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DUNEDIN CENTRAL ELECTION

TO TIIF KIUTOIt. ISlii,- May 1, an ,i fellow member, be allowed a little sjiac; Uj criticise I lie \ jews ot your oorreapundeiit who de.-.eiibi'h liiinseit .is a "Lay ili'inher of l.he liilile-ni-buhoota' League.'' 1 uas one ot tile original signatories who pledget! themselves to support only such candidates for l'arlianient a.s would vote lor the referendum, but us soon as 1 realised that our organisation was being used to discriminate, an 1 felt, most unfairly ayamst Air Stuv.ham, 1 had no hesitation,- though still supporting the objects of the league, in withdrawing my political pledge. We have two candidates, both antagonistic to the programme of the league. Obviously then, ttie only fair thing is for the members of the party to be leit tree to cast their votes according to their political convictions. But your anonymous correspondent suggests that members of the league should punish Mr Statham to the advantage of Mr Munro, although the latter is a "Red l''ed" and from him they caimot reasonably expect any assistance, either low or at any other tiino. I feel that no words can Ik l found strong enough to condemn such a proposal. It is simply iniquitous, and I refuse to believe that the members of our league as a whole, will cover us with shame by descending to such depths of meanness and iujusiioe. May I also, in passing, refer to tho letter of Mr G. S. Thomson, whose attempt to explain away the ugly fact of Mr Munro's being a member of a combine, and at tho same time posing' as a philanthropist, is little short of ludicrous. He asserts, it is ture, that Mr Munro has benefited the bakers, but then the bakers are only a small portion of the community. The professional men, the shopkeepers, tho lodging-house keepers, the great bulk of the working men, and . > rest of us have to pay more, I take it, lor bread, because there is a bakers' combine, of which Mr Munro is a member. If tho object of this trust, to which Mr Munro belongs, is to exploit tho public by charging higher prices for bread, it is hard to understand how Mr Thomson can represent him as the benefactor of the great mass of the electors, and, as such, deserving o£ their votes and support.—l am, etc., T. Russell. Dur.edin, January 27.

Sir.—Undoubtedly Mr Statham lost a great many votes at tho last general election through the misconception on the part of 6ome of tho voters as to his views on the Bible-in-schools question. Those electors were under the impression that Mr Statham was opposed to the Bible being taught in our schools. Such, however, I am glad to say is not the case. He is distinctly in favour of it beiner taught under certain conditions.

It is quite plain, except to a bigoted person, that if every sect of the Christian Church sends its clergymen to teach the Bible in our public schools —and the right must in all fairness be extended to nonChriatian bodies to teach their various religions to children belonging to the parents of such bodies —it can only end in utter confusion and cause rancour and bitterness and do far more mischief to infantile minds than anyone can imagine. The religious training of a child should bo entirely in the hands of his or her parents under tho guiding hand of the church to which those parents belong. It ie the duty of Parliament to make sound laws for the good of the individual and tho State, and we want the ablest men we can get. Likewise it is the duty of the Church to keep within her sphere, and look after the children attending the various Sunday school and Bible classes, but not to interfere with the work of our excellent secular day schools. —I am, etc., A. M. S.

[We have admitted the latter part of the above letter with some reluctance, for we do not wish at present to reopen our columns to a general discussion of the Bible-in-echools question.—Ed. O.D.T.]

Sib, —I thank Mr G. S. Thomson, secretary of one of Mr J. W. Munro's committees. for his answer to my question— viz.: Why is Mr Munro a member of tho Master Bakers' combine while he publicly denounces such unholy things? Now, Sir, if Mr Munro explains this in tho manner Mr Thomson states, then ho owes you a debt of gratit-udo for omitting tho explanation from the report of his meeting. That it is impertinent and personal for mo to ask questions as Mr Thomson suggests of a public man. I have yet to learn, but I must remember that Mr G. S. Thomson is tho same man who said he was offered a bribe by the supporters of Sir J. G. Ward to stand down in favour of Mr Mason in Chalmcis, so the insulting remark I overlook from him. Can Mr Thomson explain why he ig supporting Mr Munro, who, if elocted, would sail under tho leadership of tho man whoso supporters, he says, tried to bribe him. One or two more questions with your kind permission:— (1) Why was Mr Munro forced to become a master baker?

(2) What boycott wag used against his firm, and by whom? (3) Did Mr Munro really reduce the price of broad to all his customers?

(4) Does Mr Munro think it fair to join a combine to gain his own ends? » The plain facts arc as follows: Mr Munro went into business to make money; ho reduced the price of broad in order to get trade; like all other theorftval tradesmen he found there were business expenses in actual working which he never expected or knew of, with the result that he had to ask for the prices as other master bakers got. It is nonsensical to say that he forced the master bakers to take him into their association on his own terms. Finally, if Mr Thomson correctly states the facts, was it. rifrht of Mr Munro to join a combine on the flimsy grounds that he alleged.—l am, etc., Puzzled.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ODT19150128.2.63

Bibliographic details

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16293, 28 January 1915, Page 6

Word Count
1,027

DUNEDIN CENTRAL ELECTION Otago Daily Times, Issue 16293, 28 January 1915, Page 6

DUNEDIN CENTRAL ELECTION Otago Daily Times, Issue 16293, 28 January 1915, Page 6

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