OAMARU ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LIV, Issue 105, 4 May 1923, Page 5

OAMARU ELECTION.

REFORM PAPER'S COMMENT. PREMIER'S INTERVENTION. BLAMED. The comments of the "Otago Daily I Times." the Epforni newspaper in JJunI edin, on the Oamaru election include some criticism of the Prime Minister's , tactics. After saying that Mr. Maci pheraon received a sympathy vote, the "Times" proceeds: —"It may be sur- ; mised, also, that the all too active intervention of the Prime Minister in the campaign was regarded with disfavour Iby a largo section of the electors, who j will have taken the view that Mr. J.ee should have been able to fight his own I battles and should have insisted on it. There is, we think, an instinctive objection on the part of constituencies to energetic canvassing by Ministers on liehalf of the candidates of their choice. The practice of Ministerial interference in elections flourished under Mr. Seddon. but he never went quite to the length to which Mr. Massey proceeded first >" t lie Tauranga contest and later in the Oamnru contest. The Ministerial intervention on behalf of Mr. l>e. though it may perhaps he pleaded that the cir- | eumstanees were exceptional, was hardly consistent with the dignity of Mr. Ma--£gy's office, and so. we take it. the electors have themselves aflinmed. While Mr. Massey s anxiety to stabilise the Government of tlie Dominion is perfectly intelligible, it was not necessary to make the Oamaru electorate the deciding sToiind of what is essentially a broad Dominion question. Jf the good sense of Parliament cannot sufficiently provide for that prime necessity, then itis questionable whether a Government victory at Oamaru could do so.' .