THE WAKATIPU CONTEST.

Alexandra Herald and Central Otago Gazette, Issue 1211, 10 December 1919, Page 5

THE WAKATIPU CONTEST.

* .TO THE EDITOK. < Sir,—Will yon allow me space to remove a few misstatements that aro bong circulated in this district by a few of the terrified Liberals, who—in their desperation to holster up a cause which from day to day is becoming more hopeless, that now it seems reasonably safe to predict that there will be no Liberal party in the new parliament—are going from honso to house and buttonholing electors ; urging them to turn down the Labour candidate for tbe Liberal on the ground that Labour cannot win. For theii information let me state as a matter of fact, that the Labour candidate is going to win the Wakatipu seat, by a fairly big majority. This statement is borne out by the reports of the various committees throughout the electorate, and by tbe fact that the people have given up hope of their emancipatiuu at the hands of either Jthe Liberal or Reform parties, who are practically in the same boat now. Tbe only hope for the people of the Dominion is to rally round the Labour candidates, who are tbo only true representatives of the masses of the people, and unpampered by vested interests—thereby driving the two " big " parties into tbe one camp where they naturally belong. A word re the vote splitting gait, over which the remnant of the Liberal party here is so much concerned. If any vote splitting takes place in the direction they anticipate, which I doubt, it will be effected by the Liberal candidate who entered the field after he knew that Labour was running a candidate selected by a meeting of representative electors. A notable fact in regard to the coming elections is that Labour's opponents have not had the courage to attack the party's platform but rather descend to invective and personal abuse of the Labour candidates. Such a policy invariably recoils on the bead* of those who adopt it. I leave tb..- issue therefore in the hands of the electon who have been so shamefully victimised and exploited for the past five years by tbe two main parties ; »nd I feel confident that they will do the right thing on the 17th December by returning Labour candidates wherever they have the opportunity.— I am, etc., Rout. M'Carthy Chairman Mr Ashworth's ja. Election Committee. W Alexandra, December s:h, IP 19.