Supplement to " Ashburton Guardian," Sept. 17, 1887.

TO THE READER.

It generally happens that when a town is tble to keep two newspapers going, they take dfpesite side! m political contests, and dis charge a useful function by respectively venti lating the views of the eonttnding parties ; feat although it must be obvious to the most prejudiced observer, that a large body of the inhabitants of the town and county of Ashbnjrton is decidedly opposed to the Stout- Yogel Ministry and all its works, while, tnoKowr, there are two candidates now stand ing for thi Ashburton seat, one a Ministerial ist, and the other an Independent, yet strange to say, both of the Ashburton journals are strongly Ministerialist m tone, and no venti lation whatever ii given to Opposition views of tha political situation. This seems to us % WDSawhat unfortunate state of affairs, for then are two sides to every question ; and loosing at the momentous issues now before the country, and whioh the eleotors wyi be Balled upon to decide at the polling-day, it is ia every sense desirable that the fullest light should be thrown upon all aspeots of the Questions now under discussion by the oon atitnenoisi, to that the truth may be elioited find the eliotors may be able to record their votes with an intelligent comprehension of the subjeoti npon whioh they are voting. It is m order to give publicity to a few ob- Itrvatitns upon political topics whioh are not likely to find their way into the " Ashburton Guardian "or " Mail " that we have issued ihii broadsheet, and we trust that the bread thus east npon the waters may return at polling-day. Ebitob.

THE BO'UN.

L>

Some of Mr Walker's friends, unable to get over the patent and inconvenient fact that he is a staunch supporter of the present Govern ment, and that ho has, during the present eleotion contest, distinctly and positively pledged himßelf to " loyally" support the Stout-Vogel Ministry if returned, argue that he is not absolutely bound to them, and that if oocasion required, be would vote against them. We have on'y to turn over the pages of "Haußard" during the past three years to learn that on any division of the smallest import ance, Mr Walker has a 1 ways voted with the Government. Indeed, from his relations with the Stout-Vogel Ministry, he oould hardly do otherwise. He is the Ministerial whip. Now, a member with a mind of his own is never chosen as a Ministerial whip. Only a perfectly " safe" man is appointed to the post. It is the duty of a whip to look after the interests of the Ministry ; to convert the doubtful members into Ministerial supporters; and see that all Ministerial supporters turn up at a division. He is no more free to aot for himself than a boatswain on board a man-of war is at liberty to refuse to pipe all hands on deok when the captain orders him to do so. It may be that, on some matter of trifling consequence Mr Walker may have been per • mitted by the Ministry to vote as he liked on the principle that "it may please his constituents, and it wont hurt us" but on any Ministerial question, during tho last Parliament, Mr Walker not only voted with the Government, but, m virtue of his office, he did his beßt to persuade a majority of the House to vote with them likewise. It is not surprising that the Ministry, seeing how " dicky" matters look for them, all over the colony, should be excessively anxious for Mr Walker's return, and that the Colonial Treasurer Bhould have thought it desirable to make a speeoh at Ashburton, although he had nothing whatever to say to the electors.

NOMINATION DAY

MR PURNELL'S SPEECH At the Nomination for the Ash burton Seat which took place at the Courthouse, A shburton, on Friday, i6th September.

Mr Purnell spoke to the following effect j — On Monday week you will be asked to say yes or no to certain definite financial proposals made by the Government to the House last session, whereby you will be called upon to pay additional taxation to the tune of a year, which the Govern ment told the House it absolutely re quired, after making allowance for all the retrenchments which they saw their way to effect m the public expenditure. You are, however, invited to do some thing more than that. If you agree to pay this extra taxation, it really means that you also consent to a continuance of that policy of excessive borrowing and reckless spending which the colony has been pursuing since 1870. I come forward as the advocate of an entirely opposite policy, and I invite you by electing me to say, not only that you are not prepared to pay further taxation until there has been a drastic retrench ment m the public expenditure, but that yon also desire the Vogelian system of finance to be abandoned; that borrowing should be stopped at the earliest possible moment; and that henceforth our annual expenditure should be kept strictly within our annual income. Before I go further, I will refer briefly to some ef Mr Brick's remarks. [Mr D. Brick had proposed Mr Walker.] I regret that Mr Brick should entertain such strong feelings against me. Had he come to me m a manly way, instead of relying upon the slanderous asser tions of newspaper correspondents, who impute to me the utterance of words Which I never uttered, and the writing of words which I never wrote, he would have found that my views on certain topics were not precisely what he thinks. He charges me with speaking ill of Catholics. I never said or wrote an ill word of Catholics mmy life. I respect all men's religious opinions, and accord to every man the same liberty of conscience that I claim myself. My slanderers have had the contemptible meanness to reprint an old newspaper article, which I did not write myself, nor did I suggest the writing of it, and they have had the impudence to append my initails to it. This newspaper articles they have privately circulated through out the electorate. I may remind these gentlemen that the law does not permit one man to use another's initials any more than his name without authority. Mr Brick says I did not object to the cost of education six years ago, when I was standing for Wakanui. I did not object to it then, because it was within the means of the colony, whereas the cost is now beyond those means. He declares that my views on Education are put forward as a bait to catch Catholic votes. Well, it is perfectly true that if the Education system were revised m the manner I propose, the Catholics could come m and share the Education .expenditure, but other denominations could also avail themselves of the grants-in -aid. In any case I have told you what my views on Education are, and it is for the electors to say whether or not they approve of them. If elected I shall do my best to give effect to them. Some of my adversaries have been circulating the report that I am a follower of Major Atkinson, and Mr Walker wishes to make out that it we don't have theStout- Vogel Government, we must have an Atkinson Government. Now, I am not a supporter of Major Atkinson and never have been, and even 50 experienced a politician as Mr E. G. Wright does not consider there is any inconsistency m declaring himself an opponent both of the present Ministry and of Major Atkinson. In the various addresses which I have delivered m the course ot my election eering campaign I have over and over again stated that I will not bind myself to follow any particular leader; and much'as I should feel honoured by being elected ai the representative of this important district, I tell you frankly that I would rather decline that honour unless you are prepared to elect me as an entirely independent member, because otherwise I should ieel that I should go to the House with a heavy shackle placed upon my usefulness. I am well aware that Parliamentary leaders do not like inde pendent members. The Ministry naturally wishes a candidate to be returned, upon whose vote it can rely ; an Opposition leader is equally anxious for a faithful follower. But to my mind, it is of infinitely greater import ance that your interests should be properly looked after, and that the Colonial finances should be placed upon a sound footing than that any particular politician should be m office. You must remember that we have 00

