GENERAL ELECTIONS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2353, 20 November 1908, Page 5

GENERAL ELECTIONS

THE GISBORNE SEAT.

THE SECOND BALLOT

The Returning Officer .(Mr. H. E. Hill) yesterday informed a “Times” reporter that as far ns is known a second ballot will be held next Tuesday to elect the member for the Gisborne electorate. The second ballot he pointed out, is equally important with the first ballot, and electors are asked to. bear the fact in mind anti record their votes. A lualf-holiday is to bo observed on the day of tho second ballot. In order to remove a possible misapprehension it may bo stated that the fact that an elector did not record his vote tat the first ballot does not prevent him from voting at the second one. The votes of a number of absent voters, 95 in all, Were received this morning, and it is expected that the information as to the distribution of them will be available to-morrow-mor-ning. Mr. H. E. Hill, the Returning Officer, .hopes to be in a position to make the declaration of the poll on tho recent ballot in the Gisborne electoral contest on Monduy morning. THE CHALMERS SEAT.

DUNEDIN, Nov. 19

The official count for Chalmers gives the following results: —E. G. Allen 2552, E. H. Clark 2463, W. Barr K)2. A second ballot will be necessary. Four votes (are still to come.

THE WAIPAWA"SEAT.

DANNEVIR.KE, Nov. 19

So far 57 absent voters’ permits have come to hand. Of these 27 are for Mr. Hall and 12 for Mr. Hunter. This makes Mr. Hall’s total 2474, and Mr. Hunter’s 2424. Tiie outstanding votes dm not now .affect the position. The scrutiny will not bo completed until to-morrow.

THE HAWKE’S RAY CONTEST

HASTINGS, Nov. 19

A public meeting in the Princess Theatre, Hastings, to-night was addressed by Mr. Dillon, who goes to the second) ballot for the Hawke’s Bay seat, and the other Liberal candidates lat the first ballot, except Mr. Thompson, who was presiding over a meeting of the Borough Council. There was a large attendance. Mr. Dillon announced that if elected this time he would never stand for Parliament again, though he would always supoprt the Liberal cause. The speakers were agreed in supporting Mr. Dillon, and n rsolution was carried unanimously earnestly exhorting supporters of the Liberal party to vote for him on Tuesday next.

FEDERAL PREMIER’S SUPPOSED MESSAGE.

AN EXPLLANATION

[Phess Association.]

CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 19

Seen again to-day regarding the ■alleged cablegram from Mr. Fisher, the Federal Premier, advising the workers of Now Zealand to vote tor Labor candidates, Mr. Thorn said he had now received a reply from Mr. Reardon (the secretary of tho General Laborers’ Union, Wellington), saying: “My mistake entirely; wire was received from Victorian Labor leader, not Federal Labor leader.” Mr. Thorn then telegraphed to Sir. Reardon: “I want .absolute truth re Fisher cable at once.” He also cabled to Sir. Prendergiist, leader °t tho Victorian Labor pnrty, asking, “Did you send Reardon, Wellington, 'Cablegram urging support of Labor candidates here? Urgent.” Sir. Thorn said that the took thut course to get at the actual facts as promptly as possible.

WELLINGTON, Nov. 19

In reference to the cablegram from Melbourne advising workers to vote 'for Labor candidates, Mr. Reardon explained- that- he received a telephone message from tlie Trades Council informing him that the cable had been received. He understood that it was from Mr. Fisher, and telegraphed the other centres. Later, however, lie discovered, to his surprise, that tli message ihiid come from Mr. Prendergast, leader of the Vietorian State Labor party, not from Mr. Fisher, leader of the Federal Labor party and Premier.

THE “LONDON TIMES.”

CONGRATULATION AND SUll-

MISE

United Press (Association, Copyright. (Received- November 19, 9.25 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 19. The “Times” congratulates Sir Joseph' Ward' on securing -another three years’ effective tenure of power, and suggests a connection between the astonishing advance of the prohibitionist movement and the increasing detorminiition of women to use their votes. AFTER THE POLL. VIEWS AND OPINIONS. [Special to “Times.”] WELLINGTON, Nov. 19. The “New -Zealand' Times” (the Ministerial morning journal) no longer scoffs -at tho alleged 'impotence of the Farmers’ Union. It publishes an article from one of its travelling i(cprosent-a-ti ves, who says : THE FARMERS’ UNION. “Tho surprise of the election is the way the Farmers’ Union men, who could never get a look in before, have topped- the polls. L. R. Phillips, of Wiaitemata, was provincial president of the Union, a colonial delegate for many yearSj and the most intemperate Oppositionist in the Union. - He was tho man, who before election,_was ‘selling out to settle in a freev country.’ Mine, of Stratford, is a Farmers’ Union man, so is Dive, of Egmont, though tho latter lias not taken a prominent part in tlie movement of late years. D. H. Guthrie, Oroua, is a very prominent member of the Union, a Liberal Oppositionist, a good, straight man. Ho is an chi school-master, and was in charge of the Terrace End School, Palmerston North, at one time. His first wife was daughter of the Hon. dohn Bryce. His present wife, recently wedded, is a daughter of Mr. Donald Fraser. El Nwnuui, Majjawatp, is

