PROPHETS IN TROUBLE.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1307, 9 December 1911, Page 4

PROPHETS IN TROUBLE.

There is much pitmancy in a present reading of tho cvc-of-thc-battle predictions and appeals in the "Liberal" press (we cannot feel sure th.it it is correct now to call it the Ministerialist press). For weeks, aimostfor months, the confident prophecies of our "Liberal" friends that they would again have <i glorious triumph were reinforced by almost daily telegrams "from our correspondents" in othor places, predicting "Liberal" gains everywhero, We noted this feature of the campaign the other day. Its object was of course to encourago the Government's supporters in each place, and discourage its opponents, by creating the impression that the Government was sure to win by a large margin. There arc already signs that this rather outworn trick of our "Liberal" friends is still being relied upon, with an eye to the second ballots. We in Wellington will be sure to hear from Ministerialist quarters that at the second ballots the Government will regain all its loafc ground in other parts. In point of fact one unusually foolish little paper in this province put up these headings yesterday, for its report of the polling: "Government gets new lease of power. With substantial majority. All Ministers returned or assured." It also arranges in its editorial for the final return of Sir Joseph Ward with "a clear majority of twenty or over"! Of course there is nothing like pluck, but really this is more like something much less commendable. Our readers may judge how much value to attach to any prophecy by the Ministerialist papers or their "correspondents" just now as to a Wardist victory by a few extracts from some of the Ministerialist papers on Thursday. The Taranaki News, for example, had an editorial on the Taranaki prospects., "In the Taranaki electorate," it said, "the result will probably greatly surprise outsiders," owing to.Mr. Okey's alleged "failure to 'make good.'" Mr. Beli.ringer was to win. But Mr. Okey won with ridiculous ease. "In the Taumarunui electorate," the News proceeded, "wo believe Mr. Jenninqs's return is assured, and regard it as the safest seat in tha province." Mr. Jennings lost his safe seat. • As for Stratford, Mr. M'CLUQaAGE's "capable platform <vork" and so on was to make his election very probable. Mr. Hike won. For Mr. O'Dea the prospects wero represented as very rosy indeed. Mr. Pearce, in the actual result, merely won by a thousand. Even more interesting was a batch of long messages from the Lyttdton Times'* "correspondents" in its Thursday issue. The Auckland story waß to the effect that "it appears safe to say that; there is only one seat which the Government is in danger of losing," namely, Parnell, and "even there one would not be justified in forecasting defeat." Wo need not dwell on the details—the prediction of success for Mr. Greenslade, defeat for Mr. Bollard, and so on—but may quote the final conclusion that the Government would not only hold its own, but "catch at least two new seats." ' It actually lost two and stands to lose at least two nioro. The story from Wellington was equally funny in details The "prospects of Liberalism" were much better than in 1908, so it was said, and tho Government was, in the end to gain five seats in the North Island! The Duncdin correspondent predicted a first ballot win for Mr. Millar, a win for Mr Arnold (who was defeated by Mr! Statham), the defeat of Mr. ' Scott (who won easily), a majority of up to 1000 for Sir Joseph Ward over his two opponents (actually it turned out less than 400), a close shave for Mr. Anderson (he won by over 800), a defeat for Mr. W. Fraser (who was returned), a first-ballot victory for Mb. Hanan, and so od. In vww of these grotesque- nrotencca oi ioraca£tLAe--iiobody better. Joww

their grotcsqucness than their authors—the public will bo able lo estimate tho value to be placed on the prophecies of victory for Wardism at the second ballots. The landslide has begun, and will go on. Slit Joseph Ward knows it, his friends know it, everybody knows it.