definite political parties m this country. In England a Liberal elector is fairly entitled to vote against a Conservative candidate just because he is a Conserva tive ; and a Conservative elector, on the same principle may fairly vote against a Liberal candidate just' because he is a Liberal. But m New Zealand we find leading politicians who are bitter opponents one year, sitting side by side on the same benches the next year. Mr Walker asks, what party does Mr Purnell represent ? I reply by asking, what party does Mr Walker represent? He supports the Stout- Yogel Ministry, but that Ministry does not represent any party. What could be more incongruous than the com position of the present Government? Three years ago a most unholy alliance was entered into between Mr Stout, the extreme Democrat, and Sir Julius Yogel the staunch Conservative. They took, unto themselves, as colleagues several men having no two opinions m common, and what is the natural consequence ? Why, we find the Ministers during the recess going about the country at your expense talking against one another ; while m the House they vote against one another even on important measures. The Ministerial team has no driver, the obstinate animals are all trying to pull the Government cart different ways, and if we don't unhar ness them quickly and turn them out to grass there will be a terrible smash.

The Ministerial newspaper organs sneer at the idea of a new party being formed m the House. They tell us we have no option but to retain and fellow the old leaders. It will rest entirely with the constituencies to say whether or not a new Parliamentary party should be formed. If the constituencies will return a sufficient number of men fired ! with the determination to cut down the Governmental expenditure to the lowest possible point and generally to simplify and cheapen the present system so as to bring it within the means of the colony, a new Parliamentary party will spring into existence quickly enough, and I venture to think it will prove the salvation of the country. We must take a new financial departure, we must get out of that foetid atmosphere of reck less borrowing and reckless spending which has so long hung over the colony, and henceforth live m a purer and healthier air. If I consulted my own pecuniary advantage I should not be standing here to-day. It would pay me much better to stay m Ashburton and attend solely to my profession, but I am not a temporary sojourner m the land ; New Zealand is my home, it is the birthplace of my children and I feel an intense interest m its welfare ; I feel that the colony has now arrived at a criti cal period when it must either pursue the downward road to financial disaster, with accelerated speed, or else pull itself together and thenceforth followanewand safer road, and it is because I wish to be placed m a position m which I may have an effective hand m guiding the colony into that safer road that I ask you to elect me as your member. Gentlemen, I trust that on the polling day you will remember that we are about to exercise the franchise not only for ourselves, but for our children also, and that upon the result of the present elections will depend the weal or the woe of the colony for many a long day. (Great applause.)

THE REAL ISSUE BEFORE THE COUNTRY.

It is earnestly to be hoped that, on polling day, the electors of ABhburton will cast aside from them all looal and personal considera tions, will refuse to permic themselves to be led away by side issues, and will vote simply and solely upon the very important question submitted to them. For that question is an extremely serious one, and upon the answer whioh tha coustituencies give to it will depend the weal or woe of the colony for a long period. The finances of the colony are m a most deplorable condition ; the charges for the colonial debt amount to £1,764,793 a year, our credit m the money market is nearly exhausted, we are told by Mr Leonard Harper, a staunch Ministerialist, who has just returned from England, that if we attempt any further borrowing m the London money market for the next year or two, we Ehall get " a slap m the faao," our debentures are quoted at a lower figure than those of any other British Colony ; and the people of New Zealand from one end of it to the other, are struggling with every kind of commercial and industrial depression so that we hear persons anxiously asking whether New Zealand will- ever recover itself. Ac cording to the Colonial Treasurer, there is a huge hiatus between the annual revenue and the annual expenditure of £278,000. Our own firm oonviotion is, after a careful study of the public accounts, that the Treasurer considerably under estimates the deficiency. Now, what would common prudence sug gest that we should do m this state of affairs? New Zealand has one of the most costly and luxurious systems of government to be found m the wide world ; every visitor to the oolony remarks upon its extravagance; and surely the proper course for us to adopt is to prune that luxuriousness and by dint of strict economy henoeforth to live within our means. The Stout-Vogel Minietry does not view the matter m that light. It proposed lass session to retrench to the extent of some £20,000 a year but declared that it oould go no further, and that the deficiency m the Treasury chest must be supplied by additional'taxation to the extent of £325,000 a year, of whioh £175,000 would be derived from increased customs duties; £75,000 from an increase m the Property Tax, m which increase the progressive principle would be introduced; while the Ministry fun her proposed to reduce the subsidies now paid to local bodies by £75,000 a yeer, whioh simply means, of course, that the looal bodies would have to raise further rates to that extent. The Opposition joined issue with the Ministry on this point and succeeded m carrying a resolution to the effect that "the tariff and other financial proposals of the Government are unsatisfactory, " whereupon the Ministry in duced the Governor to dissolve thb House and appeal to the oountry m order to get tho country to say yes or no to these proposals. This is the sole question submitted to the constituencies. The Government maintain the financial defioienoy must be met by inoreased taxation. Mr Purnell and other candidates opposing the Government contend that before further taxation is resorted to, a drastio system of retrenchment Bhould be put m force through all branches of the publio service and the entire machinery of government simplified. Any constituency whioh returns a Ministerialist will be deemed lo endorse the Government proposals, for local or personal considerations will not be taken into aooount outside the constituency, and if the Ministry gains a majority at the elections, it simply means that its financial proposals, whioh were rejeoted by the last House, will be re-intro duced and carried next session. Of oourao, if any eleotor really thinks these proposals benefioial to the country, and that the ory for retrenchment is, as Sir Julius Vof el put it to a publio meeting m Auokland some time ago, " a humbug and a sham," he ought logically to vote for Mr Walker ; but if he is of opinion that ruinous and crushing taxation should not be resorted to until the publio expenditure has been out down to tine lowest possible point, it will, we apprehend, be hia duty both to himself, to his family, and fo bis country, to vote for Mr Purnell.

THE RAKAIA POLITICAL SHEPHERDS.

