.Eastown, whilst Mr.: Massey (leader' of tho Opposition) is bore. . ■■:. WHO WILLWIN? .VIEWS. OF THE SonT~J. CARROH/ikrV- ,';':-:■.■• -MR. MASSEV..... ', ."•. -■;' " "/' '. During' the afternoon the' Acting-Prime Min- ■ iistor (tho Hon. J. Carroll) arrived, at Hunter- ,-;• vtllc. A Strong, desire was' expressed by nnm : bersof Government supporters that ho should ■''.' : deliver an address.', Mr. Carroll,.it is understood, .replied that as Mr..Massoy was'already! i advertised:,to speak hero ho' could not'accedo to tho!request; as'it'would liot'bo plajiiig thoi'gamo. ■~-:Hoii subsequently, '■ attended, a,;i. special .. meeting of Mr; Smith's local committee. . Ac- >' cording to Mr. Carroll, it will bo a'vory'closs contest. For,.,on,outsider, it,is,hard,' ho says,,-V, to conjecluro'-who'Vwill wih.''.-ilt>inight pro'vo -.'. that local prejudices would govern. the situa-. ■ lion, and no doubt suck havo been engineered' '.■' by onb; side ..or tho other ,to the .best, possiblo '■''; advantage.' .■ i ' ;! ■ .'.--"'■!';'.''-' Mr, W. F> Massey, Leader of the. Opposition,-V' says thai' ris.-far. iis : I)6'can .'judge-tho: positfbhf•'.'.'■ is that!Mr.iSmith,will poll very heavily in th«: Taihapa end.of tho.electorate, and especially among ; tho people'connected with, tho sawmill.,.;,".' ing. industry, whilo.Mr.. Hdckly will 'got fairlj •' 'solid support- from tho purely fanning districts' l • and all round tho southern end of;,tho coh- •; stitttoncy. As to'the. ultimate result, ho is .'■■ quite, sa'.'sficd that it < will -be close. . Whichever candidate wins'wilhnot havo many,votes.'' to, spare; He would havo preferred that "tho : contest'had*been a.straight issue'env party : ,lines,.but in,several.places tho main questiot . 'had,uebh : obscured .by! local considerations. The ■'. contest had been: ono; of tho keenest that In. had/had■,anything to ', do; with,- and 'though there had becii;hard hitting at times.still o*:.. tho'wholo very, good''feeling had''•'prevailed--, and when it;is over ho did not think thcrl .-.' would be :any bitterness;left behind., y<-; : ;: v.Ai./ '' "PUSHED/THROUGH' THE 'WINDOW;"! v-; •' : ''WHAT MAT HAPPEN ToSoife. .:''■,'".:' •MACKENZIE;';:. It willheresicmbored that; tho : ''Eon., l: .T. ;! Mackenzie' stated at.'l'aihapo' that' ho'was in favour of land'for settlement tenants, getting;... Ula freehold' oh; ca'rtaiu'' terms.'-';' Referring; to'. this arinonricemnllt,. Mr. Massey-remarked at Hunterville last' night: "It seems to mo that' the-Minister will havo-to bo careful in this.,' respect,• as' his views on that ' subject "ars . mot shared by;his colleagues, judging by'their policy measures. Mr. Mackeniio'may find him-: coif in tho same position'as Mr; Hogg—pushed.' through tho window."; (Laughter).:

MR. HOCKLY AND THE FAHMERS' / UNION. ' v

"ONE OFTrnJIiESTiHENWE EVER HAD.": Writing' to',' tho "ttaugitikoj Advocate,"' Mr. ; V- ; ' ' '<!.: 0. Wilson, .president.of the' Farmers' Union, says; : "L notice, my friend ■: Mr'. '■ Mackenzio : quotes me in his speech at Taihapo as having commended his' action in initiating tho testing ."■'■ I of cows.. .-This -I most heartily do, as I-would welcome anything* he docs that will benefit tho - f armor;'.but, lest', there: should \ bo'.'any . mis-: • . understanding as toMWiomT would support had- •'• I the pleasure of having.a vote in tho'Ranci- ; tikei.^Qloctorate,■ I may say; if would bo, Mr.' > Hockly,: most undoubtedly one of tho bostraen ■"■■. ,wo ever,.bad in: the Farmers'- Union, and tho' stoutest advocatoof-. tho -freehold in it.". -w' /..'/; ;;■-';...•., ■ ':■■[ the-, cro wFsurris • ACTr ■; •;; ; 'Attention was .'directed by Mr. jlassey, in tha'"-' oourso of his 'address at .Taihapcy to the un- ' roaionablonoss- of; the. Crown Suits' Act. H« • .said.that any,parson who had a,claim against '■ a Department should bo ablo to bring it without nrst • having to obtain permission. In. stances in which,-ni.his opinion, injustice bad ': i been_ done.'by withholding'tho n6cessarr per- -•■'•■ mission to bring "-actions', were' those relatW to tho grievances of the; motorman who' waS - injured through-'a State coal wagon .'colliding , with_a tram which ho .was driving, and of ' tno Farmers Distributing, Company, who wish' to.suo the State ,Coal Department for alleged injury to promises' through -the nuisance. ..-..'■ -• " .-:. : •■/-'■•. .:-.-. ■ >•

