The Taranaki Election.

Feilding Star, Volume I, Issue 266, 15 May 1907, Page 2

The Taranaki Election.

The contest for tho seat vacant owing to tho death of Mr E. M. Smith, has bwm filled by the election of the Opposition candidate, Mr H. J. H. Okoy, a man of sterling integrity and great personal popularity, whom to know is to respect find to bo friendly with is a privilege. For personal reasons Tarunaki has no reason to bo ashamed of tho choice made, and political considerations are not ot sjicli groat moment to the Government with their unwieldy majority. In on> way the result has bven ;i blow to the Government, for the lato member was a whole-souled supporter of the Laud Bill as introduced, while Mr Okoy is as strenuous an opponent oi its provisions as freeholders wouM desire to see>. The lamentable feature of the election has been the amount of Ministerial influence brought to bear on tho electorate. Wo do not refer to tho Hon. J. Carroll's symposium or whatever you like to call it, which culminated witli a corroboree at the Oakura hotel not usually associated with political campaigns, but to the promises made by Mr Hall-Jones from his eyrie in Wellington as to assistance to be rendered to the district for various public works, etc. — promises which are only fit to rank with the Tamniany system which all honorable men condemn. There used to be no greater opponent of this system than the Acting-Pre-mier — before ho assumed office- — and it is a pity that he lent himself to a practice which can never conduce to purity of elections where its effect is what is anticipated. Fortunately, the Taranaki electors would not send to Parliament a i epresentative besnirched with the odour of such methods.