The two or three gentlemen at Bakaia who have for years past arrogated to themselves the right to select the candidate for Parliamentary honors, whom the Bakaia electors should support, and whom Mr Purnell aptly described as self-constituted poliiioal shep herds, have been extremely aotive m promot ing Mr Walker's interests, for this reason if no other, that the return of Mr Purnell would mean that the Bakaia electors had revolted from their authority, and had aißerted their electoral independence. The a musing part of the affair is that those shepherds are them selves only underlings, the man who pulls the strings to which they dance, and who may properly be styled the head shepherd, being Mr John Holmes, late M.H.B. for Christ church South, who has wisely abstained from offering himself for re-election, seeing that, if he had done so he would assuredly have suffered a defeat. Mr Holniee, being thus politically " played out" m Christchurch, is diligently endeavoring to convert the northern end of the Ashburton electorate into a kind of private political reserve for himself. Since Mr Purnell deolared himself a candidate for the representation of the constituency, Mr John Holmes has been diligently canvassing the country, from Methven to South Bakaia, m the Ministerial interests and the interests of the large landowners, of whom Mr Holmes is one of the biggest. Notwithstanding Mr Holmes's pertinacity,how ever, and his persistent endeavors to persuade the electors that if the Stout-Vogel Ministry goes out of office, the old Atkinson Ministry will replaoe it, we believe the great bulk of tbo eletcors are alive to the fact that this is merely an election cry, and that the sole question which they will have to vote upon next Monday week is, whether or not they ara prepared to pay the enormous inorease of taxation demanded of them by the Govern ment and which every Ministerial candidate is pledged to Bupport, or whether they *ill not insist that before a single penny of extra taxation ii imposed, tbe publio expenditure shall be reduced to the lowest point. Were, however, the issue less momentous than it is, we would still invite the electors at the northern end of the district to refuse to subject themselves to the contemptible thraldom whioh it is attempted to impose upon them.

THE MIDLAND RAILWAY.

Many persons seem to be under the impres sion that the arrangement whioh has been made with the New Zealand Midland Bailway Company, Limited, for the construc tion of the East and West Coast Bailway and of the railway between Nelson and Grey mouth is a highly favorable one for this colony : that we are giving the Company a large grant of land, and that ihe Company m return is constructing two railways which, when finished, will be the property of the colony. This however is an entire mistake. The agreement between the Government and the Company is to this effect : — The Govern ment will give the Company 2,500,000 acres of land, of the estimated value of £1,250,000 The Company on their part, undertake to construct a line of railway to connect Spring field m Canterbury, with Brunnerton, and another to connect Brunnerton with Belgrova, m the Provincial District of Nelson.' The aggregate length of these two lines will be 235 miles, m other words, the land grant will be equivalent to a bonus of £5312 a mile. When the lines are finished the contractors will be entitled to work them for a period of ten years for their own benefit ; and after the expiration of that period, the Government may if it thinks fit purchase the lines at a valua tion. Under certain circumstances the right to purchase will arise at an earlier date. The valuers m assessing the price to be paid for the lines will take the original cost of con struction as a basis and make allowances for depreciation occasioned by wear and tear. The Govsrnment. if it buys the railways, will also have to purchase with them all land then belonging to the Company, and pay for im provements. Suoh are the main features of the agree ment and whille we cordially recognise the importance of railway communication between the East and West Coasts of the Middle Island we are not at all disposed to go into rapturas over the bargain whioh has been effected, since it appears to us that the colony is about to pay a remarkably handsome price for its whistle. Nor can we shut our eyas to tbe faot that the East and West Coast Bail way will be m the hands of a joint -stock Company, having its headquarters m London ; that the Company will be the awner of on enormous territory right m the heart of the island; and will be by far tho largest land owner m New Zealand, and that it will neces sarily be mixed up with banks and loan com panies to a great extent ; so that we must look for trouble m the future.

However if the present Ministry had been permitted to have its own way, we should have entered into a much worse bargain and been saddled with Meiggs. What Meiggs wanted, and the proposal whioh Sir Julius Yogel made to an astonished House, m 1885, was this : We were not only to give Meiggs 2,500,000 acres of land, but the colony was also to guarantee him £97,000 a year, m exoess of the working expenses of the railway for a period of 20 years, payable m London half-yearly. In order to provide half of the £97,000 a year, tho inhabitants of the part of Canterbury whioh lies north of the Baogitaa together with the inhabitants of Westland and Nelson, were to be specially taxed, and they were also to be taxed to the tune of £16,000 a year for the maintenance of the main roads between Nelson and Greymoutb, and Christ ohurch and Hokitika, now charged against the colonial funds. When the House was discussing this proposal, Mr Vincent Pyke quoted with effect a passage from Dickens' " Barnaby Budge," where the old looksmith gives this recommendation to bis daughter. " i>olly, my dear, when you get married, never have a Meiggs m the family," and Mr Pyke added, " I say to this House and to this country, 'Don' t have a Meiggs m the family.' The good sense of the House induoed it to take Mr Pyke's advice, and it refused to have anything to do with Meiggs, whereat there was muoh lamentation m the Ministerial oamp and tha " Lyttelton Times " and other Government newspapers waxed exceedingly wroth. .

We need scarcely add, that Mr Walker, the member for Ashburton, being the Ministerial whip, obediently supported and voted with the Ministry on this occasion.

TWO MANLY COUN CILLORS.

Councillors Tuoker and Beid deserve oredit for the manly stand, which they made m th?

Ashburton Borough Counoil the other evening against the proposed illegal expendi'ure of the j Borough funds m paying for the hire of the Oddfellows' Hall on the evening when Sir Julius Yogel addressed the eleotors, and we have no doubt that the burgesses will bear their conduct m mind when^ they seek re-eleotion. An attempt was simply being made to charge part of Mr Walker's eleotion expenses against the Borough rates. " East street," of course, voted for passing the account. It always shines on these occa sions. Councillor Williamson, whose fatuous admiration of Sir Julius Yogel blinds his usual good sense, rated Councillor Tucker severely for not talking with proper respect of the great man who recently condescended to enlighten (?) us on various abstruse points of political economy-; but although Councillor Tucker does not possess Councillor William son's flow of language, he has a "great deal more of the spirit of an Englishman about him ; he ventures to think for himself, even though his reflections may lead him to the oonolusion that the great Sir Julius is wrong and not at all to be trusted. However, he and Councillor Beid were not only supported by the common lenie of the people m this matter, but they were actually vindicating the law, and although the aooount was pasted for payment, it afterwards struck "East street " that the public auditor, m hie next overhaul of the Borough aooodnts would probably have something to say on the subject, so tbe hat was sent round for a half orown subscription, when the munificent sum of ten shillings was raised towards dis charging the bill, whioh was for 35a m all. | One Councillor, whose agile form might have been discerned on the night of Sir Julius' meeting, flitting about the wringa of the stage, only pausing now and then to greedly drink m the eloquent words of ambiguous wisdom whioh fell from the lips of the in spired orator, positively refused to disburse h\» half-crown— barely the price of a front seat at a Christy Ministrels, entertainment— arguing that it would be time enough to subsoribe when the public auditor oalled npon the Councillor, to pay up the money illegally expended. However, we learn that other Vogelites of a less thrifty turn of mind have since contributed the balance of the thirty-five shillings, and a little bird also whispers m our ear that m consequence of Councillors Tucker and Beid's protest an aooount for advertising the meeting, which it waa like wise intended to charge against the Borough funds will be defrayed by the promoters of the meeting.

