THE GOVERNMENT AND CRICKET.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 2 November 1914, Page 3

THE GOVERNMENT AND CRICKET.

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Last week you published a letter signed "Anti-Humbug," accusing the Opposition in general, and the member for Nelson in particular, of not playing "the game," so far as politics are concenred, at the present critical juncture in the countrv's affairs. I would remind your readers that it was Mr. Massey himself who declared that he was "sick of the party truce" after he had' been "bowled out," for having party organisers hard at work fixing up candidates during the time of truce. His position was so desperate that he had io break the terms and the spirit of the truce to gain an unfair party advantage. It was not cricket. ' It was playing ninepins, with his political profession as the avowed and self-praising head, of the "Party of Purity/' It would have suited his ideas of fair play to have gone on organising and preparing for the general election, while his opponents stood honourably by the terms of the armistice. Now that the truce is over, however, and the "Flying Squadron" of the Liberal Partv has recommenced its activities, the "Reform" shammers are showing their irritability in an acute form, as witness "Anti-liumbug's" letter, where, in tho course of his antics and humbug—-having no politics of his own, and being unable to attack the good, clean, clear, progressive politics of the gentleman who has the honour to represent this electorate—he descends to the churlish"" pettiness of inquiring who pays for the hall and advertisements. Should the Reform candidate for Nelson be invited by the "Reform league" of Wellington to be sole speaker at a meeting in their Town Hall, and should he prove sufficiently attractive and interesting to attract and interest an audience of thousands there, the Liberals of Nelson would be pleased by the honour conferred on another Nelsonian, even though they did not agree with his politics, and thev .would not dream of asking "Who paid for the hall?" When-Mr Massey came here at the invitation of the Nelson Reform League, I assume they paid for the Theatre—not Mr Massey. • It is certain that some of their members-were very loud in proc'laminjr so at tho end of the" meeting. "Anti-Humbug" ignores the fact that Mr Atmore is invited to speak in the large as well as the.small towns of the Dominion by representative bodies of electors in each place, and the important question is, why is he asked:? And, further,. what is the egect of his meetings? He is asked because he has deep and honest convictions on matters of the public weal, can express them well, and is not afraid'to express .them. The effect of his meetings everywhere is to convince the electors that tne sooner the country is rid of the-Massey Government the better it will be for the country. iMr Massey has a bond-slave following, with a bare majority which enables him to put through the most outrageous legislation, in spite of Opposition protests. If Liberal members stay in Wellington, and say nothing, they are held responsible because they did , net protest. If they do protest, they are accused ( of obstructing the business of the country. Mr Atmore is earning the gratitude of the electors of this Liberal constituency by going straight to the people of New* Zealand, with the truth about how affairs are conducted in Parliament under the Massey Tegime, and by the strength and soundness of his cause, ensuring to them, the defeat of Masseyism. and the return of a good progressive Liberal Government, at the forthcoming election. I am, etc., 5 CONFIDENT. Nelson, 24th Oct., 1914.