THE OTAKI SEAT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XLIX, Issue 14463, 30 November 1914, Page 8

THE OTAKI SEAT.

MR. FIELD NOT WANTED. V . ■■ REFORMERS PLEDGE THEMSELVES , TO ME EOBEETSON, . MASSEY ■CONDEMNED.'' . OTAKI, November 25. A large and enthusiastic meeting of die friends of Mr : Byron Brown, ,fh«. .-rejected Eeform candidate, was held last evening in the Druids’ Hall, Mr N. Hirst Davies presiding, for. the .’ purpose of discussing 'did-political situation and/the passing of a hearty vote of thanks for the genetous services rendered to the, district by Mr tlr.,wn. Mr J. C. Better, one of the instigators of the meeting, considered it the duty of the .Eeform electors to show their'appipcr--iti:n pi’ idr iirown’s services, and, express regret at the unjust way in which-he had ooen treated. He considered it was up to she oieccors to endeavour to get Mr Brown to toiliest the Otaki seat, despite.' the fHidgo which was secured from him under misrepresentation. There was no doubt chat n© was hoodwinked into a trap-di fact that was to bo regretted. If' Mr B;own would not contest the seat then it was his'wish to see the meeting pass a vtta of condolence to him and place on record its appreciation of Mr Brown’s valuable services. • Mr McDonald moved, after many strong expressions of disgust had been voiced against the Masse'y party on its action, that in the event of Mr Brown standing: down the meeting express regret and promise to support him on a future occasion’. It would be ill-advised to ask Mr Brown to stand now. The motion was seconded by Idr Hill, and carried. Mr Eetter considered the meeting should nass a vole of stricture on Mr Massey and his party for the unfair manner in which they had treated Mr Brown, and the way in which they had forced Mr Field on the electors. The chairman agreed, and said up to the present they were not under the German yoke. It was gross presumption on Mr Massey’s part to select a candidate for an electorate. It ,was the electors who put Massey in, and he was nothing, more cr less, than the' electors’ servant. Ho advised the people not to be fools again. The suggestion .was, eventually put in the-form of a , motion and. carried unanimously. - . . Mr Better regretted that Mr Massey did not make more inquiries into the merits and demerits of the two candidates. If he had done so Mr Brown would have been undoubtedly selected. (Hear, hear.) Messrs J. C. Better, E. McDonald, and A. H. Hill were appointed a committee to frame a resolution condemning Mr Massey s .action, .the same to be sent to the Premier and Ms party. After Mr McDonald and others had urged all to support Mr Eobertsdn, the meeting adjourned. Messrs. J. C. Eetter, A. H. Hill, and E,r Macdonald have met and framed tho following resolution to be forwarded to the Premier“ That this meeting expresses strong disapproval of the methods of selection of candidates for. electors by Cabinet (or any Cabinet), thus destroying our proper right of selection by secret ballot at the proper tinie. Wo were by further resolution appointed to make known to you the::e facts and voice the protests of the meeting, which appeared strongly of opinion that Cabinet’s choice will not be that of the electors.’’ ’ MB EOBEETSON AT LEVIN. Anticipating an overflow meeting, Mr Eobertson’s committee engaged the Picture Theatre, for his address at Levin, and their anticipations were .fully justified, as the huge building was packed to the footpath, 90 per cent, of those present, either favouring the Labour or Liberal Party. The’ candidate’s reference to Eeform’s many acts of omission were as loudly cheered as were congratulatory remarks on Sir Joseph Ward’s party. He made a damning indictment against the Government’s administration, finance, and land laws, and brought-down the house when he had explained the difference between- Mr Field’s revolutionary tendencies (from Liberal to Tory) and his own in clearing his electorate of a typhoid-infected' urea. Ho received a vote of thanks and renewed confidence, with not more than half a dozen dissentients.