GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Mataura Ensign, Issue 222, 1 December 1896, Page 3

GENERAL ELECTIONS.

♦ ELECTION NOTES. " The price of our stocks," says Mr Seddon, "is higher than under the Conservative Government, and the rate of interest has gone down." So, remarks the ' x Rays,' has the price of wool — from £25 10s pc» bale to £10 ss. All, of course, owing to the Liberals. In his Hastings speech, Mr Seddon drew a glowing picture of the transformation of Cheviot, how a sheep run could be converted from a " place where 73 souls had previously existed,- now 800 'Bepple* were settled, with school buildings jwd\ waving corn." Mr Seddon forgot to tell his hearers that it had cost the taxpayers of the colony £1000 for each man, woman, and child on that very same Cheviot — vide Government's own returns. — ' Napier Telegraph.' The Premier was not nominated for Wellington. Mr Duthie, who is absent at Nelson, has wired withdrawing his' nomination. It appears now that had ".the Premier's nomination come in at the last moment Mr JeUicoe would also have been a" candidate. • I learn on the highest legal authority obtainable here (writes the Wellington correspondent of the ' Otago Daily Times ') that the Wairarapa election will have to be declared invalid, through the action of the returning officer in refusing to accept Mr Coleman Phillips's nomination on the 2Gth November. The returning officer had advertised that nominations would close on the 25th, whereas under " The Electoral Act Amendment Act, - 1896," the statutory day was the 26th. Mr Phillips maintains his right to be nominated, and there will be nothing for it but to fight the election over again. This will probably give the Government a chance of securing a stronger candidate than Mr Hornsby, who is now in the field in their interest, and is sure to be beaten by Mr Buchanan. Sir George Whitmore informs the ' Napier Daily Telegraph ' that the statement in some papers that the Bank of New Zealand wrote off £16,000 for Sir Harry Atkinson is untrue. The debit, Sir George states, was due by the ' N.Z. Times, 1 Sir Harry being only liable by a legal technicality. Most of the Government organs admit that the Mataura election is no more than an even money contest. The Government offices all over the colony will be closed at noon on election day. Mr M\ Gilfedder has been unanimously selected by the Wallace Liberal Association to contest the Wallace seat in the interests of the Association. Mr Alfred Beaven has retired from the contest for Awarua. The Hon. G. . F. Richardson addressed a crowded and enthusiastic meeting at Mr S. Richardson's large horse bazaar at Wyndham on Saturday night. A vote of thanks and confidence was carried unanimously. Mr H. S. Valentine addressed an enthusiastic meeting at Balfour on Wednesday night, Mr D. Dickie in the chair. He was very well received, and seems to stand well in the . estimation of , the people. Amongst others, Mr Valentine touched very substantially on colonial finance and financing . during the last six years. Although giving the Government credit for a little, he reproached them with abusing their privileges to a very great extent. After speaking on crude legislation, the crippling of capital, civil service, etc., Mr Valentine drifted to Prohibition amidst great applause. Here he kept the audience in a very " spirited " mood. At anyrate no one can reproach Mr V. for being indefinite on this question. He is not afraid of the stand he takes. At the close of the address the usual round of questioning was indulged in. With regard to the present Government's scheme of purchasing land for settlement Mr Valentine expressed his disapproval, but stated that if land was to be acquired he favored the purchase of easily accessible blocks like the N.Z. Agricultural Co.'s-e§tate ( -rather than that of back areas. Federiwiifli of the Empire was, in his opinion, preferable to a federation of the Australasian colonies, so far as New Zealand was concerned. Anomalous rates on the railways was also discussed without approval. The candidate asked that no vote of confidence be accorded him, as ho did not think it a proper proceeding. He rather wished the electors to postpone that till 4th December^ A hearty vote of thanks was carried to Mr Valentine for his able and • clear address. A vote of thanks to the chair brought the meeting to a close. — Own correspondent. Replying to the Hon. G. F. Richardson's challenge to the Hon. J. G. Ward to substantiate his statement that four members of the Atkinson Government were, directors of public companies daring the time they held office, Mr Ward 'gave the following : — Capt. Russell, director of the Northern Investment Company, Napier; Hon. Mr Hislop, chairman of directors of the Oamaru Woollen Company ; Hon. Mr Stevens, director of the Permanent Investment Company, Christchurch ; Hon. Mr Whitaker, director of the Auckland Gas Company, and also director of the Bank of New Zealand ; and the Hon. E. Mitchelson was a director of the Kahu Valley Coal Company, and, he believed, also of the Kamo. Coal Company. . . Our Kelso correspondent writes: — So far as this district is concerned, Mr Thomson's election if a certainty. It really would not

t be too much to predict that Mr Thomson f will poll more than Messrs Edie, Ay son, and 0 | Blair put together. At one time Mr Edie 3 { had a show of polling a good second, yet I f . question now if he docs not come in fourth s man. We have nothing against Mr Edie's j private character, but in his public or ) | political one in a few short weeks he has t : literally besmirched himself in an inextricable - vortex of blunders, that the intelligent 1 j electors of Clutha were not slow in i ' discerning. i Mr W. Fraser spoke, for a second time, at , Waikaia last night upon several matters that : had arisen since the commencement of the ! campaign. He was enthusiastically received, j i I and his speech throughout was interrupted j i by cheering and loud applause.