THE RAILWAY VOTE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume LXIV, Issue 11219, 9 December 1911, Page 4

THE RAILWAY VOTE.

One of the few places outside of tho main polling booth where Mr Hogg roceived a majority, on Thursday was at the Railway booth, where the figures were Herbert 557, Hogg 133, and Sykes 03. This makes it fairly obvious that the railway men then had some confidence in the reigning party; or, rather, that the Government servants were following the wellworn policy of voting for the Government. It is very likely, in view of last Thursday's election figures, that the Second Ballot figures wiil show an entirely different state of affairs. A certain loyalty to the Government that they have served so loyally for a great many years no doubt induced a largo number of raiiwaymen to vote for Mr Hogg; but now that they realise that tlie Government party is being beaten in eveiy part of this Dominion, to be replaced by a youug, clean, vigorous party that is absolutely pledged to govern properly and well, the railway servants must feel that they will be serving their own interests and the interests of the country by voting for Reform. They arc certainly under no debt of obligation to the present administration. A Government that, year after year, dodged and hedged and prevaricated when asked, to accede to tho railway employes' more than just demands for better pay, and then made the increase only when forced to it by the imminence of a General Election, cannot possibly expect the confidence of the raiiwaymen. The Reform Party has given certain definite promises that, if returned to power, the conditions under which raiiwaymen work will be improved; and, under the circumstances, we think the raiiwaymen will now recognise that the Reform Part}' deserves a chance to "make good.''