CHRISTCHURCH BY-ELECTION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1208, 17 August 1911, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH BY-ELECTION.

The result of the contest for the Cbristchurch North seat to-day, while it will not afford an absolutely reliable index to party feeling in Christchurch, will be awaited with particular interest fiecauso of the part which Mr. Isitt, the Independent Liberal candidate, • has played in the Prohibition movement. As a politician Mr. Isitt has proved a shocking disappointment. It has been quite obvious from the report of his speeches in the Christchurch papers that he knows really nothing of political jssucs and that ho is relying on outside guidance, plus the sentimental support which he expects to receive as a friend of the deceased member. Perhaps his weakness and the extent to which he is relying on his association l ! with Mr, Taylor rather than on his own merits arc best shown by the following astonishing appeal taken from his election leaflet:

Would you, ho ask?, know my political views, I can save space by stating that Jiis |Mr. Taylor's] ideals ore ray ideals, and that his spirit of lovo for the people and his intense desire to equalise the chances of men, and increase the happiness and privilege of tho many, I, too, would fain cherish and follow." I have' discussed by tho hour with him his hopes and aspirations, and our differences of opinion have concerned only matters of comparatively unimportant detail. This should prove very illuminating to the Christchurch electors. We are all anxious no doubt "to increase the happiness and privilege of the many,'' and it would be a pity to waste space in order to show how it can best be done. Still there arc ways and ways of doing things. Mn. Isitt apparently thinks the simplest way of getting into Parliament at the present time is to assure the people of Christchurch of the depth of his devotion to the ideals of their late member and let it rest at that. Possibly he is right, but he docs not flatter himself overmuch. Mr. Hall sfceins to have done very well during the contest—though not a good platform speaker his matter is sound. Despite the fact that he is handicapped by the passing-sentiment on which his opponent is trading, there seems every probability of a reasonably close contest. The late Mr. Taylor had a majority at tho last election of 1282 votes over the combined poll of his two opponents.