SIR WILLIAM RUSSELL'S VIEWS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXII, Issue 8257, 23 December 1911, Page 5

SIR WILLIAM RUSSELL'S VIEWS.

: ... AUCKLAND; December 22. ! .Sir William Russell, was a .passenger )by the Mooltari, returning after an absence of 21 months. In an interview on the New Zealand political situation, he said—"l am not always for fighting under all circumstances, but I sincerely trust the Opposition will not sacrifice any of its political convictions with the object of turning the Government out of power. It is not that I am not m favour of legislation of the most liberal kind, but I am always anxious that men who have formed strong opinions and held ;to them, come weal, come woe, for years, should not be prepared td make a compromise' \vhich' might be attributed to a desire fox* office. •' Continuing;; he'said he,believed the men m Opposition were quite capable of forming a Government wliich would ' give every satisfaction, and whose sympathies would be' as much m accord with the ideas of the Liberal Party as were those, of the present Government. Speaking as a man who had fought many elections, he thought it very improbable that the newly-elected Parlia^ ment would commit suicide, if it could possibly be' avoided. Probably some means would be devised by which a fresh election could be- avoided. He was not likely to be a candidate at any future election.- j