The Tuapeka Contest. TO THE EDITOR.

Otago Witness, Issue 2106, 5 July 1894, Page 34

The Tuapeka Contest. TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,— The contest for Tuapeka is, fortunately for both parties, a contest in which honourable methods may be fairly relied on by both sides, and in which, though evidently every device of a none too scrupulous Government is being employed in their candidate's favour (witness the ingenious dodge about dates exposed in your columns last week), the outrageous political corruption by which Mr Scobie Mackenzie was overborne in his last contest must necessarily be at least modified. Mr Larnach's new character as a Govrrnment sample candidate, bearing the new Seddonian stripes on his sleeve, and trying to look as if he liked them, is one t'jat provokes even m re amazement than amusement. When the .smiting of tho breast and the profe sion of Seddonism is trus ed to in order to enable a highly respectable bank director and capitalist, erstwhile known as "the luckiest land speculator in Otago, " to pose as aperson virtuously abhorring the very name of " banks and companies," and to invite a constituency of country settlers to reject an independent Liberal like Mr Scobie Mackenzie in order to rush into the arms of the financial magnates, whom Mr Larnach very creditably and ably represents, we have the sham Liberalism surely stretched to its utmost capacity. If the settlers of Tuapeka elect Mr Larnach, which I hope under the circumstances they will not, I do not doubt thvt he will make a fairly creditable though in no way brilliant representative ; and, if they should happen to prefer i>liant mediocrity (with a suspicious newness about the pliancy part of it) to independent and vigorous ability and true Liberalism, two things will happen. . First, if there is any real objection to a country constituency throwing itself into the arms of a Dunedin representative of "banks and companies" the Tuapeka electors wi 1 have done that with their eyes open, and cannot afterwards complain if t^ey have reason to deplore the results ; and second, M r Lamach's low Seddonism will take ju&t about as long to put off as it ba.s ju&t taken to put on— in other words, will bu a mere affair of a week or two, more or less. — I am, &c, Lawrence, July 2. Elector. TO THE EDITOK. Sir, — Through your widely-circulated newspaper I should like to offer a few words of advice to the electors of Tuapeka. For the representation of Tuipeka in the General Assembly thero are two candidates in the field —Mr W. J. M. Larnach and Mr M. J. S. Mackenzie. On the education question — a ques-

tion of ihe utmost importance to every man, woman, and child in the electorate— tho two men stand on totally different platforms. Mr Scobie Mackenzie is an out-and-out supporter of our present national system ; both in and out of the House of Representatives he has boldly and manfully stood up in its defence. There »re no two opinions as to the stand he takes. With Mr Larnach, on the other hand, whilo ho makes a, protence of supporting the existing systeca it is well known that when in the House ho voted for the Private Schools Bill — a measure expressly designed to give aid to tho Catholics. And not only that, but in tho present contest it is well known that ho is to get the Catholic "block vote." No secret is made of this. Therefore, why should elec'ors outside of the Catholic community support a candidato who faces both ways in this great question of education ? I sincerely trust that the electors will take to hoart these words that I have written, and on election day cast their votes for Mr Scobie Mackenzie. — I am, &c, Elector. Tuapeka, June 30.

TO THE BDITOB.

Sib, — I observe a letter published in the Dunstan Times of the 22nd ult over the >iO7?i de plume of " Number One " As this letter may bq damaging to the candidature of Mr Scobie Mackenzie I crave a little of your valuable space for the purposo of exposing tho fallacious utterances of "Number One" and to put tho candidate in a fair and truthful position before the electors of Tuapeka. " Number One "says: — " If there is one political trait in Mr Scobie Mackenzie's character worth admiring it is his persistency. Electioneering is his forte, but active political life does not suit him. He is master of a fluency of small talk . . . such as a bush orator might employ at a small tea party. As Parliamentary representative for Mount Ida of, what use has he been ? He has done nothing at all for that electorate. His support of tho .construction of the Otago Central railway was half-hearted. By position he must be opposed to the interest of bona fide settlement. Mr Mackenzie cannot conscientiously further the interests of small settlers." Then, to operate on " Number One," let his first utterance be taken up : "If there is one political trait in Mr Mackenzie's character worth admiring it is his persistency." This trait in the character of a politician cannot be looked upon as injurious to any constituency that Mr Mackenzie may represent in Parliament, but*, rather to the contrary, it is equivalent to pronouncing tho candidate for the Tuapeka seat as consistent. This, as a rule, is seldom found in the loading politicians of the day. But as there are exceptions to all rules, we find in Mr Mackenzie an excoption to the above one. Then it comes from " Number One" "that active political life does not suit him*" What a divergence from what is truthful. The press of New Zealand, from the North Capo to the Bluff, are loud in extolling Mr Mackenzie as an active and able politician. And, mark, it is not only the press that is opposed to the Government that extol him, but the Government organs also meed out their praise to the late member for [Mount Ida, — to wit, see last issue of Otago Witness, page 23. Then, again, it is stated by "Number One" "that he has done nothing for thelate electorate that he represented." This I can testify to be exceedingly untruthful. True, he has not been merely a local politician scrambling for a share of the political loaves and fishes. He stands as a good all-round colonial politician, and what benefits the colonists must benefit the district that he represents.

