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Otago Daily Times, Issue 14355, 27 October 1908, Page 6

THE DUNEDIN NORTH CONTEST. Ma G. M.' Thomson has commented upon his isolation as the solitary candidate standing in the Opposition interest in Dimedin. A solitary candidate, however, in a gopd cause, should, if he receive justice, command peculiar respect on account of his very rarity, and the circumstance should certainly not be prejudicial to him on polling day. While he professes to attach little value

to terms, Mr Thomson has in bis latest speech been rather more definite regnrding the side he takes in politics "than he was in his earlier address, in which he expressed himself as holding- an absolutely independent position albeit •ns sympathies were with the Opposition. Wo dike it, that ho has been even more impressed by reasons existing for opposing the Government than for supporting the Opposition, but ho who opposes" tlio Government ipso facto supports tho Opposition. When examined closely the view? of politicians, despite their party adherence, are of all shades, and while Mr Thomson tells us he is not an Oppositionist simply out and out, and not a party man, he does not leave much doubt concerning the directional which the weight of his influence/will- be thrown should he he returned to Parliament, The electors of Dunedin North are fortunate in having what is not offered to the electors in some other cases-namely, a choice of candidates holding widely different views. They will have more than one side of the political picture preseutcd them. ' They will be told how a , so-called Liberal Government has gone too far ami bow it has not gone far enough, and i. r will hear much about its virtues and -something, also, about its deficiencies. The majority have, probably made up their minds already with respect to the direction in which their support- will be given, but it helmves those who retain open minds on political questions to consider well the merits of the cases presented to them. On the one hand they have a candidate whose record l in the community stamps him as one who could be returned to Parliament with an implicit reliance in his conscientiousness, and on the other hand they have, if not an unquestioning disciple of tho Government, a candidate whoso sympathies are professedly with the extreme and extravagant demands of Labour. From tho third candidate wo have yet to receive a profession of his political faith'. That the intelligent section, of the electors will have difficulty in deciding where to cast their votes is hardly to be supposed. Mr Thomson's address on Friday last, while it suggested no pretensions to special profundity or omniscience on the part of the candidate, commends itself ns a. moderate and sound criticism of the policy and methods of the Government. Mr Thomson dates the case from the Opposition sido very fairly, and reveals a- decided disposition to think and judge for himself. With the Socialistic tendencies of the Government, or with, let us say, the undeniable dallying with Socialism of which the Government has been guilty, he has no patience whatever, and in that opinion lig is in excellent company, as the electors of Dunedin, North would do well to recognise. In educational matters Mr Thomson "speaks with, the authority 0 f experience, and his views on the various other subjects upon which the political candidate is to express himself aro sound and reasonable. Regarding, defence, he would favour some, system of compulsory military ti'ainiug for young men.- It is interesting in this' connection to notethat Sir Joseph Ward took occasion in his speech- last week at Feilding to make reference to " insidious attempts to stir up militarism in New Zealand," and to the,,prevalence of "hysterical talk',' regarding compulsory training. The; Prime Minister, is no doubt perfectly right in his judgment that much of, what is said about the defence of New Zealand, is not to he taken seriously. The experienced judgment, however, of many who pronounce in favour of some measure of compulsory military training-is deserving of serious consideration/. , .