A DILEMMA.

Ministers aro going about tha country making long speeches to prove that our only hope of salvation lies m our graiping and holding fast to the gospel of Proteotion ; and unless we pay the £186,000 of increased Customs duties demanded of us, all will be lost. On the other hand they (or rather some of them, for to do him justice, tbe Colonial Treasurer does not pretend to believe m re trenchment) declare that they are perfectly willing to retrench the public expenditure, and Sir Bobert Stout and Mr Tole, between them (they don't agree m their proposals, of course, the present Ministers never do) admit that reductions oan be made to the extent of £140,000 a year. The Ministerial candidates, who m their places m the House last session, voted against retrenchment, obediently echo the sentiments of their chiefs and feel quite hurt if anybody suggests that we ought rather to look at their actions m Parliament than at their election promises. But if we are to retrench and thereby save the proposed increased Customs duties, how is the colony to prosper, seeing that its prosperity depends, according to the Ministerialists, upon its embracing a Protectionist polioy ? Tho two things don't gee at all.

VOGELMANIA.

We are glad to learn from the medical authorities that this terrible disease, whioh committed such alarming ravages amongst the population of Ashburton three years ago, and, recently threatened to break out with renewed virulence here, is rapidly disappear ing from the district, and it is confidently expected that, before long, Ashburton will be able to show a olean bill of health m this respect. Just now, the malady seems to be almost confined to "East street," auctioneers, Mayors, ex-Mayors et hoc gcnxis omnc. Rumor, indeed, says that one of our local medicos exhibits alarming paroxysms now and then. Ashburton, howover, may well congratu late itself upon its freedom from the epidemic as compared with Christohurch, where large sections of the population are entirely pro strated with the disease. The mania has gained a firm hold upon the staff of " The Lyttelton Times," and tho gibberings of that unfortunate newspaper are painful to every healthy mind and offer a sad example of the result of surrendering one's reason to a finan cial idol. The celebrated stock salesman upon whom Her Majesty reoently bestowed the title of " The Buster," is said to be m a parlous state, but some persons insist that his unhappy condition is partly due to his being unable to discover " the gizzard of an Australian lizard " which he not long sinoe at St Albans publicly deolared his anxiety that the Christchurch people should possess.

If the malady is treated m time, it oan generally be cured by hearing one of Mr PurneU's speeohes, and taking a few strong doses of oommon sense, but if the disease is allowed to get firmly implanted m the system, it is incurable.

CONCERNING THOSE RUNS

It is curious how Ministers and their news papers will persist m discussing every subject except the one upon whioh tho Ministry appealed to the country, namely, the financial proposals made by the Government to the House last session. All sorts of red herrings are drawn across the scent, all sorts of dodges and devices used to distraot the eleotors' attention, and cries of every kind are raised. One of the funniest of these efforts to mis lead the electors is the assertion that, if the Opposition get into power, the leases now held by the oooupiers of the Canterbury runs, will be .-ederwed upon their expiry m May, 1890. Why there should be more danger of renewal, if the Opposition were m office, than there would be if the present Ministry continues m power, the Ministerialists do not condescend to explain. Seeing that Sir Julius Yogel has always been the representa tive of the large landowner?, and the monied interests of the colony, and that tho Canter bury squatters were the main instruments of his return to office m 1884 ; seeing further, that Mr Larnaeh has, m his time, been one of the largest runholders m Otago, one would have thought that the interests of the Canterbury runholders were not likely to be neglected by ihe Stout-Vogel Ministry. Indeed the Ministry had soarcely got warm m their seats before they proceeded to appoint Mr Lancelot-Walker, a Canterbury runholder, to a seat m the Legislative Council, although that gentleman had certainly never rendered nyy publio services to entitle him to such a distinction. The faot is, however, that this question of the leases of the Canterbury runs is already settled by law ; and neither the present Ministry, nor any other Ministry, will have power to renew the leases. The runs will, m 1890, have to be out up into Bmall sized blocks, and the leases sold by auction ; and the cry that there is any danger of the leases being renewed, is the veriest olaptrap, merely raised to delude the electors. Were the caie otherwise, we should hardly have thought that so far as Ashburton is oonoerned, Mr Walker was the proper parson to guard the rights of the mass of the people m this matter, inas much as he is a runholder himself, and we believe, has been a runholder ever since his arrival m the oolony.

THE MINISTRY AND RE TRENCHMENT.

We would suggest a persual of tbe Colonial Treasurer's Papanui speeoh to those eleotors who think that, if the present Minis try are suffered to remain m office, they will comply with the general demand, and severely retrench the publio expenditure. The Colonial Treasurer m his speeches, both at Christ ohurch and Ashburton, pretty plainly inti mated that he did not sympathise with " the rear for retrenchment," now resounding through New Zealand, but nothing could be more distinct than his utterances on the subject at Papanui. " The Civil Service" he said " was not a very expensive one." He objected to any reduotion m the Governor's salary and allowances. If we ventured to touch the Governor's " sorew " we might get a " second class " Governor— a truly appalling prospect, "As regarded Ihe

number of Ministers, "he did not think that they ought to be noticed. Indeed, consider ing the onerous nature of the work of Ministers he thought they Bhould rather be inoreased." "As regarded the honorarium to members, he did not think that this should be reduced. He would point out that m Viatoria, with only one capital easy of aooess £300 a year was paid." "He would show them presentlythat tho retrenchment which might be made without impairing the effi ciency of the service would be but small." And so forth. Sir Julius Yogel is the apostle of lavish expenditure. Mr Walker is the only i man who ever expressed the opinion that Sir Julius Yogel was economical m his ten dencies the other Ministeralists think that " Yogel ; with the break on "is the correct thing. The misohief is that no break seems strong enough to res rain him. Sir Julius and his colleagues are unable to grasp the finanoial situation. The Treasurer tnlkß about strengthening the revenue to meet the expenditure ; whereas what the oolony wants is, the expenditure reduced to at to bring it within our income. Eleotors who vote for Ministerialist candidates will be voting for a retention of the prevent extravagant expenditure and augmented taxa tion ; those who believe that retrenchment should be effected to the laßt penny before extra taxation is imposed, should vote for candidates who have deolared themselves op- Iponents of the present Ministry.

