Farmers’ Union and Bay of Islands Contest.

Northland Age, Volume 2, Issue 15, 28 November 1905, Page 3

Farmers’ Union and Bay of Islands Contest.

TO THE EDITOE. Sir, —In his letter on the above subject Mr. George Buckeridgo, an outsider who has no right to interfere in the Bay contest, seeks by misrepresentation to throw dust in the eyes of the electors, and dictate to them how to vote. Mr. Buckeridge admits last election he worked hard for the Government against Mr. Lang, whom he says Mr. Wake supported. Mr. Buckeridge is now as he was then, a supporter of the Government, and on the strength of a three months’ engagement at organising, he seems to think he can bring the Farmers’ Union into his service as Mr. Seddon does the Liberal and Labour Federation. Evidently the organiser wishes to make the Farmers’ Union subservient to Seddonism, which is the “ common, broad principles ” he speaks of, and his influence has been most pernicious, there being little doubt Mr. Johnson has Mr. Buckeridge to thank for his candidature contrary to the wishes of Mr. Press and others, who desired the electors to have a free choice of an Opposition candidate. 'Mr. Buckeridge is both inconsistent and inaccurate in his statements. His position as organiser should have made him take the strictly neutral stand he professed, but his actions belie his utterances. It is well known the organiser “ nursed ” a certain candidate through the electorate, and Mr. Buckeridge earned for himself the fitting cognomen of John the Baptist

from outsiders, and greatly damaged the Union cause. At the time Mr. Buckeridge received many official protestations for his action, but they were of no avail. Since then the organiser has shown his neutrality (?) by the numerous letters he has sent into the electorate, containing statements he could not substantiate. I was the recipient of such myself. As an instance of what his statements are worth I cite the following:—Mr. Buckeridge in his letter informs the electors he was ignorant of Mr. Wake’s candidature until he got Mr. Wake’s letter dated May 19th, while in truth Mr. Buckeridge informed me of the fact two weeks earlier at the Conference, and was then actively engaged in pusliing Mr. Johnson’s candidature. Why, too, if his statements are worth anything, did he leave them to so late an hour, when they will lose much of their power ? Plainly they are what he complains of “digs in the dark,” and being groundless they have to bo nicely timed to avoid refutation. No one will doubt Mr. Buckeridge is a Government man, but it is hard to reconcile that fact with his open “ nursing” and advocacy of Mr. Johnson, an avowed Oppositionist. But Mr. Buckeridgo knows Mr. Johnson last election rushed into the contest at the eleventh hour, creating dissention in the Farmers’ Union and Opposition ranks, and ended by supporting the Government party. Now we have him (Mr. Johnson) urging his candidature once more, flying Opposition colours, gaining the blessing and advocacy of Government supporters, including Mr. Buckeridge, Instead of this friendliness on the part of Government supporters, we should expect political hostility. However, if we look to Mr. Wake’s candidature we find it: Mr. Buckeridge is actively hostile, and Government supporters likewise. Mr. Wake stands for the freehold, is genuine Opposition, his answers to the Farmers’ Union questions are eminently satisfactory. He has the support of nearly all the genuine Opposition votes. As to Mr. Johnson, the Government are pushing his candidature, either considering him as too weak to be a serious opponent, or they feel assured if returned he would soon fall out with Mr. Massey over some trifling point of policy and become a Government supporter, which would be quite consistent with his actions last time. Even now in his speeches he says he is prepared to stick to Mr. Massey so long as ho sticks to his present platform, which means he is an Independent. If there is any blame attachable to anyone for dividing the Opposition vote, as Mr. Buckeridge alleges, it is his friend on whom the blame must solely lie, for Mi. Wiike has generously offered to test the feelings of the electors before the poll with Mr. Johnson, and retire if found the less popular man. Mr. Johnson has declined the offer, so the responsibility of the position rests on him alone. If Mr. Buckeridge has succeeded in making any electors believe that either the branches or the Auckland Executive have officially taken up Mr. Johnson’s candidature, I desire to give it emphatic denial; the chairman and secretaries of the two local branches are sturdy .sup* porters of Mr. Wake, and the branches have decided to remain neutral this election. I have deviated from thafc course unfortunately by force of oircum- • stances, and I cannot but feel the Secretary, Auckland, and perhaps the President have been lax in permitting Mr. Buckeridge to play his part.—l am, etc., OSCAR FISHER. Member of the Auckland Executive Farmers’ Union. Fairbum, 23rd November, 1905.