THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11253, 25 October 1898, Page 3

THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

WELLINGTON, October-11. The' following is the full text of the,repljr', sent by the Minister for Lands t0.the..2276-: electors of Waihemo asking him to reconsider;; his intention of not becoming a candidate.'at' the next election: — . . . ; :■'•■; "Ladies and Gentlemen,—l thank , you most heartily for your kindly expfessign of confidence, and throughout my whole, political life—from my first entry into the P-rOvin-cial Council of Otago until to-day—l have had only the one constituency. You will readily-, understand, under the circumstances, with what reluctance I.'think of, leaving_ it. As. shepherd, farmer, member, and Minister my life has been lived amongst you, and that I should have retained your confidence through-, out is ;,a' source of gratification and pride that, I cannot adequately express. I am a plain,, blunt man, who has lived a plain, blunt, life,, with, perhaps, the fault of speaking out my" mind; often, no doubt, thinking the wrong thing, or putting the right thing in the wrong' way, and in everything giving more heed to the matter than to the manner.. But my purpose has been straight and honest, according to my lights. And that you recognise this,;as shown in your request, more than conipen-.. sates me. Hard, and sometimes untruthful, tilings have been said against me, but .when' you press me to stay in Waihemo you plaeo me in a difficulty. , Loth though I am to leave it, reasons have moved me to announce my intended retirement. Broken health and sheer inability to bear the fatigue of travelling and '. speaking through so large a distriot still exists. "While again thanking you most sincerely for your requisition, all I can say .in.reply-, thereto is that my heart prompts me to saythat there is no constituency that I would prefer to represent to Waihemo. But; as previously stated, with my broken health, I feel... physically unfitted to go through the ordeal; • and, further, all will depend on the state! of , my health as to whether I shall seek election at all to the next Parliament. Believe me, ' however, that if compelled to quit politics, one of its pleasant mementoes will be your requisition, showing, as .'it does, that after . representing the distriot throughout my whole public life I shall carry with me at its close the confidence of a very large majority of the electors on the roll. John M'Kbnzie." ,