The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1908. A MISLEADING STATEMENT.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVI, Issue 2354, 21 November 1908, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1908. A MISLEADING STATEMENT.

Any stick appears to be good enough to beat the Opposition dog with so far as our evening contemporary is concerned, and,"it lias discovered another grievance against Mr. Massey and his party in the fact that the Hon. Mr. Carroll seems likely to have to submit to a second ballot. After contending, as we have also contended, that a second ballot should be unnecessary in the ease of the Gisborne electorate, our contemporary proceeds thus: — It was the Government's intention that the obtaimnent by a candidate of SUO votes in excess of the runnerup should be denied to be an absoluto majority,'' and there, should then be no. need for a second contest. Air. Carroll would thus have gone in with 900 votes to spare. Loud and wordy protests, however, resounded from the Opposition quarter of the House, and cohse- ' quently, in deference to their wishes, we will most probably witness all the bother of a second poll. As a matter of fact, the clause in question was rejected by the Upper House, where Dr. Findlay, the Ministerial representative in the Council, moved that it be not agreed to. Subsequently three representatives of the House, of whom Sir Joseph AVard was one, met representatives of the Council in conference, and agreed to the deletion of the clause. There are certainly no good grounds for blaming the Opposition tor action taken by the -Legislative Council .at the instance of a member of the Cabinet.