THE ELECTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13728, 19 October 1908, Page 6

THE ELECTION.

l'cr i'reste As&uciatioii. NAPIER, October 10. Mr W. .1- McUUrath has declined nomination for the Xapier scat and will support tb-_- candidature of Mr A. L. D. Fraser. CHRISTCIIUIICH, Oct.. 17. Ex-Chief Detective W. L. Chrystall, who was a candidate for the Christ church East seat, has definitely decided to withdraw. The seat is held by Mr T. H. Davev, who has still three oppopentfe left ASHBURTOX. Ociober 17. Mr O. A. C. Hardy, M.P., the Opposition candidate for Selwyn addressed a large meeting at Rakaia last evening. He expressed himself in general agreement with the present educational system and declared himself a freeholder and generally ridiculed the Government's land legislation, at the same time deprecating the land tax and declaring for a more complete income tax. He strongly condemned the Government's borrowing and building policy, and urged the utmost caution, though he thought it would be a wise policy on the part of the Government to lend niore liberally to local bodies. He complained that settlers were recently unable to obtain even small loans from th.i Advances to Settlers Department. He belkved in a modified form of protection, which he considered had run wild in Kew Zealand. The speaker advocated a nore adequate defence policy and favoured increasing the life of parliament to five years. He condemned the Second Ballot and while not approving of compulsory arbitration thought, the Bill which the Minister of Labour had put through the House this year a very useful measure. THE TIM Alt U SEAT. Inquiry made on Saturday elicited that a reply to the cables svnt to Suez to intercept Mr F. J. Rollo.ilon on his way out, ivus not- expected at once. Circumstances might have prevented his receiving the messages in tune to reply from Suez. If the captain called at Adtn, he might cable from that port; but it is not certain that the steamer would call there. A third cable suggested* that a consent to nomination could be cabled to the Returning Officer from Colombo, and it> is not unlikely that Mr Rolleston may defer all ivply until he reaches Colombo, about tight days from Suez. It was stated on Saturday that Mr John Mundell had been asked to contest the Tunaru seat.

Mr Buxton, the Government nominee for Gtraldinc speaks at Temuka to-night-, and Mr Jeffries, the Opposition candid - date, on Wednesday night. Much surprise and not a little unfavourable comment was expressed at Temuka on Saturday when it became known that the general election iras filed for 17th November, three weeks earlier than last time. .Many electors are likely to bo absent from their homes at the northern shows, and will be inconvenienced by having to return specially to vote. Mr J. Mitchell (ways the Spectator), formerly of the Oamaru Mail—out of which office Chris. Watson, the Australian Labour Leader came—and a wellknown member of the Otago Education Board, is a candidate for Oamaru against Hon. T. "V. Duncan. No doubt "Tamniiis" hasn't got the eclat this year of being a Minister, but at any time he is a tough proposition to bump up against, and this paper has if<=> doubts whether Mr Mitchell will prove tho man for Galway. At last- <>ki:tio)i the votes were : Duncan 3100. Mitchell 1391, and' W. M'Kenzif 159. -Unless Duncan has lost a terrible lot of cround. lie can look confident ly In (Killing day.