AN UGLY STORY.

That is a very ugly story which has bean raked up m Otago about Sir Julius Vogel'i qualification ai an elector when he wai returned to, the House m 1884 It will ba remembered that when Sir Julius made his appearance m the colony m 1884, and inti mated his willingnens to re-enter New Zea land politics " for a few months only," people naturally enquired whether he was an eleotor of any district, seeing that he had been absent from the colony for several years, and his " stake m the oolony " wai popularly supposed to be of the carpet bag kind. The enquiry did not elicit a prempt rspDnse, but at last it was discovered that his name waa on the Waikouaiti roll for a property qualification, which appeared rather singular, seeing that Sir Julius Yogel had never resided at Waikouaiti, and Waikouaiti is not exactly .the spot where a man desirous of engaging m a little land speculation would be likely to invest nil money. However, the oolony was just then suffering from a sharp attack oi Vogel-mania, and Bwallowcd the Btory. It is now circum stantially alleged that the property m respect of which he was registered was not his at all, but belonged at that time to Messrs Sievwright and Stout. Sir Bobert Stout it is also asserted, being registered as 'an elector of Waikouaiti by virtue of his ownership of this very property, witnessed Sir Julius' claim to bo registered as an eleotor of Waikouaiti and the title to the property m question, whioh is section 1, block 1, Jones's township of Hawkesbury, still stands m the names of B. Sievwiigbt and Bobert Stout m the Land Begistry. Sir Bobert Stout's version of the matter is that Sir Julius Yogel bought the property from himielf and his partner m 1b76; but ha _ gives no explanation of why Sir Julius Yogel has not been registered as owner of the land, nor why, until reoently, the names of Messrs Sievwright and Stont were suffered to remain on the local rate rolls, as the occupiers and owners of the land and as the persons liable to be rated for it. Without further explanation, it would appear as if Mr Stout and Sir Julius Yogel had put the latter's name wrongfully on the electoral rolls with the view of enabling him to re-enter New Zealand politics ; and these gentlemen owe it both to themselves, and to tho oolony to exoulpate themselves from the charge at the earliest possible moment.

AN ECONOMICAL MINISTRY.

During their comparatively short tenure of office the present Ministry has appointed thirteen fresh members of the Legislative Council, whose honoraria amount m the gross to the tidy sum of 2600 guineas. It may safely be asserted that these appointments were perfectly useless, as the Legislative Council was quite large enough without them. But why should not Sir Julius Yogel and Sir Bobert Stout be permitted to reward their friends and supporters, even though by doing so they have saddled the oolony with an annual payment of 2600 guineas during the rest of the term of these thirteen gentlemen's natural lives ?

WHAT DOES PROTECTION MEAN.

Sis, — This question, most deoidedly, every elector m New Zealand should ask himself, before committing himself, to vote for the present Government or any other who would be m favor of suoh a suicidal polioy. It seems to me that the generality of our people do not reoognise the faot that it means, beyond everything else, a largo addition to their weekly outlay, or the alternative, de priving them of the little luxuries they at present enjoy, the latter the most likely, as I am sure it takes most of us all our time to make ends meet, even with the most rigid economy.

At the first blush, and according to the arguments of the Protectionists, it would seem that the farmer, mechanic, and laborer would get all the best of it, but of this we may be sure, the happiness of the many is the last consideration with those who clamour for Proteotion. No 1 tho people who head the movement are those who have taken every thing from the people m the past, and (the leopard not changing his spots) will continue to do the same m the future.

Now let us see how it will suit the farmer. We mu3t oonoede m the first place, that the foundation of all industries is obtained from the earth itself, whether m tho shape of grain, wool, hides, timber or the purchasing medium itself, gold, as well as all other minerals. But to confine ourselves for the present, to the farmer. What would be its effect on him. Every artiole he consumed or wore, not pro duced by himself, would be heavily taxed and every artiole he produced would depredate m value. The Protectionists speak of the largo inoreaso m population whioh would follow the carrying out of their policy. Now, we will allow for the sake of argument (a very unlikely thing however,) that the population would double mloor 15 years Two things would then ocour ; the consumption of pro duce would be doubled aud naturally the quantity produced would be also doubled. Considering at tho present moment that by far the largest proportion of our productions are shipped away, what difference would be made, the supply being now (and must always continue so) immensely m excess of tha demand. How is it going to benefit the producer ? The price here must be regulated by the prioos ruling whore the balance of the productions are sold ; but depending as the farmer does upon the facilities afforded him m placing his surplus m the best market, what do wo find ? Protective (or Prohibitive, the same thing) duties, would mean that the grand fleet of merohant ships whioh oome yearly to us, laden with the productions of other countries, for our general comfort, would arrive here m ballast trim. Now shipowners, like others, do not keep their ships simply as a convenience for us, but as a means of making money. Eaoh vessel must leave a profit. If they cannot make it the outward voyage, thoy will do so on the return voyage, and the result would be a material increase m the freight on frozen mutton, wool, grain and all other exports and at the end of the voyage, the farmer would get no more than he does now. I have heard them say " the English people would have to pay the difference." Can you (I ask) make the peopie of England buy your good-?, {u'c the present moment,) at your own price ? No ! You must take the priceß ruling there and whioh are regulated by the supplies from other countries of con siderably more importance than New Zealand. — I regret that the spaoe whioh you may be able to give is restricted, as I could Bay a great deal more on this subject — , but if I can set the farmers think ing and using their own good sense m the matter I shall be quite satisfied — I should like, however, before quitting the subject to point out to the farmers, that the ships referred to are themselves large cus tomers for their productions. They of course buy their supplies m the oheapest market whioh is for most things, New Zealand, and besides this they support a large proportion of the population of the various sea-port towns who are again consumers oi farm produoe, #

Now as to operatives m factories, who are to be so much benefited by this false, selfish, system. Granted, that the number of people who would use their productions would be doubled. For a few months it would possibly be an El Dorado : then 1 the reaction. The people of New Zealand supplied : what are you going to do with your surplus? you cannot ship it to the sister colonies, because they are like ourselves, producing the same articles, you cannot ship it to the European or American market?, because you cannot compete with their cheaper labor. Well 1 you are first put on half time, then half of you are dispensed with, then down comes the price of labor, the supply being m excess of demand aud you are worse off than you are at present. Bemember you are already sufficiently protected and the prinoipal pro prietors are satisfied with the present protec tion ; what more do you want ? You are all busy, and unlesß you want to pay more for all you eat and drink, leave well alone. Look at prohibitive America, take the strikes and lock-outs that ocour there continually ai a warning.

