THE POSITION IN AUCKLAND.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 11441, 27 November 1902, Page 5

THE POSITION IN AUCKLAND.

(SPECIAL TO "THB PBUS.") AUCKLAND, November 26. The result of the elections in this put of the colony has been a pleasant surprise to the Opposition. Owing to a feeling prevailing prior to the election that tie flowing tide was still with the Government only half-hearted efforts were made to bring oat Opposition candidates, and is some cases no efforts of any kind whatever. Now, to the "great surprise of everybody, ib is found that the tide is no ltra;f)r flowing. Tb-at silently and unobserved it baa turned of he own accord, and is run* ning out. It is now certain that had the Opposition gone into the fight with determination and enthusiasm tney would have almost swept fcho board. As it is they toave ousted Sir Napier for the oity, anil won the Manukau, Kaipara, Mareden, and Oiiinemun seats. With a little effort they could have won the Bay of Islands, Parnell, and Grey Lynn as well. The 'alter constituency was regarded so absolutely safe for Mr Fowlde that when Mr Muefield came out at the eleventh hour' he waf looked upon as leading a forlorn hope, Lut the resuit shows that had he ooutd cue earlier his return would have been assured, and so in the caee'of Parnell. Ihat ei«c| toroite has come to be looked tqiun a* i< sort of pocket borough for Mr Lawry, and nobody took Mr Shera. quite seriously when he decided to contest it. Yet had Mr Shera been taken seriously it is cariiin that he would have gone in, but It was generally believed He would be several hundred votes behind Mr L&wry. The "Herald" this, mornru, in dealing with tJbe results, says:—"Taking the provincial district of Auckland, we find that not a single man opposed to tho Government has been seriously disturb-id. Mr i>ol.ard is returned again for £im, Mr Mossey for Franklin, and Mr Herriei for Bay of Plenty. Waitemeta, a considerably altered district from. that wJjion formerly bore the name, has been gain si t>y Mr £. W. Alison, who made «lw mo-.i tlauug ng speech tliat any candidate has road* in criticism of the Government's administration. Tie new: district of Jvaipara ha? beta gained by Mr Harding against tlie Government nominee. *uumkau, on whidh Sir G. M. O'liorke has hod so ttron,' a hold from his long connection witn lha district, from his* poeition as Speaker, and from the high esteem ia which he ifl ■ heid, has been. wrested from him by >Ir M. M. Kirkbride, a declared Oppositionist. The Ohinemuri seat had been captured by Mr Moss, who has decisively beaten Mr Jackson-Palmer, the Government candidate. ' Mareden, which has for so many years been -held by M* It. Thompson, now returns an Oppositionist in Mr Mender. There can be very little question that if during, Lvsb,session the Opposition had been organised, and if they had met the election with* well-defined platform, they would have secured several more seats in reaped to Auckland CHy." , With regard to the Labour candidetes--Messre Rxweer and surprise ie expressed at their 10w.,, position ** tie poll. The "Herald , . , think* the Labour 'party are themselves entirely to blame. It say*j—"lf they bad oonelructed » platform such as was indicated by- the action iof Mr John Hutcheson in la§* of Parliament, we -think they woulditof* : -_. been successful.- They ought to b*r«j|hown that they took some w»-, economical administration of the ooiony,.-, and the wwtiaincff extravagance *nd-. waste, but iartead; of the*, they took etaod on mere cloud*.' of yearnings ,aJft*r-- r a. /.. State Bank, with t£e sole right of ■jmiinff ; notes, the initiative, tf* referendum, BtaU establishments where every man oould demand -work as a right, vad aooh ]flt«-v----vague nostrums of which the colony, fa. rick, and we nee the result. " * •i •' The local option poll ebowa thai «• anticipations of reduction being carried in.. the city were not walked. Indeed* the emollneM of the temperance vote ia.somW tJjnng of a surprise. In three yeu* iht>vote in favour of reduction hse, only, »• jcrfeased by 400, and that for\i» 500, while the vot»for opoUntts*** haf / increased 400, but there would seem to .Mr > a steadily growing", feeliflfr traffic. .'. • " '.. t T -'j'i''