Having filled the office of president and secretary of the St Bathans Miners' Association since the association has been instituted, I can vouch to the following facts : Towards the mining industry we have found in Mr Mackenzie that he was the prime mover towards the abolition of the gold duty. Mr Mackenzie presided over the conference of goldminers held in Dunedin on February 24- and 25, 1890, for the purpose of discussing the abolition of the above duty. The late Mr S. M'Cullough, of Cambrians, represented the St. Bathans Miners' Association at the conference, and he was wellknown to be an extreme political opponent of Mr Mackenzie's. Nevertheless at a meeting of the above association Mr M'Cullough spoke in such eulogistic terms of Mr Mackenzie that the president, MrT. Hughes, and the vice-president, MrW. Williams, proposed and seconded respectively a complimentary motion of thanks to the member for Mount Ida for the very able services he had rendered at the conference.

Again, in the Parliamentary session of 1892 wo find the late member for Mount Ida doing battle for the mining industry by strenuously resisting the Hon. Mr Seddon's notorious amendment of the Mines Act of 1891, and he successfully prevented the amendment from leaving the stage of committee in the House until such time as the various miners' associations pronounced their opinions on the amendment. Your readers will remember the howl of indignation, and just indignation too, that arose from miners and mining companies against the amendment Mr Scobie Mackenzie frustrated the amendment, preventing it becoming law in its original form. " Number One '" points out " the halfhearted support of Mr Mackenzie to the progress of the Otago Central railway " When "Number One," with many of his kind, were wrangling with the late Sir Harry Atkinson and would consent to no other terms than a vigorous construction of the railway to Lake Wanaka, Sir Harry, having no funds at his command for the carrying out of such a costly work, and becoming digusted with the unreasonableness of the people, was about to throw the matter of construction up. I would ask who stepped into the breach and suggested that the work should be constructed to the Eweburn ? Echo answers "Mr Scobie Mackenzie." The suggestion was readily accepted, and the Otago Central railway has been steadily progressing from then up to date. "Number One" also says "that by his position he must be opposed to the interest of bona fide settlement " This is erroneous in view of the fact that Mr Mackenzie in Parliament, at his public meetings, and in his hustings speeches has openly declared that the settlers were paying far too high a price for land, and that the Government in fixing such a high price upon the Crown lands were putting great impediments in the way of close settlement. Many of the small settlers will bear me out in saying that clause 115 in the Land Act (a clause that thelate member for Mt. Ida was instrumental in getting inserted into the Land Act) has permitted them to add to their holdings, thus giving a permanency to real settlement. He was also instrumental in getting agricultural lease holders the same privileges as deferred payment settler- 1 . I could keep on writing about what the late member for Mount Ida has done for the electors of that district till two of your columns would be filled. But I have the conviction that enough has been said to show the electors of Tuapeka the untruthful and damaging statements of " Number One " Mr Larnach, as a Government supporter, is certainly not acceptable to the majority of the miners. The present Government is throttling mining— not openly, but silently, necretly, and surreptitiously, and I would ask my confreres to

study their interests and not vote in tbe interests of a Government which places every impediment in the way of tho prosecution of tho industry. Tuapeka electors may say, Why did wo not return Mr Mackenzie for Waiherao ? Tho answer to that would be (and it is quite conversant to the majority of electors in the Woihemo) that if the two Macs had stood on thoir merits with no outside influence brought to bear on tho election Scobie would havo given John a big beating. — I am, &c, John Eagle, Miner. St. Bathans, July 2,