The same argument appließ to the mechanic and laborer, but more forcibly, because popu lation inoreasing means flooding the oountry with people of this description and a reduction rather than an increase of wages with a burdensome increased tax put upon everything they use.

Now what benefits are you who ate m receipt of regular wages as Government employes to receive from proteotion, There will be no possible increase on your income, but a most decided one on your outlay. In conclusion I beg my fellow electors, to think this matter carefully out. Do not be blinded by those who, to enrich themselves, are quite ready to sacrifice you ie the future, as they have done m the past ; and as doing your best m the good cause of retrenchment and good and less expensive Government m the future, vote for Mr Purnell, the same man who 13 years ago m a pamphlet warned you what our present position would be, and ia again holding out the warning hand. Do, for once think this matter out. Do not allow feelings of friendship to interfere with or bias your judgments. Act ai reason able men, and try and put this grand, but ruined by bad government, country on a sounder footing, for the sake of yourselves and the family you are raising. We are getting emigrants a home here, m large numberß without importing them, think of theso little emigrants and vote for Purnall, Freetrade, and reduction m the Government expenditure. And no additional taxeß, or borrowing.— Yours, etc.,

Sobut'ator.

PROTECTION VERSUS FREETRADE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE Hilli,

Sir.-— ln your leader of Tuesday last you aay " The issue before the oountrj is whether we are to have Freetrade or Protection." Thia appears to my mind a moßt extraordinary thing to cay, considering that of the whole amount of increased taxation proposed by toe present Government only about one-fifth will m any way act as protection and considering also that tho Colonial Treasurer m delivering his Financial Statement, mentioned distinctly, that the proposed tariff was principally a Revenue Tariff, and considering further, that the principal leaders of the Opposition are m favor of protection. I need only mention the names of Sir George Grey, Major Atkinson, and Sir John Hall. Every one knows these gentlemen are m favor of protection, yet no one will assert any of them will support the present Government. How then can you maintain that the question is Protection versus Freetrade.

Another slatoment m your article, to whioh I wish, with all respect, to take exception is that "the nations who poured their goods into Great Britain, did so to tbe detriment and impoverishment of her working popula tion." Amongst all the candidates m New Zealand who favor Protection, not one will be found who will maintain that Proteotion could m any way benefit the working popula tion of Great Britain. Proteotion, whatever it may do for New Zealand could only injure Great Britain ; her main imports are food and raw material, and how m the name of all that is reasonable, can duties on these articles advantage her. The direct effect of such duties would render her less abbs to compete m the markets still open, and exolude her entirely from those where she is partly excluded, and thu result would be starvation for large numbers of her working population. The third statement to whioh I am compelled to object is, that " Not one parson who heard Sir Julius Yogel at the Oddfellows Hall but was convinced that he was a friend of the farmer." lam aquainted with a conaiderable number of persons who think exactly the re verie, and not only that, but they are satisfied that if the policy of Sir Julius Yogel is carried out it will be to the " detriment and impover ishment " of every class m New Zealand.

The fourth statement with whioh I cannot agree is that this Government have done anything towards " establishing loaal in dustries," aud that " The Freetraders are desirous of reducing any of the duties already impose']." This Government have sot so far as I have heard put any duties on, they tried it once, but failed agregiously, and I think they will probably fail again, and no Freetrader has yet proposed to reduce any of the existing duties.

I am etc., FnEKTRADBR,

TO TEE ELECTORS OF ASHBURTON.

Gentlemen, — We are on the eve of a very important epooh m our colonial history. The last Parliament had to go to the oountry, as the Government could not carry its pro posals, m the shape of additional taxes to the tune of obout £300,000 a year. By this time every elector Bhould have made himself acquainted with what state of things we have come to. Our credit at Home has been shaken to the very root?, for whioh we have to thank our most extravagant administra tion; our agricultural and mercantile com munity are suffering from low prises In con sequence of the general depression m trade, and our working men have to be content with very low wages, if they get wages at all, and hundreds of family supporters find it difficult to earn as much as will keep life and soul together. In such a state of affairs we should question ourselves if it is right or our duty to support a Government whioh intends to burden us with additional taxes ? I say most decidedly not, and we should support those candidates, who will be likely to use their utmost endeavors, when returned to Parliament, to put into offioe an admin istration, that will have the welfare of the people at large at heart and will reduce the publio expenditure to such an extent, that mote taxes would not be needed at a time when we can least afford to pay them. We have two candidates for Parliamentary honors m Ashburton, Mr Walker, a b.ind follower of Sir Julius Yogel, and therefore an endorser of his polioy, and money spending capacity, and Mr C. W. Purnell, a long headed gentleman, as even his enemies confess. The latter has made finanae his study for years past and m now coming forward as a candidate for the Ashburton constituency i has laid before the eleotors a simple and dear plan, how we could be saved from further taxation, and our affairs be brought on a more satisfactory footing. Mr PurneU's motto is Betrenohment and Be form, and every elector's duty Bhould be to make himself acquainted with the candidates' views and principles. I myself was a strong supporter of Mr Walkers three years ago, when I trusted Sir Julius too much. When I saw Mr Walker so blind>y following Sir Julius and voting with the defeated Government for i heavier taxes I felt that I oould not give Mr Walker my Bupport any longer and, I with many other eleotors welcomed Mr Purnell for coming forward and having the pluok to con test the seat against suoh a popular man as Mr Walker. But we do not want men m, that oan please everybody, we want politisians — men with more brainsjthan the popular man has and who can grapple with the diffi culties our extravagant Government with its flash ministerial residences and administration have brought us to. Let every eleotor study Mr PurneU's programme and then I have no fear how the poll will go. Mr PurneU's ideas are clear and brief and may be summarised. 1, Beduction m the number of members m both Houses and their honorarium, reduotiou of the (future) Governor's salary and expenses to keep Government House, abolition of many high paid permanent offioials, e'c. etc, by which reduction alone a very large annual saving would be made. 2. Mr Purnell is strongly opposed to the proposed higher taxes m tha shape of heavier

