THE THORNDON REPRESENTATION.

Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 71, 24 March 1884, Page 3

THE THORNDON REPRESENTATION.

TO THE BDITOB. Sir— The question of who is to sucooed Mr. Levin in the representation of the Thorndon elootorato ia one not only of vital interest to the electors of that district, bat to every resident in the city of Wellington. The sir is fall of trouble. The revenue has fallen far short of expectation. New taxation ia imperatively necessary. The need of large additional loanß to complete the railway system is rampant. The excessive cost of primary education has to be reduoed. The whole scheme of educational grants_ and endowments demands immediate revision. A new plan of dealing with the Crown hinds so as to place bona fide settlers npon them cannot longer be delayed ; while such ques? tiona as immigration, free or assisted ; how to develop our natural and manufacturing industries; and a dozen others meet us at every hand, as subjeots requiring the immediate and serious attention of the Parliament of the colony. And whom are we to return to represent Thorndon at this critical juncture of affaire ? Is the eiperienoeof the last deoade to be again repeated? Is the reign of mediocrity and respectable dullness to be Btill further extended? Is a Newman, a Boiler, or an Edwards to be the elect of Thorndon? Heaven forbid ! "For the hut state of that man would be worse than the first" if such a calamity Bhonld ooour. But I cannot believe it. Let us awake from our lethargy. Let us remember the time when the burning eloquence and the fiery zeal of the ohosen representatives of Wellington made them the central figures in the political arena of New Zealand. Let us repeat those days. If we have not the metal within the city's gates let us go oat of the city and seek it. Can a fitting reprenentative not be fonnd in Mr. Ormond, Sir William Fox, Mr. Gisborne, Mr. Ballanoe, and others, whose places in the halls of Parliament know them not. These men are leaders, not slavish echoes, and either of them might deem-himself honoured by a request to become one of the members for the pity of Wellington. Fellow-electors the time is ripe. Wewantmen.not figureheads. Wewanttobe in the front of the battle, wad we most send strong men and leaders to the fight. Let us look the thing square in the face. We have not got suoh men in our midst yet. We must go abroad for them till we breed them. If we fall in this we will deserve the political extinction with which we are threatened, and the contempt whioh is meted out to us every day of our life I am, &c. , A Thqbndon Elector. 24th Matoh, 1884.