BAY OF ISLANDS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 257, 30 October 1928, Page 9

BAY OF ISLANDS.

COUNTRY PARTY STRONGER.

WITHDRAWAL OF LIBERAL.

Mr. R. T. Wrathall, who was announced as a Liberal-Labour candidate for the Bay of Islands seat, was not nominated, and there will now be a triangular contest between Messrs. Allen Bell (G.). H. M. Rush worth (C.) and R. E. Hornblow (1.L.).

Mr. Wrathall addressed a large meeting in the Manpronui Town Hall last Friday night, and was received enthusiastically. At the end of his address he said that he was not out for self agrandisment, and to prove that he would make the public statement that if Mr. Rushworth would give him his pledge in writing that he (Mr. Rushworth) would support the United party or the Labour party in a no-confidencn motion, and vote to keep the dominant party in office, whether it was United or Labour, he would even at that lats hour, in the hopes of obtaining a change of Government, retire in Mr. Rushworth's favour and do all he could to unite the forces that were opposed to the present Government.

The candidate was complimented for the outspoken manner in which he had dealt with the situation and was applauded for the sacrifices he proposed to make.

It is anticipated that Mr. Wrathall's retirement, and the consequent accession of strength to Mr. Rushworth, will lead to the defeat of the Reform sitting member.