MR ISITT’S SEAT

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 2, 27 September 1922, Page 6

MR ISITT’S SEAT

REFORM PARTY MAY NOT RUN CANDIDATE ASSURANCES GIVEN STATEMENT OF THE POSITION BY TKIiEGRAPH—SPECIAL CORBBSPONDENT. Christchurch, September 26. Great interest was aroused in the city by a statement in to-day’s “Press” that the Reform Party, having received assurances understood to be satisfactory. might not nominate a candidate for the Christchurch North seat. The position, it is understood, is that Mr. Isitt has undertaken to vote to keep the Reform Party in office unless the Liberal Party has a majority over any combination of parties in Parliament.

Mr. Isitt, interviewed by a representative of the “Press" to-day, at first refused to say anything on the matter, but when it was represented that his silence might lead to misunderstanding he said that there -ms no real reason why he should net be absolutely frank in reference to the matter. He was naturally as pleased as he was surprised to see the paragraph in this morning’s “Press.” He thought it indicated sane judgment on the part of tho Reform Party, for while he, of course, recognised that his candidature was not as pleasing to them as that of a member of the Reform Party, they must see that to run a candidate would be to incur a risk of the last result that they desired, namely, an increase of the ,strength of extreme Labour. Ho did not .understand how there could be any possible doubt as to his position. For some years past he had declared, as definitely as his vocabulary enabled him, that while naturally iio would like to see the Liberal Party in power with a working majority—that was, that the Liberals should be in the majority Over any possible combination—on no possible plea would ho vote to place tho Liberals in power at the mercy of a Red Fed majority. Mr. Holland had openly boasted that he would put Mr. Massey out and the Liberals in. and then put the Liberals out unless they did his will. Mr. Holland would certainly never have a chance of playing a game of that kind with his assistance. In his judgment the policy of certain Reformers, to determine the House into two parties, Reform and extreme .Labour, was an exceedingly mistaken one. While the Reform and Liberal Parties were naturally anxious to obtain the ascendancy, nothing would s° play into tho hands of extreme Labour as the elimination of the Liberal Party. For the last five or six years there had been an intense effort on the part of extreme Labour to force the House into two parties, of which they would be the official Opposition. In his opinion, while this might result in a few of the Liberal members joining the Reformers, it would add enormously to the strength of extreme Labour and establish a menace in comparison with which the difference between the two parties loyal to the Empire and constitutional rule was a triviality.

WOMAN TO CONTEST Av ON SEAT

BY TELEGRAPH. —PRESS ASSOJIATION Christchurch, September 26. Mrs. H. F. Herbert, a well known social worker, has consented to contest the Avon seat at the general election as an Independent.