THE ELECTIONS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXII, Issue LXII, 23 November 1911, Page 8

THE ELECTIONS.

PATEA ELECTORATE

MR PEACE AT KAIIWI

A correspondent writes as follows: — > At Mr G. V. Pearce 7 s meeting at Kai lwi on Wednesday evening there was a good attendance, the chair being occupied by Mi- M. Hughes. Referring to Mr O'Dea's statement at Aramoho to the effect that he (the speaker) had at Normanby denied that he had written to the Press saying that he had voted against the rise in workmen's wages, because things were dropping, Mr Pearce said he did not deny having written to the Press, as Mr ODea made out, but he did deny having written giving as his' reason for voting against the rise in wages that things were dropping. Mr Pearce said his reason for voting against th© rise was that the .Council had some old surfacemen who would have to be dismissed because they were not worth the extra wage. His reasons appeared in full in the Patea Press of November 14, 1907. In reference to Mr O'Dea's statement concerning the' increase of interest per head, Mr Pearce said he had given Sir Joseph "Ward's figures from the Budget,' and if there was an error it was the Premier's, but anyone with ordinary intelligence must see that when the debt during the last five years Tiad increased by nearly 25 per cent, and the population by not 12£ per cent., the interest payable per head must have increased, and not decreased, as,stated by Mr O'Dea. A vote of thanks, carried unanimously, to Mr Peaice, concluded the meeting.