BAY OF PLENTY CAMPAIGN.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 15090, 12 December 1919, Page 10

BAY OF PLENTY CAMPAIGN.

MR MacDONALD'S" CRITiaSM RESENTED. ,■ The Hon. W. D. S. Mac Donald's political campaign m the Northern Waiapu was the subject of criticism m ■the - 'Course of a' statement made ito .*a Herald" repi*esentat.ve to-day by Mr Geo. Kirk , of Port Awanui. Mr Kirk said that m his address at Tikitiki on Friday night last, Mr Mac Donald had criticised tho/ members' of the Waiapu County Council.-. Tlie. candidate had said that' some. of the Councillors were going round tho country saying that ho hafl done nothing m, connection with the Waaapu"". bridge. It seemed 1 that |lie Councillors wanted him to go and di>; the holes and build tho bridge, and it appeared to him that the Waiapu County Cotincii was like a clucky hen Hitting* on a china- egg, and- that was about all it did. • •< ♦ '"•Mr "Kirk- added that m view; of thisreflection on the Council ho had in tiplated" at the meet'iig that it was. only 'right, for the information oi the district, tliat' he should state what thc Council had done regarding, the bridge. Ito' pointed out that it was not tht Council's fault but 'the Government wj to blame for the long delay m the reinstatement of the bridge. Tho .. Coiut-ci! had been '"hammering away," and hati been pushing it all the time. .Member? of the Council had gone to Wcllingtoi to ' push the matter on, and: the* candidate- knew tho Council was-, a "livt body." If there .was any clucky hen; about they were sitting m Wellington. ' Mr 7 Mac Donald rCp.ied that it was a mrtttei' between thp Council and tin .Minister of Publio Works, and not him.plfV" - v ■'■■:' . j Mr Kirk contended that it was the ' member for the district they . should look to. It was- for him to battle away with the Department and noti "to criticise the Council. -. r Another remark to wliich exception was taken after the meeting was that there were' certain men who had not gone to : the front and were making huge profits, while those who did gu were shedding their blood m France. Mr Kirk added that: -in' fairness to Mr Mac Donald ho should state - tbat the candidate's reference to * tho Council at liis To Araroa meeting was on . omewhat different, lines, iot he acknowleded that tlte chairman and. members had doli.e .their utmost for tlie district. Mr Kirk added' -tha. .he-whole trouble appeared' -'to -be that Mr Mac Donald had been "greatly overburdened <wi.th work a,t Wellington to -permit. >.of Jiis devoting more time" to tlio East Coast.