A MOUNTAIN OF FABRICATION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 20, 16 September 1912, Page 5

A MOUNTAIN OF FABRICATION.

(Per Press Association.) Wellington, September M

_ The exposure by the We-,t Coast Times of the Ward Government's electioneering methods, in cimnocti.vi H :th the Wesfcland election, is the p- litica' sensation or the hour here. To-day the Dominion republishes the \ hole story, also a facsimile of the •/service" telegram from Tims, Scddon, ((.pies of which were circulated in South Westland during the election, at the tuxpayers' expense, as follows: S. 01. Ferguson, Fergusons,—Toll all my friends as far down r.s Okuru that in to-night's Public Works Estimates provision is made to extend the l.dwaysou th of .Yikomii. Itegards, Thomas Seddon." The telegram service was used to transmit this telegram from place to place, free of charge. The Dominion, in a scathing article, says it is a contemptible business all through. MP SEDDON AND HIS ENFMTES. Hokitika, September IG. Tlie story published by the Wellington Dominion on Saturday endeavouring to connect Mr T. E. Seddon, M.P., with an alleged service telegram sent to South Wcstland prior to the lifct general election, first appeared in the West Coast Times, Hokitika, last Wednesday, but the canard was promptly contradicted by the Hokitika Guardian, which, the same day, published a complete statement of the case. Tlie 'i imes made a very poor showing m the following issue, and the Guardian, en Thursday, proceeded to show up a •number of distortions in its coite-n-

porary's article. The Guardian concluded: "We arc quite satisfied to let our statement of the matter go before any three citisjens of Hokitika whom the West Const r i ; i.:es cares to nominate, and we will abide by their reasoned judgment as to whether the State's property was improperly used by Mr Seddun for party electioneering." The Hokitika Times has not accepted the challenge, or has it referred to the matter in its columns since. For

six years the Times has bitterly op]M)s :d Mr Seddon without alienating the support of the electors. The alleged exposure of the incident here bar, only created smiles, but many pepn pis are indignant that the story should be 'sprung on the Egmon't electorate. where the facts are unknown nnri where people are disposed to give <rcdonce to a well-told story however farfetched if it goes unchallenged. The charge against Mr Seddon and ihe Liberal party is absolutely wither.! foundation. The facts of the case : re that a telephone officer, a lady who ■resides in the backhlocks, passed the news over telephone to neighbours further south—a friendly way of exchanging news in isolated districts. The bridge is a boon to southern traffic, the river having claimed many lives, one of the recent victims being ,a relative of the telephonist. Her joy at the news of the bridging of the river could thus be well understood. This is the sum and substance of the mountain of fabrication built from a veritable molehill of fact.