duties on the neoessaries of life and upon articles m respect of whioh our local manu facturers are sufficiently protected already to enab c them to compete successfully with im ported artioles. 3. The management of the railways by non political Boards. 4. No more extravagant borrowing. 5 The abolition of the Frisco mail service. 6. Beasonable retrenchment m 'he cos-, of the Education system such aa can be made without impairing its efficiency. 7 A better system of land administration by which greater advantages wil'- be offered to small settlers, while the present excessive charges upon the public funds will be lessened. 8 A general revision of the present machinery of Government with the view of putting it upon a simpler and cheaper ba«is. Mr Purnell will support any Ministry that will carry out his views to the benefit of the colony at large, and I have no doubt, that if eleotors think matters seriously over, they will return Mr Purnell at the he»d of the poll and with him m tha colony many more fresh members with the same sound and fresh views and none of the kind that have no ideas of their own and that are following a Ministry, that encourages an extravagant policy, at the expense of the middle and working classes of New Zealand. Therefore let every inde pendent eleotor of this district go to the poll like a man and oast private feelin away for a time. The ballot is a secret one and none of us need let our fellow oolonists, be they business friends or employers of our labor know how we voted.— l am etc., An Indbpendbht Elector or Ashbcrtoh.

MR SCOBIE MACKENZIE AT NASEBY.

Mr J, Soobie Mackenzie addressed the Mount Ida electors at Naseby on the 9th inst. and made a vigorous incisive speech, of wbich we give the the telgraphio abstract. Every Ashburton electos, especially if ko is disposed tc suffer from Vogel-mania should read, mark, learn and inwardly digest it. Mr Mackenzie said he would say nothing but his honeßt convictions, as he believed the crisis was too seriouß. He did not oare whether they were popular or otherwise. The expenditure waa Bteadily going up and the income steadily v down. Travelling expenses aud other things, over wbich Ministers had full control, were scandalously increased. A large portion of these expenses was simply legalised spoil, brought home by an organised band of publio plunderers who, disregarding the toil of the taxpayer, periodically set out on marauding or filibustering expeditions against the people of New Zealand, that was what Ministers' travelling trips actually were. (Cheering) The oountry imperatively re quired a policy of stern unrelenting eoonomy, and a lower expenditure to get true retrench ment. The first step was to stop the loan money, then all the moneys for roads and bridges, buildings, Native lands, immigration and a host of other things would be thrown on the Consolidated Fund, and to make room for absoluie necessaries the people would by storn compulsion be compelled to effect such retrenchment as it has never for seventeen years entered into the heart of a New Zoa lander to conceive. (Cheers.) Jobbery and corruption would die, At present, when the Government wanted to make themselves popular, they scattered loan money. If a parliamentary mouth was o'amorous it was shut with loan money; if a member could not recommend himself to his constituents by any other means, he could stagger home under a load of loan money. (Laughter.) It required no brains, only back. (Benewed laughter.) Sir Julius Yogel said the depres sion was due to the contraction of the loan expenditure ; how did that tally with facts ? In 1877 we were m a blazing Btata of prosperity, and the loan expenditure was I £1,400,000. In 1880 we went desperately down m depression, and the loan ex penditure rose to £2,000,000. The whole thing was a delusion and a fraud. Beferring to railways, he caid that the proposal to complete all the lines, including the Otago Central, to Lake Hawea, was pure nonsense. Thn northern trunk line was not inoluded, nor contingencies. The Govern ment had under-estimated the cost of their new proposals. . It really meant five millions, and the colony cou d not stand that. All the railways that really required finishing, m the proper sense of the term, inoluding the Otago Central ac far as Taieri Lake, could be finished for £500,000, and that sum must be obtained. Aa regarded land fund and settle ment the career of the Government was a most awful record of bungling conceivable. In 1884 they had taken over the laud fund with a credit of £86,000, and they left it the other day with a deficiency of £54,000. Any Government by the expenditure of £80,000 could get Bettlers on the land as had been done lately on the speciol settlements ; but anyone who knew the difficulty of getting on m this part of the country with even 320 acres of good land could judge for himself whether the men carted on to thirty-two acres of remote bush land at the publio expense could take root thereon and flourish- The proper test of settlement was the de ferred payment system, and under that more settlement went on under their predecessors than under the present Government. (Applause.) Dealing with the issue of the eleotion he said it was not education. Every attempt m the House to attack the educa tional system had been repelled by enormous majorities. No hing more ridiculour had ever been seen than the spectacle of the Premier rushing over the colony at the publio expense, and hysterica My screaming that he would go out of Parliament if the education system were touched. He (Mr Mackenzie) was a strong supporcer of State education. He advised the meeting if ever they heard the Premier or anyone else say he.wouid go out of Parliament if any department for which the peop c were taxed was touched to make to him tho ready answer of Englishmen " In God's name go." There was no department on earth too sacred to be touched. When the leading men of New Zealand were build ing up the present education system the Premier was ec gaged writing pamhlets against it. Sir Bobert Stout was m Parliament when the bill was brought forward, and he made a miserable carping speech, almost threatening to give it six months' shrift, and de claring that it was years too soon, and on the second reading he did not even record his vote. Mr Mackenzie then dealt with tho progressive property tax, and pointed out that the career of the Govern ment had been simply a crusade against the property tax. Coming to protection, he said that was not the real issue. He read the Financial Statement of 1886, wherein the Government deolared that they absured protec tion, denounced it as[an unhealthy fostering of native industries and asserted that they would only assist commanding inqustries like the fisheries, and that only by bounties. Now Ministers were clamoring for higher duties as the salvation of New Zealand. Who had changed? Sir S. Stout said he had not ohanged for sixteen years, What were con victions with other men were simply briefs with Sir B. Stout. When the Premier was out of Parliament he was a legal practitioner; when he was ia Parliament he was also a legal praotitioner. He simply moved his praotice from the bar of tho Law Courts to the bar of tbe House. That was the explana tion. Give him enough support and he would take up a Parliamentary brief for anybody, and, of course he was not consoioua of any change. An order had been sent down to Sir Bobert by Borne half a dozen or so of his (McKenzio'B) opponents to send up a candi date for Mount Ida, and a oandidate had been duly sent, packed, labelled and addressed to them like so many feet of iron piping. (Laughter.) "This side up with oare." When they came to open that parcel they would find very littie m it. (Laughter.) There waa a telegram from the Premier Btuok up m a shop window m Nasby, to say that Mr Hodge oame m the Liberal interest ; yet all the Liberal oandidate oould say was, that he (Mr McMackenzie) had purchased his furni ture from England. Could degradation, or oould infamy m politics go further? True Liberalism consisted m freedom, and so long as he was an Englishman he would purchase his goods where he pleased. It was deplor able that proteotion harpies should come to Naseby to attaok the very first principles of liberty. It was said that Sir Bobert Stout himself was coming up to speak for his fao totum. He (Mr Maokenzie) invited him to do bo, and hoped the people of Mount Ida would Kindly remit his engagement, so that he oould take the same platform as the Premier. The raal issue was whether we were to retain a radically bad and vicious Govern ment. Nothing on earth would induoe him to support them. Let that ba clearly under stood, Mc Mjjgausie dosed. hii aO.dje.KJ with

an eloquent appeal to the eleotors to sup. port true and honest principles. A few questions were asked. A vote of thanks and entire confidence was unanimously carried, amid great cheering.