& Conservative, a straight -man. 'He has always boon an enthusiastic supporter of the Union, and made a good Parliamentary representative, showing u lot of tact and working impartially with both sides. Jones, ot. Ashburton, who got into third place at Ashburton, is Canterbury ] >evident of tho Union,, and one of tho uost prominent men. He is one of toe most promising of the younger setooj, a solid, coining man, .and will always have the confidence of formers. It. Scott, who 0. 1 imbed over the head of l)r. Chappie into the second ballot at JTuapeka, is the Otago president of the .Union, not brilliant, but an. honest little worker. MR. McNAB’S DEFEAT.

Tho same article contains the 'following:—“People tnllc of Mr. MeNab’s defeat as a calamity. H is a blessing. Look at the mess he made of the dairy regulations, which in the original were all right,. u "'o ho funked and invited trouole. I lie effect is seen in Taranaki, where the Government has lost every seat.” The writer (also expresses regret that Mr. Greens! ade was not beaten for Waikato, and expresses the opinion that “Buiek looks likely for Palmerston.” Altogether there is a refreshing candour about the -article, considering that it appears in the Government organ. WHO ARE TO BE THE NEW MINISTERS ?

There call bo no doubt that both Mr/ Hall-Jones and Mr. McNab will be greatlv missed, and that it v. ill be an exceedingly difficult matter refill their places satisfactorily. Looking down the list of Government men elected and likely to be elected, one would not like to be Premier, and have to undertake tho task, more particularly as Sir Joseph is still saddled with the single tax Minister for Education and the Tai/iou Minister for Native Affairs. The fact of the matter is that the calibre cf some possible aspirants is of a very mediocre description, while the rank Socialism of others puts them out ot court altogether. The possible Ministers most frequently mentioned in the party last session were Mess-s Ranine, Hogg, Field, Wilford, R. McKenzie, Bud do, and Laurenson, and the opinion was generally expressed that Messrs Hogg and Laurenson would be out of court on account of their well-known .Socialistic tendencies. Mr. McKenzie, it was thought, would have to be content with his Chairmanship of Committees. That would leave four others in the running' for the vacant portfolio, and of these Messrs Baume and Buddo should have the best chance. Mr. Baume would make a good Minister of Education, while Mr. Buddo would at all events be conciliatory .as Minister for Lands and Agriculture. From whatever point of view you look at it, however, it is extremely difficult to make a choice, and the issue will not be simplified by the result of the second for amongst all the Government candidates whose fate still hangs in the balance there is not a man who is equal to Cabinet rank. THE WELLINGTON CENTRAL

CONTEST. Quite a large number of voters did not exercise the franchise in the Wellington Central district. The reason is plain. there was oO Opposition candidate standing, and many people would not vote lor Mr. Hislop oil (account of his Government leanings, nor for Mr. Fisher because of tho fact that lie is an “Independent.” If a strong popular Oppositionist contested the Central seat- it is extremely doubtful if Mr. Fisher could hold it. THE SECOND BALLOT ACTMORE DEFECTS.

