THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1193, 31 July 1911, Page 4

THE COMING ELECTIONS.

SUGGESTIONS FOB CANDIDATES,

Sir,-Candidates for Parliament ' havo taken tho'field, and, from what I h.n e bo .far beard, their speeches, with a ic\v notable exceptions, run in the. time-hon-oured groove. I have attended a gieat many political meetings during he last few years, generally in 'J l .® T urn ' h e is„ai and I am' convinced that the usual method adopted by candidates •of dealin„ *ithpoliticians and political ma ers does not appeal'to that interesting T the average clector. I may, 'theretore, ]1 Lope, be pardoned for Oucrnig a few suggestions tV candidates for Parliamentary Sirs, seeing that I have watched he iurse Of political life in this country Suring the last twenty-five years, tromi a very advantageous standpoint. 1 ad dress my ■ leter to you, because your journal appears to havo the largest encuiation of any of the city papers in the rural districts and smaller centres. I bavo root with it in all parts ot the North Island. ' , , . To begin with, I would suggest that, in dealing with a. party entrusted.with the management of tho country s annus, its opponents should not fight with glomes on. If a Government, or a member ot it, commits an act prejudicial to the interests ol the State as a whole, although beneficial to it«a owe friends and supporters, yliy fihould personal feelings be considered.'' Would the'shareholders of a company be infiuenced -by any such sentiment it the directors allowed their own friends to enjoy greater advantages than the rest? Mobodv will doubt that tho tenure of office of ihoso directors would speedily come to an. end. And what, arc personal considerations compared with the interests of the-.State?. Yet the able Leader of the Opposition and his lieutenants seem to deal with, tho members of the Ministry, as if their tender places were more to bfc considered than the welfare ot the whole country, 'l'lio way Sir J. ward acted towards Mr. Massey with regard to the Black pamphlet clearly showed that ho is by no means so considerate. 1 think 'candidates .might take, as a tetx, Mr- Fisher's exceedingly pertinent queries: ,f Why, while tho country is. so prosperous, are we borrowing so heavily; and why—the more we borrow, the more wo are-taxed?" I believe those were his words. Well, .to begin with, I suggest that these .questions should be circulated throughout New Zealand. They should set all but ignoramuses and idiots thinking; for surely tho position is a very remarkable anomaly, and the obvious answers to .the questions would point to a .very serious situation. I would ask how Sir J. Ward's persistent refusal, to give-any. account of thotransactions' connected; with the. five million loan, and'previous-ones,..can be explained. . Hbw.much, did'this:cduntty get out of tho .25,000,000? v.-. If. thero, is nothing ' to .'conceal, why >11 this -secrecy, which, to . say the least, suggests hypolicses not creditable to tho_ Government?; To take again :the example''of a-company' with a board-of directors, (which . our Ministers, "flirty BQ : ,',said: .to represent),; ■ what' woultWtke. shafeholders' do. if tho. directors, : h!iving'.-beeu authorised to" raise a big loariijflfiised'any account of' tho way'itswas raisedgflr. how/much of it' camo into the: coffers' of the company?. Even th6'' , give"' d : pretty good", guess. . ; , ■ . , j I would'ask if the electors can understand why.-.Sir.'.Joseph ,Ward, aftor the eirr.ulation pAmplilet, did not take , the .. obvious' would havo been 'taken* by iilnety-mniTmeh* 6iit" of a hundred—and prosecute the pub-, lisher? Then the truth-would have been vindicated in a manner satisfactory to all but tho offender. I havo not seeij the pamphlet in question, but from what I have heard,'l sliould say that the credit of the Dominion required a public and judicial vindication of its Prime Minister. One cannot'help wbndering why Sir' J. Ward .contented himself with making a

pathetic;: appeal to Parliament and tha

country. I would recommend tlie Opposition candidates to make a point o£ assuring, the electors in districts where- State em : ployee's are numerous that" the ballot is absolutely secret, and that even -the Government cannot ascertain how their votes may bo cast. This is important, because it .is well known that at recent elections State employees have been cautioned against voting for an Opposition candidate, "as the Government -"would be suro- to find out." Absurd as. this may stem., it ■has occurred. I do not accuse the members of the Ministry of such tactics, but I do assert that some.of'the candidates have winked at the practice of intimidat-

ing the' State employees. It does nqt say much for their opinion of the Government that vefy many of these employeos are afraid to take the risk. . . • . ,

I -would strongly advise Opposition candidates deal with statistics so much as is usually done (especially in .the country electorates, where a mass of figures only confuses the average elector), while the main issues are often, overlooked or neglected. ' Finally, I may remark that much time is often wasted by candidates -in explainin? -the Opposition platform, with the result that the view they present is sometimes not as clear and reliable as it. might be. I would suggest. that copies -of: the platform put forward "by Mr. Massey bo sent in tlie form of large posters to every Opposition candidate' in the nlral districts to be put up throughout the electorates. I may say, in conclusion, that I offer -tho above suggestions as an elector of this Dominion anxious to see a clean administration, in tho hope that they may be of somo assistance to candidates for Parliament who are in opposition to the present Government.—l am. etc., - ' BRUTUS.