REFORM TACTICS.

Colonist, Volume LXII, Issue 15255, 17 December 1919, Page 5

REFORM TACTICS.

ANOTHER EXPOSURE!..

PRACTISING FALSE PRETENCES.

(By Telegraph :r -Special to "Colonist.")

■ m :. . ' Masterton, Dec. 10. What is known as "the Matheson incident" was again referred to by Mr W B. Matheson'in, his political address at Masterton to-night. Mr Matheson said that the party of autocratic influence had dominated the House for years past, and he had seen this. This influence had taken away the freedom of speech of members and made them slaves to their party. Because he had seen this he was more determined than ever to come out as an Independent candidate, who would be determined to stand by his opinion. Whatever party influence was brought to bear he was determined to fight the election. In regars to his previous reference to the attempt made to get him to stand down ho would take nothing back, but would add to it. He had been led to believe that they had wished him to retire to prevent the splitting of the Reform vote. It was a natural thing for patriotic party members to desire to prevent the splitting of votes. But he had received evidence that day that another person had been approached to stand as the Reform candidate when it had been aseertaiTied that Mr Sykes did not wish to stand. In leading the speaker to believe that they wished him to stand down in order not to split votes they were practising false pretences. Before the sitting member came out as a candidate at the present time" and when the speaker had been some months in the field they approached somebody else to stand

It was not playing the game to ask a candidate to stand down ostensibly to prevent the splitting of votes when the real reason was that the candidate was not suitable to the party. This latest move had made him more determined than ever to contest the election and to £ght against the party machine.