BY-ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16398, 18 December 1918, Page 10

BY-ELECTIONS.

THE PALMERSTON SEAT.

(sPECUIi TO "TUB PKESS.")

WELLINGTON, December 17,

The latest news from "Palmerston. North is that the Government candidate (Mr J.' A: Nash.) is pretty safe for tho seat, '.ilr .Nasjt- is. a man .well', known in the public life of the town and district; und be: has beliiiid him most of tho people 0 wlioso support should bo valuaple and influential. Mr Buchanan, whose .entry into the contest at one time seemed likely to damage the Government candidate, is not likely to get m<*re than 200, votes.' He is a. straightout supporter of Mr Massey, ; and an old personal friend of-the Prime Minister, alid he openly! avows that he is standing as a supporter o£ the' Prime Minister because" there fieems. to be-fewer men. now prepared to. say .that they 6Uppof t. hint throughthick kind thin, than there wete when his star was in'the ascendent.: Mr - Buchananhas told his audiences that he has been asked* personally by Mr Massey to withdraw from the contest, but he declined-to do so.

The anti-Government vote "will go to Messrs Crabbe and Galbraith. The former will roly_ for most of his BUpporti on the' prohibitionists, but many or Mr Nash's supporters will be pronibitionists also.. Mr ; Galbraith declares that ho is a .Bolshevik, and leaves no doubt ■whatever m. the mind of his'audiences as to his conception of'what Bolshevism stands lor. He lias had the assistance ofdthe campaign of tHe Son. J. T. Paul, M.L.C., and Mr J. McCombs, M.P., and has had very fair meetings in the town. It is expected, however, • that the country part wf tho electorate' will he fairly: solid for Mr Nash.

The .most , general placing of the candidates, is in" this order: Nash, Galbrnith, Crabbe, and Buchanan..