THE KAIAPOI ELECTION.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13518, 15 February 1906, Page 8

THE KAIAPOI ELECTION.

ALLEGATION'S AGAINST THE GOVERNMENT. MR E. JIOOEE'S CHARGES AND THE PREMIER'S REPLY. CFsok Oca Ora Corbispondest.) CHRISTCHURCH, February 14. At the social given to him at. Rangiora reoently ' Mr Richard Moore stated that just before the general elections the wages of co-operative workers ou the "WaiparaChcviot railway had been raised by Is a (lav, and that iminediatelv after the election* the increase bad been cancelled. The Government organs are now announcing that a complete' refutation to the charge has been furnished. Such is not the case. As a matter of fact, .Mr Moore Las three declarations signed by three men in verification of bis statement, and a fourth can be obtained if it is required. Mr Monro writes to Truth to-day as follows: — "f notice in your paper a paragraph referring to a statement made by an Opposition candidate to tho effect that some (Government employees in the Ilurunui district had been promised an extra shilling 'during the election campaign, and a fewdays after the eleelion the extra money was stopped, and giving the gist of the Premier's reply" as reported in the Post. I have now the full text of the lion, gentleman's reply, as reported in the Ministerial journal, the Xew Zealand Times of Wellington, and if it were not for the fact that it is a most serious matter, not only to the men directly interested, but also to tlie whole of the electors of New Zealand, as showing the tendency of the illicit Tammanyisin which appears to be going on under the present regime, I could have given a hearty laugh at the usual plausible explanation given by tho Premier. It is so difficult to put one's finger directly on specific eases that, when one gets bold of such a glaring one as this that can apparently be substantiated, I oonsider it is only the duty of a.ny elector who desires clean, pure administration to havo it ventilated. The Premier's statements, such as that the Opposition had always been against, giving the working man an extra shilling a flav, etc.. ore quite beside the mark—are mere padding (although I might say thai the men I know as Oppositionists aro, t believe, Quito as generous in this direction as the lion, gentleman), What we want to arrive at aro the plain facts of the ease. Were these men promised and distinctly led to believe that they were to receive Is per day extra for camping out immediately? TIIO excuse 'for such conduct—that only 150 men wore employed 011 tho railway construction, and that Mr Rutherford's majority was nearly 200 C—may he considered plau'iblc, or cunning in the art of political defence, but it is certainly not such a one as the head of a Government, or as statesmen should make who wishes to set a good example of political morality, and the principle is the same whether if be 011 a small or large scale. But the plain facts are that 0 number of the men I have referred to were Kaiapoi electors, and the Government knew they were going to have a tight fight to retain the Kaiapoi seat, so I presume they thought if they could influence a few of the men ill this way it would be a trump card. Now. I have had a deliberate statement from one of tho men that 110 intended to vote for (lie Opposition candidate, but when tho promise was made on behalf of the Government of this extra pay he said. "This will pay the rent. It's very good of them. I don't think it world be right to vote against them." And he admitted that. 011 these grounds he gave his support to the Government candidate. There arc Jow men who will candidly make such an admission, and it is thereforo difficult to get to know hotv far-reaching such tactics are. I would suggest to the powers that be that when in the future anything of this sort is to be done it would be as well to remember Abraham Lincoln's saying: 'You can fool some of the people ail tho time, all the people sonic of the time, but not- all the people all the time.' "In conclusion, if tho men's version of the .means enioloyed to influence votes and my public statement help to some , extent to expose this fooling of tho electors, it. should at least do some good. I say distinctly, on the cvider.cc of the men themselves, as civon to me, it can bear 110 other interpretation. I have SO7AT3,] perfectly clear statements from tome of the workmen that they were promised the extra pay only a short tune before the elections, and within a few days after the same officer notified them jfc was to be discontinued: and, further, the first workman who spoke to me about it said straight. out "This is the way to buy votes," awl thcro was a general feeling amongst tho Jrien that they had simply been fooled. All that most of them got was about seven or eisht shillings each. In mv telegram of the 7th to the Premier I staled that departmental order and pavsheets would probably verify the statements, lmt nothing was said bv the Premier in his reply in reference to tho contents of these. Practically the only explanation he gave ivaf that the officer in chareo bad exercised his judgment under special circumstances. .Certainly they were special circumstances, and ino one knew iliem better than Mr Scddon. "P.S.—Since writing tho a.bore letter I

hive received & telegram from the Promior, a copy of which I enclose together ••with my answer." The Premier's telegram was as follows: — B. Moore, Esq., Kaiapoi.—On receipt of your telwraw giving particulars of the allegation made by you that an extra allowance had been given to workmen engaged on the WaiparaCheviot railway shortly before tile last elections, and after the elections such allowance had bfen withdrawn, tlie matter lias been fully inquired into, and the following is tho engineer's reply. Under these circumstances, as an honourable man, I call upon you to withdraw tho statements made. Tho engineer's reply begins:— The Undor-secretary Public Works Department, Wellington.—ln reply to your wire. No instructions wero given to increase tho rate of pay <0 men on tho Waipara-Choviot railway before the elections. I have now seen Mr Haskell, mstant engineer in charge of railway works, ivho states tlut no workmen on the railway were promised Is a day increase just before the elections, or any other increase of any description whatever. As they were not promised an increase it could not havo been refused them afterwards. The statement has r.o foundation.—J. A. Wilson, Resident Engineer. Mr Moore replied to tho Premier as fellows:— R. J, Seddon, Esq., Premier.—ln roply to your telegram of yesterday, giving your depaitmental officers' explanation and asking mo as an honourable'man to withdraw, in the first place your officers' explanation does not fit in with vour 1 own statement (as reported in tho New Zealand' Time- 1 ;) made at the social given to Mr AVilford—viz.: " Tho position was that at <i given class of work these men had to camp out, and the officer in charge considered it a right tiling to give them a camping allowance of Is a day. When tho work was over bo naturally considered fhe extra allowance was unnecessary." Your officer says: " iso workmen on the railway wero promised Is a day increaso just before tho election or any other increase of any description whatever." I havo Ilia clear statement from workmen that (he notification of 'lie extra, Is forcampmg out was read out to them by your own officcr, and thortly after the election he also notified them of its discontinuance, I presume your department will-have a copy of tho order road, also the pav-sheels, showing the extra amount the men received. Until '.lie men's statement is moved to be false I stand by the men. therefore so far I havo nothing as an honourable man to withdraw. Mr Scddon was at some pains to show that tho allegation concerned a district (Hurunui) where the Government candidate had a majority of about 200P votes, whereas he. knew very well, or should 'lave known, that Mr Moore was speaking of Kaiapoi, where it is well to remember the Government candidate had a. majority of 35 only.