The Tuapeka Election. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 23

The Tuapeka Election. TO THE EDITOR.

Sib, — I am not aware whether I am a political supporter of the Hon. Mr Larnach or not — it is impossible to tell in the case of a gentlemen who changes his opinions with every constituency he canvasses — but I am interested in the Otago Central railway, and I cannot conceive that anyone who is could vote for the siDgle Otago representat ive who in August 1889 went straight against the bill promoted by Messrs Vincent Pyke and Atkinson, and supported by all the other Otago members, except Mr Duncan, of Oamaru (of course Oamaru was hostile to all but the Pass route) merely because it suited him for party purposes to back up the Hon. Mr Ballance in turning round against the railway and setting Central Otago back a dozen years or more. I heard that Mr . Scobie Mackenzie in one of his speeches had pointed this out, but, although of course it was notorious at the time it happened, I own I had forgotten it. There it is, however, in Hansard (August 22, 1889), and I must say it takes considerable audacity for a gentleman with such a record to emerge from a bank parlour in Dunedin and actually seek to represent in Parliament the constituency of July. 2. Ttjapkka. P.S. — Since writing the above I have seen Mr Larnach's explanation to au elector who asked him how he came to help Mr Ballance to burke Mr Pyke's bill. He said he did it because the funds ought to come, not oat of land fund, but the consolidated fund. Sir, Mr Larnach knows quite well that the bill did propose to take the money from the consolidated fund. He was Treasurer once, and knows better than most of us that pastoral rents are not land fund. What an excuse !— T.