HOW THE MINISTRY PRO MOTES LAND SET I LAMENT.

We hear much about the Special Village Settlement soheme, and of the anxiety of Mr Ballance, m particular, and of tho Ministry, m general, to got the people upon the land, but the following letter, whioh waa lately published m an Auokland newspaper, ie a praotioal commentary upon Mr Ballanee's operations :—

TO THB SDIZOBt

Sib.— Having read your able leader on lend settlement, I take the liberty of putting before you my experiences of getting land ia this colony. I may here state that I came from the County of Down, m the North of Ireland, where I held a farm of sixty acres, and ••old have lived by bard work and industry pretty comfortably; but having a large family »f sons, aud having read from time to tima about the grand opening there was for men with families m New Zealand to obtain large farms of good land, wherever they might select to live, I though I would come here and get a large farm from tha Government to settle my family on. But I find there it bo chance of anything of the kind. To let yo« see that I did not sell out and come away without due consideration before I offered my property for sale, I wrote two letters te the Agent-General for New Zealand, who advised me strongly to come, and even offered me assisted passages for myself, wife and eeven children, for the sum of fifty-five pounds, which, however, I did not take, as I thought that by paying our own passages, and putting the Government to no expenses, that I would surely be better treated. However, I soon found out my mistake, as on my arrival here I went to the Crown Lands Offioe to get in formation as to how I should aot to get the land at once. I was told to go to the book seller's and buy a "Land Guide," which would give me all the information I required. The books, however, were not ready for sale for some time, and after a few weeks' delay I got one, and having perused it I again went to the Land Office, having made up my mind that I would take the land under tbe leasing system with the right to obtain the freehold through time, as I found that was the only way I could get about the quantity I wanted, whioh was six hundred aores, as I wished to be m a position to leave eaoh of my ions one hundred when we had it brought into) cultivation, and they wished to settle for themselves. I was told, however, that they had very little land to give away nnder that system, but they would have a sale of land after some time, whioh would be for cash, and I might then buy, as it would be adver tised before sale ; or, if I choose, I might make application to get some of the land which was open for cash changed to the leasing system. But I was told that from the time I would make the application till I could get an answer would be four or five months; and even then there were only very slight hopes held out to me that the powers that be would accede to my request. So now you see my position after paying almost £170 for passage money, besides other expenses. I may tell you also that after the letters I had from the Agent-General I was so confident that all would be right that I brought two young men whom I had as farm hands with me, on them promising that they would work with me till they paid me back their passage money, helping to olear off the land. And now I hope you will excuse me for trespassing to far on your valuable time and space. . I will only trouble you with a few suggestions. I think if the Government meant to treat men like myself fairly, they should give them land wherever they wanted it, providing it was Crown~land, and under whatever system they might make application, only binding them to use it as an agricultural holding, or at least to be used for agricultural purposes; that they should get the freehold at onoe: that there should be no going baok to valuate ; that whatever value is put on the land, that should be final; that there should be ne charge on the land till after tha cad of the third year, as any reasonable man can see at a glanoe that no man can make anything off the land for the fisst three years at the very least ; that they should have the right to pay off the capital value of the land at any tima they wished by instalments, and so have the land their own, which would be sure to create a spirit of energy to go ahead and prosper. Hoping you will use your great influence on behalf of a olass of hardworking and indui* trious men, I am, fete,

A Would-be Fashes. Franklin Boad, August 17th, 1887.

PR TECTION IN AMERICA.

The Christchuroh " Press " publishes the following extract from a letter received by Mr F. J. Garrick from Mr John Evans Brown, formerly M.H.B. for St. Albans, but who has for the last three years been living m tke United States : —

" I do hope that the constituencies will net adopt protection, as it would be the death knell of the oolony. I say, after much in quiry and observation m this sadly over woighted proteotion oountry, that while wages are higher m New Zealand than m the United States, you are manufacturing and selling at a price from 20 to 50 per cent, lets than here. Howland, for instance, is manu facturing buggies better m every way at 68 per cent, less than they oan be purchased ia the United States. The Kaiapoi Mill Com pany are manufacturing woollens aud selling at ii good profit at least 25 per cent, ehciper than can be purohased here. The rariflf m the United States is simply for the benefit of the capitalist and to the detriinet> ; of the - wage earner. Everything is laxml because one industry is protected, consequently a man m America oan hardly use anything which is not protected to death. Tnere are more Btrikes end more " tramps " m this country than all the world over, and yet the ignorant populaoe are persuaded by the designing manufaoturiug party to vote for protection. I am heartily sick of hearing the platitudes aud statistics on both sides, still I cannot refrain from mentioning the subject whe* writing to you. I presume you will again stand for St.Alb3ns."

Printed br William Jukes Steward, for "The Ashburton Publishing Company Limited," at their offices, Burnett street Aehhurton ffttyfiyt&fcttrtejri, U|7 (



ELECTORS OF ASHBURTON. REMEMBER THAT THE VOTING AT ELECTIONS IN NEW ZEALAND 18 BY BALLOT, AND THAT THE BALLOT IS ABSOLUTELY SECRET so that by no possibility can your employer, the persons with whom you do business, or other persons who may desire you to vote otherwise than as your oonsoienoe dictates, at any time learn how you have voted at the Ashburton eleotion ; therefore you may safely and confidently VOTE FOR THE OANDIDATE WHOM YOU WISH TO SUPPORT. ASHBURTON ELECTION. POLLING DAY— MONDAY, September 26th The following are the polling places: — Besident Magistrate's Courthouse, ASH- BUBTON (prinoipal). Templar Hall, TINWALD. Boad Board Office, MOUNT SOMEBS. Sohoolhouee, ALFOED. FOBEST. Boad Board Offioe, METHVEN. Sohoolhouse, LAUBISTON. Town Hall, SOUTH BAKAIA. Sohoolhouse, GEEENSTBEET. Hours of polling — From 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.