CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

Evening Post, Volume XCV, Issue 42, 18 February 1918, Page 8

CORRESPONDENTS' VIEWS

"Tolerance," referring to the statement of a, correspondent that in the eyes of certain people men like Lincoln, Gladstone, and Lloyd George would be regarded as wowsers, denies the suggestion that the'men mentioned were total abstainers. The correspondent concludes: "No great man was a wowser; Ho great man is intolerant. Men with little minds are all intolerant." S. E. Lambert endorses the views expressed •by "Veritas" on the narrow and selfish vision of anti-wowaers. Other correspondents ;have also written on the same subject. "An Elector," in stressing the danger of splitting ths National: Government

vote, writes : "At the meetings of both Messrs. Luke and Poison, the evident supporters of Mr. Holland freely interjected and comported themselves . in their usual manner, but at Mr. Brandon's meeting they were apparently sympathetic, mentally patted him. on the back, and there was no sting in their interjections. The effect on that candidate was obvious; he. seemed to feel that he had the support of a large section of the voters, and was Oblivious of the fact' that his candidature was being used as a red herring to deflect the votes from the National Government nominee, and that Mr. Holland's supporters were present at the Molesworth-street meeting to see that he (Mr. Brandon) did not lose heart."

"A True Reformer" writes : We. find among Mr. Massey's confessions that he could not accept Mr. Skerrett because he did not belong to the Beform Party, but he has not shown that Mr. Skerrett was not prepared to support the Rationa] Government. What Mr. Massey has clearly implied is that he must have as a National Government candidate a man pledged body and soul to the Reform Party after the war. So Mr. Luke gets . the Boss Brand, though he has been beaten under both, flags in two different electorates, v, ..One outstanding feature, however, is that Mr. Massey is sufficiently r ' minded., to have placed party considerations above all else. I am sorry that Mr. Massey did not, under the banner of true patriotism, try to supply, the Old Country with our produce Jn the hour, of trial at something approaching cost price, and humiliate neutral and other profiteering nations who; have with high prices sucked at the vitals of. the Mother Country.

"Anti-Selfish Democrat" concludes a long letter reviewing certain democratic principles with this opinion : 'The electoi's of Wellington North are to be trusted to return' to Parliament a candidate who is not fettered by any hall-mark, and one that realises that he not only represents a constituency but the people as a whole, and who will ■be free to criticise fairly any injustice or wrong. After hearing the views of the four candidates already announced, one cannot but conclude, Sir, thai the electors of Wellington North have such a. one among the candidates who will have the time, leisure, and ability to represent them worthily, and. who is very much alive to the fact that the desire of all loyal citizens is to defeat the 'enemy, .within and without."

"The Other ' Side of Hobson-street" writes: " 'Hobson-Btreet,' in -his Eacy . criticism of Dr. Fyffe, has given 'the show' away completely. Referring obviously to the nominee he says:—'Sir,—l am not a wowser any. more than, is Dr. Fyffe, but I am backing the national candidate, and am prepared to bet "all the tea in China" that he ie not going .to be bottom of the poll.' Now, Sir, eliminate the slip of the pen and write the bet as it should Have been written, 'all the "T" in China,' and you have the extent to which .'Hobson-street' is prepared to back hie choice. It is a very safe offer, especially when there are no takers. P.S.—ln case 'Hobson-street' should not realise before the_ numbers, are tip how he hae hedged, it may be weir to point out that there is no "T" in China." . „•..'. ■' ■'