A FEW LAST WORDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 73, 26 March 1923, Page 4

A FEW LAST WORDS.

The murk on the Tauranga battle field is growing thicker as polling daj approaches, but the main issues are too large to be obscured. They are not affected by such humorous suggestions as that of a Reform M.P. that Sir Joseph's candidature is a conspiracy on the part of certain "powerful interests" in Wellington to oust Mr. Massey or place him at their mercy. The spectacle of Reform protesting against government in the interest of "powerful interests" is amusing, but, of course, the interest that Sir Joseph Ward represents is the general interest. He offers himself as the most experienced statesman in the Dominion, and the simple issue before Tauranga is -whether it prefers an untried man with no ideas, a man who is playing the parochial trombone crudely but loudly, to one who has a national and international reputation, who was in Parliament before his opponent left school, but retains his intellectual and physical vigour. Neither the parochial argument that the district needs a local member —though as a matter of practical politics Tauranga would gain by Sir Joseph's policy of speedy public works construction—nor the bogy of dissolution, nor the twin bogy of dictation by extremists (it is interesting to note that the "Herald" this morning twits Mr. Veitch with voting for Mr. Massey and against Sir Joseph in 1912, when, of course, Reform welcomed Labour's help with both hands) —none of these things should weigh with the electors. The country needs the services of Sir Joseph because he is one of the ablest men in the country, and really able men in Parliament are all too few. If staunch Reformers think that the House is really full of able men, and that it can afford to be without a man of Sir Joseph's oalibre, let them read the comments on the quality of ouf members written by that distinguished and impartial visitor, Lord Bryce. Tauranga has an opportunity of doing what many a constituency in Britain is ready and proud to do, returning a distinguished non-resident. It often happens in England that distinction is more potent than geographical origin or identification, and we hope that the electors of Tauranga will be broadminded enough to see the wisdom of this preference. The rejection of Sir Joseph Ward in 1919 was an unfortunate victory for prejudice for which the country has paid dearly, and Tauranga should take this opportunity of rectifying this wrong.