The defects of the Second Ballot Act arc still being discovered. For instance, at the second election on Tuesday next, the shops and hotels on one side of certain streets must close, while those on the other side of the street can remain open. This is the result of one constituency, viz., Wellington Central, having settled the issue on Tuesday hist. Another bad point .of tlie second ballot is that absent voters (to use an Irishism) are absolutely disqualified. Seamen, on the other hand, can vote. The disenfranchisement of absent voters for the filial mid most important issue is u serious blot upon the Act. Several candidates for the second ballot have re-summoned their committees, which were disb'anded prior to the first poll. This they are quite at liberty to do. Committees arc disbanded several days before the poll, not Under legal compulsion, but by the discretion, of candidates lest- the enthusiasm of any members of a committee should get his candidate into trouble through some informality in the last exciting days before the poll. Except in the case of ten country electorates, for which a ‘fortnight’s interval is provided, second ballots must be held exactly one week after the first poll. The Bay of Plenty is "the only electorate which will, tliavo to wait a fortnight for its second ballot on this occasion.' It does not appear to be generally known that if a candidate allows his total expenses in respect of the second ballot to exceed £SO he commits corrupt practice, and may be unseated. THE ROMAN CATHOLIC VOTE. A NOTABLE STATEMENT. Preaching at St. Patrick’s Church, Napier, on Sunday evening the Rev. Father Gogg.m gave an interesting explanation of the stand taken by the Catholic Church in regard to the elections. After referring to a local matter, the Rev. Father said:—“l wish now to place before you what wc priests are enjoined to teach in regard to polities*. Wo have no votes as Catholics. Please understand that. Wo vote simply as citizens of Napier. Wc have no other object. This is tho order of the hierarch, and* we request that every Catholic who has the suffrage should see that he is registered. The time may conic when some bigot will stand against lair play in this lovely country and attempt to deprive us of our liberties us Catholics. When, such a case comes before us, wo are ordered by the hierarch to call upon the people and (request them, by their duty to their consciences, by the duty they owe as citizens, to vote en masse against such an individual. “We have for a general exampio the Catholic Society , of America, “where there are fifteen million. Catholics. Every Catholic in the- country is free to vote as he will until our liberties are touched. It is only in such a case where our right? as citi-

zeiis and law-abiding members oi the community' are brought into question that we stand shoulder to shoulder in the name of the God tliat we adore. No body of Catholics can gather together and say that they vote as the Catholic Church. They have no right to abrogate the privilege which we as citizens of a free country enjoy, and may we keep it free. “Unfortunately, elections are always quarrelsome. There are two honorable gentlemen standing in this city of Napier. They are both on the same platform, being supporters o', the Liberal Government, and, therefore, you have to choose. What right have I to stand and say that you Should vote Ifor one in preference to the other? No man lias such a right. It is for each one to say which candidate will serve the country best, and then may the best man win. The Catholic Church Haunts' the banner oi liberty, and I say that you are free to vote as you please/’ Continuing, Lather Goggan said that there was another question that it was only right that he should mention, and that was the question oi prohibition. The Catholic Church had never preached prohibition, and it never would. It/ could not. The doctrine of the Catholic Church in this matter was the doctrine of Jesus Christ, who commanded temperance as a virtue. The remedy of the Catholic Church for the drunkard was total lamstinence. A man had no right to expose himself drunk before the public, and he should take the pledge. The temperance preached by " the Catholic Church was to abstain from drink if one could not take it without going to excess, and if one did take it to he temperate. He was preaching only 1o Catholics, and to no one else. Ail the money in New Zealand would not make him deviate from his duty to the God bo adored and the Church ho was proud to serve.

A LABOR LEADER. ,MR WATSON'S SUCCESSOR. Mr Andrew Fisher, who has been called upon to attempt tlie formation of a new Federal Government, has had no very brilliant political career, but ho has a great deal of earnest work to liis credit. He is a Scotchman, horn in Ayrshire forty-six years ago, and he had the customary sound education of the Scotch lad. Circumstances permitted him no luxuries, however, aud he had to go from the primary school direct to work, having a hard struggle to earn a iri.e.r. The working-man in (Scotland as a rule his plenty of character, and ii lie has had a bitter experience in youth lie is all the stronger as a man. Mr Fisher had a taste for reading and seems to have liked “hard” hooks, especially on economics. He tired of the intense struggle <jf the Old Country and at nineteen emigrated to Australia. Quceus’and attracted him, and'he found employment as u miner cm the Gympie goldfield. Even then he had earnest convictions on social and polii .cal questions, and he seems to have impressed his fellow workers by his sincerity. He joined the Miners’ Union, oi course, aud became first secretary and subsequently president- of tliat body. Twenty years ago he decided to offer his services to the workers as their representative and in 189-3, when the labor movement was at length mailing solid, progress, lie was elected at the head of the poll for Gympie. In 1894 he moved in favor of industrial arbitration, and his forma! motion, affirming the desirability of legislation to deal With disputes, was seconded by Sir Hugh Nelson and carried 1111aniiirouslv. He lost his seat in ISCG but throe years later be was again returned for Gympie and his abilities were recognised when he received a minor office in the short-lived Dawson Government. At the first Commonwealth elections he stood for Wide Bay. and was elected and lie still re presents the constituency in the Federal House df Representatives. Th Labor members met in May. 1901. telect a leader, and Mr Fisher Jvas nominated by the Queensland group. Mr Watson was elected, but the vfidc Bay representative was regarded as deputy-leader, and when Mr Watson formed his administration Mr Fisher was appointed Minister of Customs. In 190-5 lie was formally -appointed deputy-leader of the party, and of course he succeeded to the leadership on Mr Watson’s retirement.