THE ELECTIONS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1242, 26 September 1911, Page 5

THE ELECTIONS.

REFORM PARTY'S PROSPECTS. ; "THE OUTLOOK IS VERY GOOD, INDEED." .. : Confident, but not boastful, was the tone of Mr. Massey in a talk about the electoral campaigu. ' "No doubt," he said, "it suits the members ami supporters of tho Government to boast that tht-y are coming back with as good a majority as they have at present. I have hoard that sort of thing before, and I take very little notice of it. They: told us prior to tho hist election Hint the Opposition was ns dead as Julius Caesar, but we nevor lost a mini cf those members who went to the polls, and wo came back with our numbers increased by nearly 75 per cent. That was what . happened last time, and the feeling on the part of the people of the country is jnucli more favourable to iis and much 'more-*'antagonistic to the Government than it was then. Consequently, lam justified in expecting a very considerable accession to our numb. s. In spito of all the attempts that have keen made for party purposes to Misrepresent and belittle us, tho people generally have .begun to realise that we stand for tho genuine democratic sontimsnt of the country, and that we aro anxious by sound legislation to promote its future welfare. We are not fighting for titles or position, or the emoluments of office, or any of those things,' but are content to do our duty to the electors, wherever thoy choose to placo us." Do .you think you are likely to secure o majority in the new' Parliament? / • "I never boast, and to that question I trill only say that the outlook is rery cood indeed—much better than it has beau at any time within my experience,, The arrangements for tho elections aro not quite complete, but I can say that not less than 70 candidates, good men and true, will, each in his own district, carry the banner of the Reform Party on polling day. We aro not assisted by publio expenditure or patronage, as is the caso with the Government party. Those are .actors that aro used against us, and I am bound to say, u.sed sometimes very unsorupnlous/ly, but we offer to the electors the services of honest, unselfish, and patriotic men, representatives of all. classes, and I believe those services will bo availed of fo a larger extent than many '■ people have any • idea of at proBent." "Stranger things have happened than that the Dominion of New Zealand may follow , the ifxample of the Dominion, of Canada, and come to the conclusion that a party'may bs in power too long, and that a change of' Government may l>o a good thing for the country as a whole." What do you , think of the latest alterations of tho electoral boundaries? "I do not think the final.readjustments that have 'now , been effected will mako much difference from tho party point of view, , as. compared with the original proposals of the Commissioners. .Personally, I am , pleased, for tho. sake of old associations, thnt Pukrkohe is to remain in my electorate of Franklin. Ido not think it will mako much difference cither way. so far as voting strength is concerned, but I should have teen sorry to lose the place that has always been regarded as the headquarters of my electorate, and I think the people of Piikekohe would nave been sorry too."

BANGITIKEI SEAT. (By Telecraph—Special Correspondent.) . Wanganui, Soptember 25. Mt. A. J. Joblin, one of the Opposition . for Rangitikei, has been speaking in various centres at the Wanganui wid of the electorate during the past few lays, and has met with good receptions. Replying to an objection thai: he wns ■plitting the Opposition vote, ho stated ■ hat ho wished to make it clear that, whatever happened in the first ballot, ho and Mr. Hockly would be found working together in tho second. MR. LA WRY WILL NOT 7 SEEK'RE-' , ■ ' ELECTION. , * (By TelecraDh.—Press Ansociatiori.) '■ : * • "'.■■ Auckland; September 25. . Mr. F. Lavfry, M.1 , , for Paraell, ■' mot a largo number of liis constituents tonight and announced that he had decided, owing to the recont al-«ation of the boundaries of the electorate, not to 6oek \ re-election. He.denied that he was retiring in favour of Sir John Findlay or any other candidate. He also denied itkifc he had been promised a. seat in the Legislative Council. ' Sir John Findlay will make an announceent as. to his intentions to-morrow, • when a deputation will wait upon him. '.'' ' WAITEMATA. " * ; ; Auckland, September 25. At a meeting of. Opposition supporters at Devonport to-night, Mr. 'Ale. , :. Harris (who was already in tho field as an' unofficial Opposition candidate) was selected as the official candidate of that party. Messrs. C. P. Murdock and J. O'Neill ■were also nominated, but on a ballot being taken Mr. Harris was selected by a substantial majority, ' '. THE .TIMAEU .SEAT. ' . • Timaru, Sept nbsr 25. Mr. David C. Tnrnbull has declined an . invitation to contest th-e Timaru seat in ■ tho Opposition , interest, partly bc_caus3 ho .will be absent from the Dominion next year. -, No ono else has been named as yet in that,interest. DUNEDIN LABOUR TICKET. Dunedin. Soptomber 25. Tho Labour Representation Council to-' night finally selected Mr. D. M'Pherson as candidato I'or Dunedin Central, and Mr. 'J. M'Manus as candidate for Duuedin South. The list of local Labour candidates is now complete and includes also Mr. A. R. Barclay, Dunedin North, and Mr. A. M'Carthy, Chalmers. ," .' ' THE HON. T. MACKENZIE. • It is practically certain that the Hon. Thos. Mackenzie will not. after all, stand for:a South Island seat, but that he will contest .a Taranaki seat. The chances tiro that it will bo the'Egmont seat, at . present held by Mr. Dive. Tho. Earl and Countess of Fevorsham celebrated their diamond • wwlding at Duncombe Park, Helmsley, Yorkshire, on August 7. ■