CANDIDATES' QUESTION TIME.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1286, 15 November 1911, Page 8

CANDIDATES' QUESTION TIME.

J I TTo tho Editor.l Sir—Mr. Bolton has suddonlv blossom- | ed forth into a humorist, of {ho unconscious order. Ho refers to "his friend Mr. M'Laron," and then proceeds to endeavour to got a slap at his friend. If that is the gentleman's style of friendship then the Government partv, which ho says he supports, had better" keep an eyo . on him. A friend of that kind is more ■ dangerous than an open enemy. Mr. ! Bolton took up much of his time at Kili Inrme in asking me questions, and if ho . had only let me know I would have been . glad to bo there and answer them. I . am glad to find this candidate claims no i monopoly in the discussion of tho high ; cost of living question, because I remember that tho subject was first actively rawed by a deputation from the local . Trades and Labour Council to tho Minisi tor for Customs', which deputation I introduced. On this most vital question I affirm definitely .that hud speculation is responsible for increasing values, and thereby making the burden of rent ever heavier on the shoulders of the people. I have yet to Jearn that Mr. Bolton is an enemy of this economic evil of land gambling. • I T, iln J- as,c(><J if during mv three years in Parliament I brought forward any Bill or resolution bearing on the vital'question of tho cost of living. My answer is that I supported such proposals as Mr. A. i.T 5 ,""? 01 *' 011 of d'rtv on food stuffs, and also the Workers' Dwellings Act, by which workers can get a chance of securing a home on a deposit of .£lO. 1 allowed older members than I to move because, I was not egotistical enough to think that I had a better right than hem. But, after ali, how much chance ™ any private member to got a Bill through for the remission of duties? Tho questioner probably knows, and his qucsTr V i foro Just a catch-cry. Mr. Bolton asks where was I when Mr. Massay s resolution to part with the freehold went to the vote. This is'the «ame ques.ion as was raised bv Mr. F. M. B. !• isher some time ago in n correspondence with myself which appeared in tho local papers, and which I fully answered at J™ ,f\ Tllcse aro tho siinp'o facts: Ihe debate on Mr. Massev's resolution went on for t a considerable "lime, and on an evening when a very important meeting of the City Council was wiled it was still going on, and not expected to come to a vote. The Mayor (Mr. Wilford), Mr. J. P. Luke, and I were at tho council, and though Mr. EII had intended to Jet us know If n vote was coming on,, ho forgot to do po, conaiquoiiUy up were not there. If, however, anyone wants to know how I stood on the resolution, let them road my speech, wherein I declared definitely against Mr. Mnßsc.y's resolution. It is interesting to find Mr. Bolton, who savs he is a government candidate, taking lip (he same point as an Oppositionist to try and catch me on a trick, but it won't work. May I now put a few pertinent questions to Mr. Bolton? First, was lie a Government candidate in IDOS, when ho stood against tho Government party's candidate for Wellington North? Is he dofinitely the Government candidate now' If so, when was ho selected, by whom', and where are his credentials ? Did 1 10 ut otio of his very first meetings in connection with this campaign intimate that he was going to make it quite clear on the platform that "he is not a Roman Catholic"? and has (his any connection with his receiving the same question over and over again? Doe* lie not imlly lc . fleet on a largo body of citizens by continuing to answer a question of religion and private conscience on a political platform? Those are just a few to go on with, and mav I suggest.to "mv friend" that ho should not allow himself to be led away by Oppositionists and other design-

ing persons. If he has any more troubl« widi that religion questioner, lot him send him on to me. I'll answer him straight by telling: him to "mind his own business,'' as n man's religion is his own private concern.—l am, etc., D. M'LAREN.