CORRESPONDENCE "TORN AGAIN," MASLIN.

Evening Star, Issue 18136, 28 November 1922, Page 7

CORRESPONDENCE

"TORN AGAIN," MASLIN.

TO THU EDITOE. Sir,—l have been watching with some amusement the aotmtiea of our very old friend Mi 1 W. S. Maslin, who is endeavoring just now to persuade the electors of Dunedin 'Central that “he's the one.” I say I am amused', because I have followed Mr Madia’s desperate, but unsuccessful, struggles for parliamentary honors for such a long, long time. Just on thirty years ago he was returned by a few voles over Mr E. S. Wright for Rangitata; and it was during his brief sojourn in the House that followed that he contracted the itch that ■has kept him scratching away for a plaoo in the sun ever since, for, despite hia periodic defeats, he has wandered about trying to find an opening to that delectable region where speech is tree to the members, but mighty expensive to the taxpayers. I happen to nave by me a record of the various elections since 1893, and 1 see that Mr Maslin, the erstwhile Liberal, stood for Ashburton) in 1899 as an Independent. He cams third 1 , with 724 votes as against the 2,025 polled by Mr J[‘Lachlan. Disappointed with Ashburton, Mr Maslin nest tried Geraldine, styling himself on this occasion an Independent Oppositionist. Again he had to accept defeat, Mr Fiatrnan, scoring 2,270 to 1.303 in a two-man contest. After this error of judgment on the part of the Geraldino electors. Mr Ma.sli.Ti forsook them foi Waitaki, and, dropping Ins iudependencc, stood as a straight-out Oppositionist to the Secldon Government in the hope of slipping ini in a five-man fight. Alas for Mr Maslin ! only 377 voters saw eye to eye with him, and Sir Stewart lopped the poll with 2,545. Ear the next election (1908) Mr Maslin retained ‘Ms Opposition coat, hut decided to once more change his electorate. Waitaki having spoken in such a loud, anli-Maslin voice, Ashburton would bo forgiven for its former Lapse, and afforded a second opportunity. The .result? Mr FLitman first with 2,316 voles, Mr Maslin fifth with 276! Despairing of those fresh worlds which refused' to be conquered, Mr Maslin stuck to Ashburton, and duly went down in the next two elections, though ho wooed the electors first as a, Liberal and then as an Independent Liberal. Recognising at last that Ashburton really wasn’t hiking any Masfin, the inuch-tricd-and-!nuoh-teiind-wa.nt-ing candidate oast, around for some constituency that was more worthy of a Maslin. He decided on Cluiha. But Clutha was at one with Ashburton and Geraldine and Waitaki. and Mr Maslin finished' third in a field of four. And now this muchtravelled and versatile place-seeker comes to Dunedin Central, making an angry finger at Mr Stathajn and denouncing him as a wanderer and a turncoat. In view of the record) set out shove this is altogether too funny.— l am, etc,, Argus. November 28.