The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1891.

Taranaki Herald, Volume XL, Issue 9258, 7 December 1891, Page 2

The Taranaki Herald. PUBLISHED DAILY. MONDAY, DECEMBER 7, 1891.

The Wellington Electioneering Campaign may be said to have commenced, for although the writ has not been issued the candidates have already announced themselves. The Government have decided to run Mr Willfam McLean as their man, and the choice has occasioned a good deal of surprise, for that gentleman is not popular even with the Labor party, and his political record is a Beriesof very bad defeats. The Trade and Labour Council were not consulted on the matter, for at Mr McLean's meeting the Premier had to apologise to that body for not doing so; eaying "it Wdß through a want of knowledge on his part. He had thought that as Mr McLean at the last election had beon taken up by the Labor party, and as he had run consistently in their interests and had not since deserted his party, but h»d remained true and staunch to his principles, he was at any rate entitled to their confidence on that occasion." Mr Ballance must have other reasons for giving hitn tho Government support ho is doing, as it was Mr F. H. Frazer who was the popular labour candidate at the last election, and not Mr McLean. The result of the poll on tint occasion was—Fisher 2851, Duthio 2785, Macdonald 2498, Bell 2305, Jellicoe 1920, Frascr 17G2. and McLean, the present candidate (at the bottom of the Jiet), 1067 votes only. Mr McLean addressed the Wellington electors on Thursday night, and his speech—if we are to judge of it by tho reports in tho local.papers —was a very poor one indeed. It consisted chiefly of an attack on the late Atkinson" Ministry, and an illogical attempt to defend the '• bursting up policy" of the present Ministry. Mr McLean said: "The Government had been accused of being Anarchists, < &c, but if they had used their majority they could have brought in their land tax at once. Instead of doing that they held it over till next year, so aa to enable them to see if their calculation were right, and if so, they could alter their arrangements." The sentence is a little confusing we must own, but if Mr McLean proves anything by the above words it is that tho Ministry are anarchists, for they would have brought the land tax in force at once, but were afraid it would not produce the revenue they wanted to provide for such bills as "The Payment of Members," or for carrying out " little jobs '' in those districts where the members are staunch supporters of the Ministry. We notice the Government are calling for tenders for the To Aro railway oxtention; is this intended as a " sop in the pan " for the electors of Wellington ? We think the Government could not have chosen a weaker man than tho present candidate, for he has nothing to recommend him. Even tho Premier had to acknowledge "it was said that Mr McLean way not personally popular," and, therefore, we should say it will require superhuman efforts on the part of the Government party to get him returned.