MR W. A. GRAHAMS DISCLAIMER.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2347, 26 July 1887, Page 2

MR W. A. GRAHAMS DISCLAIMER.

TO THK EDITOR. Sir—ln a late issue of your paper 1 noticed letter from Mr \V. A. Graham, in which he magnanimously statcil that he hail no present intention of standing for cither a Waikato or a W'aipa constituency ; seeing which it immediately occurred to ni“, as I daresay it did to many others of your readers, to ask, what cliims this gcn’leman had upon either constituency to a-k such contidence at their hands? We have most of ns known Mr Graham for a number of years and many of his actions, and their consequences have no doubt made themselves felt to many of us. And summing tin the evidence of those actions, I should say that Mr Graham was one of the very last men to send to the House as our representative. It is just possible that in the somewhat limited sphere of a borough council or road board politician Mr Graham may have his uses, hut even as such lie does not appear to have been an unqualified success, judging from the utter collapse of most of his schemes when put to a practical test. There is certainly' one sehenv that had at its outset the brightest of prospects and at whose inauguration Mr Graham, unfortunately for its success identified himself with, I moan the now defunct Co-operative Association. I unhesitatingly say that had it not been for the weak and vacilating policy pursued by him in connection with that institution we should have had it flourishing in our midst to-day, as something calculated to lighten the prevailing depression existing among the farmers and to point to as an institution to bo proud of, instead of a miserable failure and a further load upon an already overtaxed community- Yet, in spite of failure upon failure that it would only weary you, Mr Editor, to hear recapitulated, Mr Graham has the '“face” to consider he has a right to a seat in the House, to enable him, I presume, to work experimental mischief on a more extended scale. I am sorry to have to write thus of Mr Graham as I believe him to he a public spirited man, and it it were not for serious idiosyucracies of character, he might he a useful one. He is what is usually called a “ well-meaning ” man. Hut men, how ever well meaning they may be, if they have an insufficiency of backbone are no: the men to put at the helm in these times. Mr Graham will, I hope, excuse any remarks I have felt called upon in the interests of the public, when I subscribe myself a member of the Co or.