THE PUBLICAN'S FIVE POUNDS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5496, 27 November 1896, Page 2

THE PUBLICAN'S FIVE POUNDS.

Our local contemporary has thrown a little light on the question of the publican's five pounds, and if it will continue its confession the public will soon know all about it. We have got so far that the fire ponnds, the publican, and the election, are admitted, but it is contended that the money was subscribed in the interests of anti-prohibition, Well, we are not surprised at this, for had our local contemporary assured as that it was in the interests of Prohibition we should have been reluctant to accept the statement. It appears that a little meeting of publicans was held;'but even here our local contemporary is a little reticent, for was not a certain representative of itß staff, part and parcel of that little gathering, was not the little meeting a combination ? However this may be, the meeting is said to lmveißsaed the following manifesto: Empire Hotel, Masterton, 19th Ootober, 1896. Dear Sir,—ln viow of the forthcoming election it wis deemed advisable by the LicoDS- d Victuallers of Masterton to hold a preliminary meeting in order to take -teps for counteracting the efforts of the P.ohibilion Party, The meeting was held at the above hotel on last Friday evening, and it was resolved to request the co-operation of hotelkeepers throughout the district. It was also reEolved to take immediate aot'on, and a subscription li>t towards rai-ing a fund for expenses was started each, Masterton hotelkeeper subscribing £5. I»m authorised to ask you to be go id enough to send a cheque for the same amount. The money will be required for various expenses during th' campaign, such as printing, advertising, oab hire on election day, and other items which ennot be avoided, We will require a oMumn in tho newspapers at least. We are now having copies of voting papers printed showing the pcoplo " how to vnts," and will forward you a aupplv for distribution at an early date, You will also bo furnished from time to time with the result o! busings done at the meetings. I may state that I have been appointed Chairman, and will do my best to fulfil the duties required. In the meantime I would impress upon you tbe importance of the matters referred to, and earnestly request your valuable assistance. The next meeting is appointed to ho held on Friday, the 23rd inst., and it i» particularly desired that your reply, with oheqne enclosed, be forwarded so that it can be put before the committee.—loura faithfully,

T. D. Thompson, Chairman, L.V. Association. Now, itis a little singular that we obtained our information from a publican who received a letter somewhat similar to the above and who distinctly stated that the money was required for Mr Hogg's elecfiqi}, 4.n election is named in the above manifesto, but whose. election does not quite appear.' Is there any identity between this movement and Mr Hogg's candidature. Our publican friend represented them to be' one and the same thing and as we said before the publicans at their little meeting had' a guide,philosopher and friend, to aid them from head quarters, The money it is declared, is needed for cab hire on election day! May we venture to ask whetherit is Mr Cameron's friends or Mr Hogg's friends for whom the generous publicansareproviding vehicles'? Itwill alsobenotioedtl)ttt'ntjeastapo]nmnof newspaper advertisements would be required. Wby, this is a perfect gorge, and we can scarcely conceive that this gigantic idea emanated from the alcoholic mind. It was the Journalistic Jacob rather than the Publican Esau who introduced this bold item into the manifesto, i That a little combination exists, in which the publican and Mr Hogg's Election Committee are mixed up, is quite evident, and it is also apparent that what one says the other will swear to. Still, we are getting on, and perhaps the cabs on election day .will reveal alittle more than ourlocalcontemporary appears willingtodivulge. The publicans'purse, we estimate, should contain eighty or eighty-five sovereigns, which are to be expended in the present election on cab hire and advertisements. It will, we think, Be admitted that the appeal to the publicanß has been nobly responded to, and that cabmen generally and a certain section of the press will undoubtedly feel extremely grateful to the trade. That the political sympathies of the press, the publicans and possibly the cabmen, will run in one direction, who can doubt. The combination is a strong one and our local contemporary appears to hold the master key, One cupboard has been unlocked at our instigation, but we still think that another cupboard yet remains unopened, , Onr local contemporary is frank in telling us certain things,'that we have already discovered for ourselves, but if he would let out a little that is new to us, we should be more grateful. It is no use beating about the bush! The trainers, managers, wire-pullers or whatever they like to call themselves of (1) Mr Hogg's election Committee, and (2) the publican's Committee, are' to be fohnd at tie office of our local contemporary.