WHO WILL WIN?

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 73, 26 March 1923, Page 8

WHO WILL WIN?

GAUGING THE CHANCES. SIR JOSEPH'S CAMPAIGN. (By Telesraph.—Special to "Star.") TAURANGA, this day. On Wednesday one of the most important by-elections ever fought in New Zca land will lie held. So scattered is the elec torate that it is impossible to say wh will win. If the poll were taken to-day it is nearly a certainty tli>. victory would go to Sir Joseph. To-day the electorate appears to be won for Liberalism, but Reform is mustering all its forces and employing its artifices in a last endeavour to turn the tide in its favour. It is common knowledge that Reform is very gloomy over the prospect of the defeat of their candidate, and it is remarked everywhere that Mr. Massey is a very worried man. The tactics of Reform in failing to allow Sir Joseph Ward ami Mr. Macniilliin to tight the election without- interference, ami the campaign of misrepresentation against Sir Joseph have induced the Liberals to bring several well known speakers into the arena. Mr. Massey and his Ministerial and member friends have been stumping the electorate for days, and other Ministers are at wi in near-by electorates. The light, keen from the beginning, will be waged with relentless fierceness for the next two days, but all this time everyone is asking where is Mr. Macinillan ? No one lias heard of him since the Reform heads took charge and shooed liini into the background. No doubt they have a reason for thin.

Reform lias thrown its whole lighting force against Sir Joseph Ward, and up to the present lie has fought them single handed. He has made a wonderful tour and has covered almost the whole of the electorate. He lias endured the constant travelling and frequent speaking remarkably well, and to-day is exceptionally lit and perfectly rcndv for a great finis'hin.. effort.

The size of the electorate may be gathered from the fact that there are 53 polling places, but what makes it so unworkable is its shucking roads. To make matters harder for Sir Joseph the election was hurried on in the hope that he would not have time to cover the whole area. In this Reform erred; they set him an almost impossible task, but he has accomplished it. Throughout the campaign Sir Joseph has kept clear of personalities. Not so some of those opposed to him. The electorate has been flooded with literature compiled by those who descend to mean personalities and distortion. However, Sir Joseph has overcome these handicaps, and the prospects are that when the numbers <ro up on Wednesday night it will Ik? found that New Zealand's greatest financier has been called back; to Parliament in the hour of the country's greatest need.