EGMONT ELECTION.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVII, 30 October 1928, Page 4

EGMONT ELECTION.

(To> the Editor.) Sir,—l will be igladi if you will ispatre me space to reply to your leader of Saturday last. lam quoted as having said “that a private member, could do nothing to prevent a Government doing a thing it was determined upon.” .1 frankly confess that ail my efforts as a private .member of .the .Reform Party at that 'time did not prevent the Government 'Otf the day .from diverting the Te Boti-Opunake railway from the reserved route to an entirely new route about 2 miles or so south of the railway reserve, this being done to pander to the Haw era electors in the 1914 election. The Reform Party at that tame held a shaky seat and; yielded to strong representations 1 from Haiwera at a great cost to the taxpayer. I must say here, however, that the then sitting member— Air G. V. Pearce- —-was not a party to what was done, and knowing him os I then did, I am sure he would never 'have suggested that such a wicked- waste of public money should be made to help his candidature.

Whait I wish to point out is that, although a. private member -o-f a party' could not stop a Government when a seat was- in danger, when it came to a non-party question, such os the Ldqu-or Bill-, a private member untrammelled by parity ties did measure swords with, the Reform-Liberal or Massey-Ward Government, and -was successful in defeating .them. Hence the only practical measure of temperance reform we have ever had in this country —viz., the per mumont six o’clock closing law. I am hopeful of yet doing a similar service to- the community in connection with the present wicked tax -upon wheat amid flour, which raises the price of the people’s- (bread: beyond all reason, and also- in abolishing the compulsory clauses iu the Dairy Control Act-, which are am incentive to -much. -mischief in the future.

These two issues—-the(Government defend— I attack—and the electors of Egmont will -decide for -or against on November 14.—1 am, -etc., G. A. WILKINSON.