Auckland East Vacancy.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17273, 11 October 1921, Page 6

Auckland East Vacancy.

During last week, it is generally known in political circles, enquiries were made by representatives of the Liberal Party concerning the possibility, that the Auckland East seat might be kept for Sir Joseph Ward; Whatever the resalts of the enquiry may have been, the idea has apparently been abandoned, andan attempt will be made by the Liberals to win the seat with, the Hon. G. W. Russell. The Ministerial and Labour candidates have been selected. There is some uncertainty concerning .the representation of other parties in the contest, but if Mr Statham's party with the long name wishes to remove the impression that it is a name, and. little else, it will take care to put up a man. There may be difficulty in finding a suitable candidate, but it will be a smaller difficulty than the difficulty of explaining why'an opportunity was missed to show the early mettle of the

party. At the last general electri/jn, Mr Myers polled 3718 votes, wuraing from Mr Clutha Mackenzie by thfi narrow margin of 158. .Mr "Way, the Labour candidate, found 1756 supporters. The seat has long bee;i a safe one for the Liberals, but it is very doubtful whether the Liberals will think it a safo one to-day. On the contrary, it is probable thte,t even so capable a platform 'speaker an Mr Russell will be unable to yersuade the electors of Auckland East that there is any advantage to them in sending a member of an exhauste/. 3 / and aimless party to represent thr.'m in Parliament. Mr Russell ma,y be trusted to make the very most of such discontent as every Government .'.n these days has to face, and we shal'l. once more hear the old plea that slr Massey's party is too strong, and that the country cannot afford to reduce still further the Parliamentary Opposition to him. This plea would be more likely to influence the electors than ?t actually will, if the Opposition had given the country any ground for regarding it as a useful and effective instrument of criticism. We need not seek to anticipate the Liberal candidate's plan, of campaign, but we may observe that it will be surprising if the electors, do not make it clear that mere hostility to the Government is inadequate to the needs of the country at the present time.

In replying on Friday to a question by Dr. Thaoker regarding the provision for the treatment of ordinary civilian patients at Hanmer—to which "The Press" kad drawn attention on the previous day—Mr Nosworthy, Minister in Charge of Tourist and Health Resorts, said that the matter would be attended to by the Health Department, to which* for the sake of economy, the Tduri/jt Department's interests at Hanmer Springs were being handed over. We hope some Canterbury member—for the efficiency of Hanmer as a health resort is really the concern of the South Island—will invite Mr Parr, to whose control the place is now passing, to say what are his intentions regarding it. In view of the studied official neglect which has been Hanrmer's portion lor a number of years, one is inclined to think, that any change of Departmental control must be for the better. Economy in Departmental expenditure is greatly to be desired, but when it is put forward as the sole reason for making a change of this sort, we may be excused for feeling somewhat nervous as to the possible consequences. Hanmer has suffered so much from undue economy in that any further progress in that direction might put it out of commission altogether as a health resort. ' '

The City Council last night decided, in connexion with the practice of plowing traii/trailers to stand in the Square, that tike By-laws Committee should "tako steps* to educate the Tramway Board as to who was the controlling authority so far as the thoroughfares were concerned." The wording of this motion will strike most people as gratuitously discourteous; especially in view of the fact, that the Council had before it a letter from the general manager of the Tramway Board explaining the proposals of the Board for mitigating the trouble caused by standing trailers and possibly for removing it altogether. ~-. These trailers are admittedly sometimes a nuisance to motorists, but, as Cr. Armstrong pointed out, they have been tolerated for years, and the nuisance is diminishing. Under the circumstances, therefore,. the Council could well have afforded simply to re'oeive the Board's letter, and await the result: of its proposals. By the action it took, it merely indicated its ability, and willingness, to be rude.