A •■voice: Would you assist them?. .: ':••': "••'.•• , Mr. Massoy: Certainly, that is one of 'the: th «B8 for. which lam in ; parliament., (Ap;' . '■Mr. MaSscy: (continuing) said that, if "nog. , nble. he.wpuld.brmg about an amendment : .the direction ho. had indicated. ' It Vas, ha in tI,J }?H m l an <? At ■»<**>"> ■ ' «?«««.■ ■ h ? d ° c ?«rred in these in- ■'•■ stances. (Loud: applause.)' ..:''.";.- . ".-' ■■■!•■'■ MR. NOW; i 1 ME;' MARTIN TAKES \ UP! A- CHALLENGE. 'U rlE Cre f .I 08 a towards the > ; clo£o of ■ tho. meeting held in the interests of •• ' Mr. Smith at Huntcmllo last night™ After : W b t ? llt rr had fWlcssedtho numerous "audi' tors, thoHons. J. A. Millar and-T. Mackcnrie - delivered addresses, which were alsc, well re- ■•■•" ceived. Questions having bceninvitcd, an elec. : ; tor. caused■ great-oxcifomont by asking (f Mr. Smith was prepared to allow Mr.Martin (the , tfe!?V7^ ni^t V' , * k6 . u P : ' hi « challenged. to provo that, ho had boeiv, inconsistent:." '" ': Mr. bimthsaii he. was. willing, that Mr.Martin should do 50.,-....': ■ . :• •. .'" ; Upon ascending thojlalform. Jfr;- Martin had a mixed reception. Ho said that ho would not ■have, como forward if ho had riot bceu able to substantiate his statements.,' His contention " that Mr. Smith had: declared: prior- tooths general election that his sympathies were with'•■■'.' Hie Opposition would, ho;6aid,be borne out ■ by such, prominent residents; of; this district as ■'■'•' Mr. Arrowsmith (chairmanof MK Smith's Taihapo committeo for tho general election), Mr. Wilton Guthrie:(nlsO'ofVTailiape), Dr..Turn: ■■' bnll (of Mangaweka), Mr.D. ,H. Guthrie (new <, M."P. for.OrouaJ.and Messrs,lit .C Bruce and . ■ Alex.: Simpson (of Huntorvillo). Mr. Martin''.'. wont'on to say that at Tekapua Block last No- . vomber Mr. Smith hadjsaid, ;in reply to a ques-''', tion, that he had no time for the prosont Govv. ornment. Confirmation of lus contention was' also to be' foundJnJbofact that Mr,.Hockly ." had, stood down in favour of Mr. Smith at the election—.:-V.'__:_....'.._.:_ _l__i LL_-;_:.. : Mr. Martin also read a letter from an dec- ' tor. Thereupon Mr. Smith oxcitcdly demanded . that the namo, of tho author of' tho letter should be mado'known. Amid cheers Mr. Mar-' tin said he would hand the letter ; to tho chairman, and if he thought it necessary the name ■ of tho writer would be discloses.. It-was, Mr.' Martin 1 contended, tho duty of Mr.' Smith either to prove that what ho (Mr: Martin) had slid . was untrue, or' make hira substantiate )iis . statements in a Court of law. (Loud applause.) During the course of his reply,' Mr. Smith : laid particular stress on the speech which he had delivered at. Hnlttcrville in November. Tho report of,the meeting, ho continued, clearly showed that ho was in sympathy with the Gov- ■'. ornment, excepting in' regard to tho question" of land tenure..> Seeing that tho Government had no objection to'his holding freehold'views, tho barrier which' prevented him ' from throwing in his lot .with.the Government •in the first place was removed.'; ;Ho' ; asked, hit) audienco to woigh in the '■ balanbe the state'-',..: ;tncnt made by a few mon who wero vigorously opposing him as'against tha rflibrts of .various',,, newspapors circulating in'tho district,, As Mr.: Martin was at lus meeting at Taihape and at Mangaweka, why did ho not' accept the 1 chal-: lengo then? (Applause.).- ■;'•'""■■, .'•"'• ■ In the course of an explanation subsequently, Mr. Martin said he went to Mangaweka saleyards to accept any challenge which Mr'. Smith might'wish to make, but no challengo was forthcoming,' .'■.-•■' -'' ; .. ■'/■■;' Mr. Smith rose and oxplaincd that during his address at Mangaweka ealeyards,. when dealing ' with his political status, ho had called out! to Mr. Martin: "Aro you listening, Mr. Martinf ■ To this Mr. Martin had replied l . "I am." Mr. Martin: But that- was no direct challenge, (rxiud applause.): • In'response to a strong appeal, Mr.; A. G. Simpson, who is a member of the Eangitikct ■ County Council; referred to the'quostion .of .',- Mr. Smith's views as far as howas concerned. He said that Mr. Smith at his (tho speaker's) house convinced hira that his sympathies wL'ra .:' entirely with the Opposition, and in that way support.- " ..'■:: . '•':■'■,',■