REFORM AND LIBERAL.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 20 October 1922, Page 6

REFORM AND LIBERAL.

To the Editor. Sir, —It is rather discouraging to i us Liberals that Mr. Astbury Uas not replied to the questions submitted by my friend. lam hoping against hope, however, and I urge in reply to my friend's jibes, that perhaps Mr. Astbury is waiting to see how many questions come in before he replies, and demolishes the questioner. I have asked that the questions be confined to the baker's dozen already propounded by my friend, but he says he has the few additional ones now appended and then he has finished. Would that my pen were more versatile, would that I were more fitted for controversial political warfare, and I would give these Labour extremists the time of their lives! Surely one can be found willing to enter the lists with such questioners—surely one can be found to defend the grand old traditions of Liberalism! Some time ago sn-n a defender was found in Mr. T3. A. Pacey, and I was proud of him, and though I cannot exactly say he routed his opponents, still any voice, however feeble, is abetter than a damaging silence. And if I remember rightly one. Murphy, of Patea, also came in to help Mr. Pacey with an anonymous correspondent called "Lib Lab." It is pathetic in the extreme to see how the Murphy s, the Finnegans and the Brannigans stick to any hope, hpwever forlorn. And "Lib Lab," admitted, too, that he belonged to the same cfass. The continual defections from the Liberal Party are disheartening our rank and file, and something should be said or done to raise our morale. My friend says he predicted in your columns that Isitt would go over to Re-*. form, and sure enough he did so,, and" when Witty and McCallum asked the Prime Minister if he could agree with Sir John Findlay'-s exposition of Liberalism my friend y predicted they were on the road over also, and true to prophecy Witty has done so. Then, in question 13 of my last letter, my friend asked Mr. Astbury if he would deny that Visor Brown, among others, would follow, and the anticipated has happened. My friend's political perspicacity is decidedly uncanny. And this morning when it was announced by a contemporary that at least one other Liberal in addition to Vigor Brown was contemplating the plunge, my friend put them in thjs order: Atmore, R. W. Smith, McCallum. I do hope and trust his prediction this time does not cOme true. "At least" one other going over to Reform! Wherever is it all going to end! boon there will be nothing but a few diehards left. My friend,, with bis last batch of questions, has intimated that he has raised the amount of his challenge to Mr. Astbury, first from five to ten pounds, and he is now prepared to make it fifty pounds. You know, Mr. Editor, I am almost prepared to accept it on Mr. Astbury's behalf; it is too good a chance to let slip. Why, I believe it would pay a quarter of Mr. Astbury's expenses, for no candidate is by law allowed to spend m»re than £200 on his campaign, is he, Mr. Editor? Snap it, Mr. Astbury, before the offer is withdrawn. It would be a splendid move to win the election on the money of an extremist. The additional questions ai*e; — (14) Seeing that Mr. Isitt, the Lib-eral-Labour candidate, is also receiving the Reform vote, what is to prevent Mr. Astbury's party calling itself the Liberal-Labour-Reform Party ? (It would ] then be far more cosmopolitan, I tell I my friend.; (15) How did the Liberal Party come ] to add Labour to its name ?' What ! Labour . organisations support it? ! (16) Does Mr. Astbury agree with ■ the sentiment contained m tne following paragrapn from the Christchurch Press reprinted /in to-day's Star: "These Liberal candidates "who have j made a beginning with their election j campaigns are finding no little diffi- ' culty in makng the electors understand . what a Liberal candidature means," I owing to the lack of a policy. (17) If he does, will he say whether he has shaken Mr. Wilford up to propound a policy? (I tell my friend that ' Mr. Astbury is quite as well able to propound the Liberal policy as Mr. ' Wilford; in- fact, he is giving it to the intelligent electors of Egmont every i night in the week.) (18) If he does not, will he say from ' what sources he makes up his speech? (My friend says, anyway, the &peech is mostly _platitudes, such as "the greatest good to. the. greatest number", "you can fool all the people all the tune," etc., wrongly attributed to Lincoln, or deeds of ancient history as to what Liberalism did during the Dark -rMy friend is plainly envious.) (19) Is it a fact that the Liberal Party voted for the principle of reduction of wages during last session ? (I am in receipt of a pretty 2 ood "screw myself, and I am. naturally, therefore, in favour of high wages, and 1 can hardly believe that my party would have so voted.) .(20) Is Mr. Astbury in favour of a further cut in wages? My friend has exhausted himself with his questions, so it now only remains tor Mr. Astbury to deliver the knockout blow and recover the £50.-1 am etc. ■ ■ '