He is made to say in this precious leaflet that in our arlicle yesterday we " twice took credit for the aaina sum of JE96,371." We scarcely know what this means — Mr D_wie is not respon sible for the language; we shall probably see it in the Conservative organ this morn ing — but the fact is that we first deducted the J896.371 from the increase in the debt because the debentures represent ing that amount are to be redeemed by the conversion, and when we came' to show the net result of the operation we deducted the amount from the proceeds of the 4 por cent and 3£ per cent inscribed stock. If we had omitted to make this second de duction—which the authors of the leaflet call taking credib twice — we should have shown the whole of the sinking fundß, £257,450, as available for public works. Then, indeed, Mr Davie and his tutors might have fairly challenged our figures. As it is, they cannot, by any possible pro cesß of jugglery, get away from the facts we published on Monday evening. Next time the opponents of the Hon W. P. Eeeves issue an election placard with the hope of hurting him they should really have sense enough to print it at an independent office. The outrageous strain in which the Opposition organ here has vilified the Minister for Education has effectually taken tho sting out of any attacks emanating from its premises. Moreover, the placard of yesterday is silly enough to have been written by, say, Mr John Holmes himself. It asks whether Mr Eeeves has increased the rate of wages. ] Whoever said that he would ? Certainly not ; Mr Eeeves himself. But, as it happens, ' the Government has raised the rate of pay to the men on the public works by abolish ing the middleman and the contractor. Then the placard enquires whether Mr Eeeves has shortened the houra of labour. Ib so t happens that he has done so by' mesna o£ Mb Factories Act and Shop Houra Act/ Hag he found employment asks the placard ? Certainly. The Labour Bureau has found

employment for 8500 men at good wages. 