THE DUNEDIN CENTRAL CONTEST.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16289, 23 January 1915, Page 5

THE DUNEDIN CENTRAL CONTEST.

TO THE JCDITOB.

Sib,—l am sorry Mr White missed my pomt My restatement shall be briel. If '• German Culture" could possibly win the day, party lines horo would automatically vanith. Nothing would bo loft to us Dut German slavery, under a " Deutschlaad über alle&." Ou tilt. othor hand, tho more fctrenuoua'y the war is waged, tho speedier -will be our victory, and tho cud of this hideous holocaust of life ami treasure. Why then thould not parties unito in New Zealand, as they hava united in Britain to support a Government that is grasping tho situation and meeting it? In a letter bearing tlio signature of Mr Aequith, Mr Balfour,, and Lord Roseberv (see last Monday's Daily Times), aro these words: "In the last result, British public opinion may well prove to be tho deciding factor in this groat struggle. Given steadfast and unwavering fortitude on the part of tho whole British people, wo believo tho victory will bo ours. But come what may, tharo must be no weakening, no wavering, no patched up truco, th&t would expose our children to a revival of tho German menace, probably in circumstances far mora terrible ior the Empiro than those which face us to-day." What reply will the Dunedin Central electorate give to this appeal on polling day? Will it return the representative who has faithfully served it for the last three years, and who will be heart and eoul with the Government in the defence of our liberties, or will it at that crisis • return a man who will do lus best to defeat the present Government and to put another, which, as the House is now constituted, cannot fail to be a weaker one, in its place. —I am, etc., Alex. M. Daletuple. Sib,—Mr J "W. Munro, questioned on tho Mibject, admits he is a member of the Master Bakers' Association (a combine). The object of this combino is to fix tho price the public pay for bread. Yet Mr Munro is against combines. He is against the Bible in schools and the referendum on the Bible-in-schoola question. Yet he is also a Democrat. How docs ho reconcile the above two facts which aro proven? Biey show him, like many others, to be a man who preaches one tiling and acts the opposite way. Mr Munro says that his business is not paying at tho present price of bread. Why does he continue his business on such lines? Ho would make a very inconsistent politician, a j the above proves. Will Mr Munro explain his conduct, or get some one else to do so, as is his usual way. —I am, etc., Puzzled. Sir,—Mr Dalrymple's latter is very plausible, and at first sight seems reasonable. It is, however, very misleading. The impression which, lihe writer conveys to the mind is that the return of Mr Statham would put the Government in a strong enough position to carry on the affairs of the country during the present anxious time. He must have known that the return of Mr Statham would make the parties only equal—a most undesirable state of affairs. To secure the desirable result aimed at by Mr Dalrymple the electors of Dunedin Central must do the opposite to that suggested by him. They must return Mr Munro, as his election will place the Liberal Party in a positive majority. There is a further fact overlooked by Mr Dalrymple. The Dunedin Central electors owe a duty to Mr Munro. He has been wronged. After a strenous fight he fairly won the seat. I am sure that Mr Dalrymple would be tho last man in Dunedin to do an injustice, yet he is evidently premeditating such a course. But the strongest objection to his reasoning is this: If the present moment calls for a strong, energetic man to have control of affaire, that man is Sir J. G. Ward. As an Imperialist he stands out distinct from all his fellows. His past record proves that the affairs of the nation, at this critical time, could not be in safer hands.. I ain not dealing with the matter of general politics, but, just looking at the question from Mr Dalrymple's point of view, I say that the electors of Dunedin Central should stick to their original decision. —I am, etc., Otago Central.

[Our correspondent is in error in saying that the return of Mr Munro would put the anti-Ministerialists in a positive majority. It would increase their numbers to exactly ones-half of the House. —Ed. O.D.T.]

Sib, —As a supporter of the Bible-in-echools referendum, I want to show "Lay Member of the League" and others like him how foolish they are in voting against tho Reform candidate for Dunedin Central, even although he is opposed to tho referemdum in question. Although Mr Statham has expressed himself as antagonistic to the league's proposals, Mr Munro has done likewise. But while Mr Statham supports a Government whose sympathies are .with the league, Mr Munro is prepared to vote a Ward Government hack into power. What chanoe would the Bible-in-Schools League have of getting a Referendum Bill passed then? The Opposition candidates, with the exception of Mr Sidey, Mr Craigie, and, I think, one other, are dead against the referendum. The majority of Reform candidates, on tho other hand, aro prepared to grant a referendum. Are the members of the Bib'e-in-Schools League then so blind that they intend to vote against tho Government candidate for Dunedin Central, who is against the referendum, and in favour of the Ward candidate, who is also against tho referendum? If Mr Munro had been prepared to support a Referendum Bill, and had stood entirely independent of the Ward Party, then he would have been entitled to the votes of tho Referendum Bill supporters, but not otherwise. Mr Munro poses as a true democrat, and yet he refuses to allow the people to express their opinion on tho question of Bible in schools. It is peculiar now the opinions of many of the LiberalLabour candidates have changed in respcct to the Referendum Bill einoe tho days of the Seddon Government. Mr Seddon, when Prime Minister, said that Bible in schools was one of the questions that would have to be settled by the votes of the people, and at that time the Referendum Bill received the rapport of most of the Liberal-Labour candidates. Now it is they who are principally against the referendum, and the Reform candidates who are principally in favour of it. This fact, I contend, entitles Mr Statham to the votes of the Bible-in-Schools League, in preference to Mr Munro.—l am, etc-. Democrat. Dunedin, January 22.