ME EDWIN EDWAEDS' MAIDEN SPEECH. The Ohinomuri .Election Campaign, was opened on Monday evening last, the 2nd inst, by Mr Edwin Edwards, who addressed a meeting in -the Te & rolia Public Hall at 8 o'clock. There was a very good attendance, notwith standing that owing to Mr Edwards having made up his mind almost at the last minufco to speak that evening, it had not been widely advertised, and many persons were absent who, we are assurod, would have been pi'esent. Mr S. T. Smardon was voted to the chair, on the motion of Mr C. A. Comes," seconded by Mr Bossons, and in a few appropriate words introduced Mr Edwin Edwards to the audience. Mr Edwards said that as this was Ms maiden speech" on the larger poli tics of the colony, he hoped that those present would overlook any short comings on his part, .and that he in tended this only as a preliminary address to give the inhabitants of Te Aroha some idoa of his views on somo of tho burning questions of the day. Later on lie would again address the electors of To Aroha when he would speak more fully. Ho commenced by giving a history of what he called his apprenticeship, which he had served during the last fourteen years to local government, having been a member, and in some cases chairman, of every local body that existed in the" district. The ex perience ho had- acquired during this term of service on the different bodies was one of the reasons which had actuated him to come forward to solicit their suffrages as their member in the House, inasmuch as it showed that he was no tyro in politics. He also claimed that the fact of his having beon a successful business man in two different lines which he carried on— viz., mining and journalism— should be a guarantee that he .would bo capable of carrying on the business and loo»ing after the interests of this con stituency, should the electors do him the honour of electing him, as their representative in Parliament. , He then proceeded to speak of the Mining Industry—the one industry by which we in this electorate live—and. read a statement showing how the Ohinemuri district is being robbed of no less .a sum than £20,000 por annum. 