INCLUSION OF HYDE IN TAIERI

Otago Daily Times, Issue 12418, 30 July 1902, Page 6

INCLUSION OF HYDE IN TAIERI

ELECTORATE, TO TIIE EDITOR.

Sir,—Ono can hardly imagine anyone in this country able to pen the letter written )>y your correspondent " Elector," and yet so ivofully. ignorant as his letter proves him to Ik;. The veriest schoolboy in politics could tell him that to iucludc Hyde in Taieri electoral district does not mean sever-' injj it from Maniototo County, for counties and electoral districts are two different things altogether, and a man who is to pitifully ignorant cannot know much of the polities of his country, He did well to write over a noui de plume, for it were a pity if anyone but himself knew his identity. He gives a reason for the petition now in circulation—viz., that the people of Hyde with to block for one particular candidate. - I wonder if "Elector" saw the hearing of his. remarks. No better advertisement could be given to the candidate in question than such a'statement. Perihaps, however, you will kindly allow me to state a few facts. At present Hyde is a sort of no. man's land, lying away down in a corner cut off from the Maniototo by a ridge of . hills, and really forming part of the. Strath-Taieri district. If anyone ohooic.i to )obk at the map lie will see that Mount Ida, to include I-Iyde, lias to be run down into a corner, whilst if the Taieri boundary was extended from Moloney's to Kokonga or Caphurn Creek it would make the boundaries of Taieri and Mouut Ida inueh moire even; and Hyde is certainly much more in touch with Middlcmnrch than with Naseby. The same would apply in county matters were Middleniarch the head centre, but I ain quite free to admit that we could not be included in Taieri County with any profit to ourselves, and no one iiiks to be so included. We have no objection to any inquiry that may be made, but if "Elector" can advance no better arguments than he has advanced he had better

not w'rito again,-

—I am, etc., Bui Nik.