THE H.B. TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13, 1911. THE POOR MAN’S FRIEND.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume II, Issue 2, 13 December 1911, Page 4

THE H.B. TRIBUNE. WEDNESDAY, DEC. 13, 1911. THE POOR MAN’S FRIEND.

Mil. L,V iilAsnX, as we were stii'i’ he would, received an attentive ami patient bearing from the large audience which a”, aitod him last night. It was only to be expected, however, that any attempt to get a b) ief hearing for the other side front the platform would lie howled <iown .and in this. too. there was m> disapjieiiitment. It may be presumed that Mr. Laurenson was sent in re <"s living the man woo could make tb<- best of a. bad job. and if ’■ ii.il ire ma.de of il is the best, then I ;t veiy bad job ii must be. “Job ■ ;■; i.".;liy a very appi'opi'iate word.! for jobber;, rims through the whole -ystcHi developed by tlie AA’ard .'d miuist i at icit. He mmnwiiwi with! ,i lengthy ini rodm-tion which served ! but ti:i' ciie purpose of filling in I tint* so th;:! !;e would not be called j upon to say too mmh o:i matters! that ivi’i':' of real asid vital interest. | He tlien wint on In point out that. | although we had Lad twenty years of ireii iitorrupt ed prosperity, tire }>■ >si-{ tion of lire v.< i ;;’!r.' ma:i hail not; imprni ■■•! n it< jm-i proimnion. Thi< do. s not sound liiucli like defence, i bit! rather i- an iim-ons.-ious con-: fession from oire v, |,n boasts him-; M’if of twrhe year- <>f Parliament • cry life and of in■!= ingirig to a party; which 1.,;--, iiad twenty years of the mo'.t glorious opportunities ever af lorded, cirli'-r in oi out of New Zealand. to a G<ermneiit with the intenrets of tire masses reaiiy at ire.tri. He dr.mii.'d nat tire oid fetish of land i■>• -th -puli. ''lit did not explain u hy tire Goi”■ • r■ 11■ i "11* had declined the < hail’-es giien it of qitiring; most suitable lands in this province j vohmtariii proffered to lie “liad. i.re sntiii'ieni information” to answer a question as io why tlie Go-' icrnment. while limitations <>i’ area .I.p| >ii"i l to all Native lands. s<> alter-: . ■I ' ire hw by tiiirricii and cloudy ■ !.■" : '■;.!.: irea that tin- L;licr:i! King-! maker Hawk’-’s Bay was placed' i.t a i H ■ -:: :o>:i. if prof:’ p'mnpteil. to deal v. it ') rei'.xi am" of our very Lest farming Natii'e lands in one luiiip. Ti;t--e v.as a gentleman vsitir-: in -ix fi'i't of him who could have; "Ivon Ifiui ■lrst-lia.nd ail tiie inforri'aAon n ■■ • dt-11. W h e n a•-k•'d wh e t h er re:" Govei-imrem had made any !. a •’> re: re:;' '•> ‘ ‘ rst ill, the wicxeii do:?,!' noreopo'y it lais o zi-.i’oas'y .. ::■ i f. .■ r-ui-ii good rcas'-ia- itorre' its 1,-'.:; so pre-cTVe and foster, h>" riutitsily tire query by star-i

iiig his own personal convictions ir favour of National Prohibition. He was. of in no way irdlm-ncee b\ the presence his pint;ii ot in the fun-front of the timlitoriun: of a well-knoun hot e!-o wner an< the head of a private brewing Company. broli of whom have fattc-nei well on the exclusive control of most of the hotel licenses in this provim-e. Anti thi-: is the gentleman sent t< persuade us to keep in power a Ministry whir h disclaims al! association with landlords and capitalists. When endeavouring as hurriedly and confusingly as possible t< explain away the after-taste of the Mokau-Herman Lew is deal, he did | not mention that ,1'20.000 of the profits marie possible only by the action of tin- Ministry went io pay a worthless mortgage to a millionaire brewer, a very substantial, though perhaps retiring, supporter of his party. There may lie nothing in it. lint then* are at least possibilities in th<* association of facts. Mr. Lattrenson knows full well, or he is not the astute man we think ami his (iwn -political record shows hint to lie, if he is not aware that a large portion of the National Prohibition majority <>f which Ho is so proud. I consists of votes cast by moderate! drinkers, and possibly too by sonic' who are not moderate, as a protest i against the liquor monopoly which I this Administration cannot, and in-1 deed dare not. tackle. The friends] of trie working-man -perhaps. |