LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVII, Issue 14375, 21 May 1910, Page 4

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.

THE CITY EAST ELECTION. Sir,—What an extraordinary people" Aucklanders are. For year- past we h»vnw been growling in flic limch<-ou-reoui and '''■*"'f» over the tea cups, in our clubs, and on Ihoj'Hs bowling greens, at the unwillingness ofonr'4 If leading business men to sacrifice themselves^-§1 and their businesses in the public intereifcjl And now no sooner has one of such (whose worth was proved during a ' strennousW period of four years in the Mayoral chaitpS'B expressed his willingness to accept iiomita,S j tion for one of our city seats than your *,",§§ (correspondents, "Anti-Government" and , p " City East Liberal," recommend that he bo jft opposed, simply because Mr. Arthur -Mjr'&g§|pß has been announced as one who will stand '-'Mm as an Independent Liberal, with a general support to the Government. t ( K Both "Anti-Government" and "City Ea,^;f' f «g Liberal are fully entitled to ' hold the jfe I opinions they do. i venture, however, to ■ ;:fflf I disagree with their mental attitude on tifn&fl j question. They are so opposed to the' Go-Vfe : vernment that they, are prepared to oppo^O^E , the return of even the most desirable of our ' 1 j citizens. Surely' a man with the Mayoral ft* record of Mr. Arthur Myers should not be / i' opposed on this account. If the energy ', fi public spirit, and administrative ability di M played by him during his tenure of the' >; §£ Mayoral chair are not sufficient to justify the '' I doctors in eliminating party from this elec-'':' m tion, then we shall never have a case wherein V I such elimination would be justified. ■'Si'^ m The time has arrived when New Zealand-' H wants men, not parties. Auckland is for- :-h m tunate in having a man with Mr. Myers's ■." M sense of duty amongst those seeking her I I B suffrages, and it appears to me, that it would. , be graceful on the part of the electors"'ofS-H Auckland East if Mr. Arthur Myers wore re-1 t turned without opposition as their Fnrlia- I mentary representative. ''''■'''AH Anyone who knows Mr. Arthur Myers must ' i B feel assured that he could never he a ser- •'. g vile follower of any party, and when he" ' I" announces himself as an Independent Libe- ■ :• |, ral, his honest record would justify one in I t" attaching considerable importance to >tfisif||w term " independent." \1 ,'M * The devotion to' the welfare of our city 7-JP which ho showed during his term of office V I as Mayor affords a guarantee, much more . ■ practical than the wearing of a party label, • that the interests of Auckland would be . m equally safe in his hands as a member of <wM Parliament. L. W. D. Andrews. '§.- Moehau-street. » £ Sir,—l think the letters of " Anti-Govern- 1 JL ment " and " City East Liberal," which ap- ■ pared in this morning's Herald must appeal - i to every patriotic Aucklander. Mr. Myers I l was undoubtedly a good Mayor during thsfcl time that he occupied this position, but that f is no reason why, for his own purposes, he , j ■ should drag the electors of Auckland East 'x' £' at the chariot-wheels of the Government, a? - f he evidently proposes to do. As a matter; §111 fact, Auckland, . and I believe New Zealand as a whole, is heartily sick of the present Kf Government, sick of their incompetence, and !"'?' I sick of their methods. Auckland particularly ">, I has good reason to detest them, and I trust . ''■■ 1 will express itself in that direction-at the V ballot-box. Ido hope that some straight-out ; I Oppositionist like Mr. E. W. Alison : or Mr.f|§ Gunson will offer himself as a candidate, and. if so, there will be such' a vote against 9 the Government as Auckland has never ex- :'? perienced. Mr. Massey and his colleagues have for years kept up a gallant fight, and have never failed where the interests of Auckland were concerned. They deserve' - assistance; let us give it to them, and at the • same time drive another nail in the coffin ofJili the worst Government with "•-■. which ? this country has ever been cursed. Loyaltt. ■ May 19. ■■'.■:'■.■'■ -''■'-1 ■ '■ i. '■■. v ■::,*•/ss& .'. Sir, am very pleased to see that there is every probability of the above seat being ■- keenly contested. This is the time for : the H electors to get partially ; even with the Government in connection with the Knyvett case and also the Government House matter"", which are the principal burning political "< , questions of the day. Would it not be better if there were two candidates only, instead of three or four, so as to avoid splitting the votes, which would mean the return of the Government candidate again, instead of : Mr; Massey's representative, as there is every chance now of adding another follower to his small but hard-working band? :,"!,' When the electioneering commences all the candidates, will tell us that; if returned to . Parliament they will see that , Captain " Knyvett will have a -fair and just retrial, . and also that the Government House wilM! be reinstated to its former use. Now, is it' ' at all feasible that if. a Government candidate is elected he will get up amidst his colleagues and fight the two above men- '■", tioned questions with ,? all his heart, when lie ' knows that j his leader : ; has given - his final decision in t connection with both matters Vimk I say no. When 'a Government candidate - is returned he •: practically pledges i himself not to vote against his leader and colleagues. ;• Hi ■ „ ~ '- : '':r- r - ; r ■: It. Wilson. ' Hamilton. - •>■ < v - - Sir,—l cordially endorse all■ that your cor« ?;: respondent signing; himself Anil-Govern- : ment" says, in his letter published in your issue- of the 19th inst. I think r that" the public should show their marked disapproval ' , of the tactics of some members of Parlia-' J ment, who, posing as independents, have ,':'- in nearly all cases gone over to the Government ;'= side when it came , to: a vote.. -; No f aspirant to' the proud position of ; member of Parliament will have , my vote, not even the popular Mr. A. Myers, a man whom I personally respect, except he makes it clear ' that he will join or veto with no party '.. whose interests are inimical to Auckland. ■'•' ; . Another Anti-Govesxiiext. ■ .'; .■ :; :- \ • . -\''.:' • ' ; t l'i '^ mmm^ m ~ —»»-»—^^—« ..