THE SUBURBS CONTEST.

Evening Post, Volume LXXXII, Issue 123, 21 November 1911, Page 6

THE SUBURBS CONTEST.

An Independent Liberal (Mr. J. P. Luke), an Oppositionist' (Mr. W. H D. Bell); an Independent Labourite (Mr. F. T. Moore), and a Ministerial Liberal (Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald), are fighting for supremacy in the Wellington, Suburbs electorate. It is a district ridiculously constituted 'as a piece of "political geography." The man who "made "poetry" by cutting up prose into pieces three inches long did frothing less artistic than the makers of the present Suburbs electorate, and this is said without casting any blame at all upon the Commissioners. They had the iron law as their master, and thus they were compelled to bracket a suburban portion of the city of Wellington with Porirua, Pahautariui, and other truly rural places. It is a curious mixture of political fish and flesh. Such an electorate gives plenty of travelling to the candidates,' and nd lack of mental exercise in addressing themselves to the different groups of population. It is a keen straggle, and the winner is,not easy to pick. Mr. Moore has earnestness, which has obtained a good number of friends for him, but his chaifce of success at the polls is not quoted highiy. Each of the others has backers who are confident of victory. * The member, Mr. Luke, has not been helped by the rearrangement of the boundaries. He has lost a stronghold in 'a portion of Kilbirnie, where he polled well in' 1908. The runner-up of three years ago, Mr. J. E. Fitzgerald, has been steadily, persistently preparing for this year's contest, and his forces are well organised. Mr. Bell ie also strongly supported, and he has an advantage over his competitors in the breezmess of his platform, work. He is a young New Zealander, well educated, well endowed with inherited ability, which he is keen to use. His maha as a public speaker has increased from week to week, and his vigorous phrasing, with solidity of personality behind it, has no doubt won to his side anahy people whose study of politics had been too superficial to give them set either for or against the Government, We are pleased to see Mr. Bell showing such heartiness in the offer of his services to the public, and we. congratulate him gladly, though we are not supporting him. As a debit against'the credit of much of his argument; it has to be noted that he favours the, oepeal of the Conciliation and' Arbitration Act, and is for straight-out freetrade in Crown lands.

Is\\ Luke hafi not the galvanism of Mtl Bell, but he ha« ddUe isolid service ■on* behalf of the public over a long period of years, mainly outside of V&v--lßament. IJuring his term ae a member he has been no servile follower of the Government, no dumb dog, to slink Imeekly to heel at the crack of the party Sj?.ookipg, : at JohaaoAviHa p»..25th.

September last, he said that he did not want any false sentiment about his candidature. "You have seen me for threo years," he added. "You have known my actions. I said I would not be under the party whip, and I havo not been under the whip." During his term he has had more than one 6harp conflict with the Prime Minister on the floor of the House of Representatives. He is a staunch leaseholder. He is eager to see the position of the secondary industries improved, and is willing and able to assist in the shaping of a policy to help these .industries., He is conscientious' and honest. His record entitles him to the people's confidence.