MR DOWNIE STEWART’S CANDIDATURE.

Evening Star, Issue 22195, 25 November 1935, Page 15

MR DOWNIE STEWART’S CANDIDATURE.

TO TUB EDITOR, Sir; —As an elector of Dunedin North I have in the last two elections voted for Labour, and intend voting for Mr Munro upon this occasion. There can therefore be little doubt concerning my general sympathies. I cannot, however, help feeling considerably disturbed at the position in Dunedin AVest. As a citizen anxious for his country’s welfare, although I might he considered to have “ a bit of a cheek ” to advise the electors of another district, I ask the hospitality of your columns to explain why.

I do not think that any fair-minded person can deny that Dr M'Millan, for mental calibre, for clarity of ideas, and for frankness, ranks above the average as a parliamentary candidate. He is the kind of member that both the party and the country should, have. However, I do not think that anybody would say that the country cannot do without him.

But can the country do without Air Downie Stewart? Air Stewart left the Cabinet upon the exchange issue. That issue was never intended to be a permanent one in New Zealand politics, and it has never been denied that the Government regards it as a temporary measure. The time must come for the bringing of the rate of exchange hack to normal. That, if we are to avoid both a major financial upset and also a huge finncial loss to the Government that will leave us heavily indebted to the banks, is going to be a very ticklish business. In fact, it coulcl only safely be done in tentative and easy stages. In the necessarily critical handling of this problem, do we want to see Messrs Forbes and Coates muddling along in their usual fashion, or do we wish to see the alert figure in the National ranks steering the Finance Ministry with his far defter touch and wiser forethought? The lower one rates the timber of which the present Cabinet is composed, the more unfortunate must the loss of so able a. potential Minister appear. Assuming that the National Government will survive—and with Air, Hislop’s shillyshallying that appears probable—a vote against Air Stewart is a vote in favour of wantonly maintaining the present standard of ineptitude in financial administration and depriving the Government of its last chance of importing brains into its ranks. Does anyone desire to vote for that result? Of course, if Labour forms a Government, this issue will not arise, but I do not think that anybody who cares to study the chances, electorate by electorate, in a spirit free from bias, will give Labour more than a fair fighting chance. Since there is only a chance of Labour victory, is it wise for the sake of Dr Al'Alillan or even for the sake of one more Labour seat, to deprive the Nationals of their ablest man ? Dr Al'Miilan has shown himself a live and most desirable candidate, but Mr Stewart is the one man who may well ho indispensable. As a citizen, with all duo respect I suggest to the electors of Dunedin AA’cst that they look before they leap.—l am, etc., Country Before Party. November 25. TO THE'EDITOR. Sir, —Having- been employed by the H on. W. Downie Stewart for a number of years, we may say that the slandoi as statements being circulated at the present time by the supporters of Labour are entirely without foundation, and also would Hire these people to know that Mr Downie Stewart pays most liberal wages—more so, in that there have never been any cuts made to his staff. Surely the services of 27 years, 1) years, and CJ- years speak for themselves.—AA 7 e are etc.. Staff AH:Mimas. November 25. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—A bright example of side-step-ping is provided by “ Dunedin West Catholic ” in reply to my invitation to publish his name. You, as editor, might recimnise his name as that of a member of an’old' Dmiediil Catholic family, hut he is afraid to enlighten the public t ; o the same extent. .This

is quite- surprising in' view of his statement that the Catholic’s characteristic is to suffer for his faith. As I gave to understand previously I ; along with the majority, definitely think that Mr Downie Stewart has never shown anything of a Catholic characteristic, and it is a gross libel on the part of your correspondent to impute that he has. I certainly would , agree with; your correspondent if he had referred ;to certain parliamentary debates (vide-LHan-i sard’) which, to my mind, left no doubt as to Mr Stewart’s attitude 'regarding Catholics. I know full well that the Catholic Church is non-pohti-cal, and its adherents are free to vote as thev wish, but I would commend to “ Dunedin West Catholic” the following extract from an encyclical of Pope Loo Xlll.:—“Justice demands that the interests of the working classes should be carefully watched over by the Administration, so that they who contribute so largely to the advantage of the community may themselves share in the benefits they create —that being houses, clothed, and bodily .fit, they may find their life less hard and more endurable*;” This, sir, is my ftna rejoinder to “ Dunedin AVest Catholic and his peculiar championship of Mr Stewart.—l am, etc., November 25. Christian. TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —To “ Democrat ” I would reply that nobody in New Zealand is well enough off to despise the position ot Finance Minister. Even in those rare cases—and I doubt if this is on®' where the money does not count, the power and the influence certainly do. These Mr Downie Stewart gave up, with an election nearly three years off. The trimmer would have earned on. Of those Catholics who have written, I would ask how are they going to recoucilo the Catholic Church and tliG New Zealand Labour Party? If there is one thing the Catholic Church has made clear in its pronouncements on these questions it is ' that it rejects Socialism. Its cardinal belief is that every individual should own a bit of property. Tsfobocly should own much, but everybody should own some property. The New Zealand Labour Party, on the contrary, stands in its declared, ultimate objective for no individual owning anything, the State owning everything—in other words, Socialism. These are absolutely irreconcilable objectives. No amount of water-ing-down by the Labour Party for the purposes of electioneering will reconcile them. Which will the Catholic Lave—his church or the New Zealand Labour Party?—l am, etc., Dunedin West CVmoi.ic. November 23. TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—ln my. letter appearing on Saturday night, I asked whether it was purely a coincidence that one of Mr Downie Stewart’s committeemen was appointed to a directorship of the Reserve Bank. This should have read Mortgage Corporation. Probably' Mr Stewart will explain this at his meeting to-night. Another matter I would like him to explain (and 1 think it would be in his interests to make a statement) and that is in regard to the superanuation funds. When Sir Joseph Ward took office in 1928 he immediately discovered that the funds had been raided and that things were not as they should , have been. The debate which followed between Sir Joseph and Mr Stewart is now political history. That Sir Joseph Ward was right in his allegations against Mr Stewart that Mr Stewart had left a legacy cf empty coffers was given strong credence by what followed when the crash came in 1931, when we were told-that the funds were in a weak state. Will JMr Stewart now explain his mathematical genius?—l am, etc., November 25. Democrat.