The Times of Monday published a letter from Mr. Steel.
Maitland giving the story of the disgraceful hints or partial promises conveyed to the electors of Wick at the by-election at which Mr. Munro was returned after having been appointed Lord Advocate. The people of Wick want a new Government grant of about £150,000 for harbour works, and a local Liberal paper published an article in which it was said that the Unionist candidate would not be able to pull the strings, as, unlike Mr. Munro, he probably did not even know Mr. Lloyd George. Mr. Munro himself very properly stated that his return or defeat must not be regarded as likely to have any effect one way or the other on the prospects of a grant. But at this point Mr. Gulland, who is a Junior Lord of the Treasury and the Scottish Liberal Whip, came to the con- stituency and used the following words at a publicmeeting:- " Whether it was putting in a word for money for a harbour for Wick, or a naval base for Cromarty, Mr. Munro had the faculty of putting his case in such an unanswerable way that the Government found it extremely difficult to refuse anything be asked. In matters affecting the affairs of his own constituency and concerning the Empire, he would in the future—if Wick returned him again—speak with an added emphasis and much greater power."
Previous page
