OPINION IN WELLINGTON.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14223, 11 December 1911, Page 8

OPINION IN WELLINGTON.

THE OPPOSITION AND "THE TRADE." (BPECIAL TO "THE PBESS.") WELLINGTON, December 9. There is still little else talked about but the political situation. The general opinion seems to bo that many voters will now swing round, and that nearly every Oppositionist who hitherto has voted for a Government candidate on personal grounds, will now vote straight out Opposition. In cases where there is no Opposition candidate in the field, Oppositionists will vote for Labour as against Wardism. They would rather tee a Labour (Government in power tiian tlie present Govcrnnuint perpetuated in olhce. Now that "the Trade" has had the local and national option questions settled, it will not oe so keen in getting its supporters to tho poll, and tnis also will tell against tho Government. If, however, they continue to work against the Keform candidates on the second ballot, many Oppositionists will take their revenge by voting for National Prohibition at the next opportunity .even though they are themselves moderate drinkers. Everyone is surprised at the Jarge number of votes cast for National Prohibition. Part of the success of the no-hquor party in this respect is already due to the fact that there is a large "silent" vote of Oppositionists who are moderate drinkers, against "the Trade" on account of their having supplied funds to fight Reform candidates. That has decidedly been the case in Wellington, and will be emphasised at the next election if "the Irado" continue to fight political reform at tho coining second ballots. There is every indication ■ that Independent Labour will largely support 'Mr J?'isher, tho Opposition candidate for Wellington Central, against the Government candidate, in which case Mr Fisher's return should be tolerably certain. In the two other city constituencies in which there are second balots, Labour will, of course, stand by its own men, though in the case of Mr McLaren, who, late in tho campaign, promised to support tho Government on a no-confidence motion, some of the Labour votes may bo lost. The chances of re-election of tho Government candidate for Otaki on tho second ballot are not at all favourable, Mr Alassey having telegraphed to the Opposition supporters to vote for tho Labour candidate. This constituency is really Opposition, but a r'eud between two Opposition candidates who stood for it loot the seat for that side, and now, given a reasonable resjjonse to Mr Massey's request, tho Labour man is likely to win