BY-ELECTIONS

Evening Post, Volume CV, Issue 108, 8 May 1923, Page 10

BY-ELECTIONS

THE PRIME MINISTER'S PART

MR. MASSEY DEFENDS HIS RE CENT CAMPAIGNS.

(BT TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION.)

AUCKLAND, 7th May. The Prime Minister (Mr. Massey), in an interview to-day, stated: —

"I notice that there has been some criticism with regard to my taking part as Prime Minister in the recent byelections at Tauranga and Oamaru, but those who criticise forget that I know as much of what has taken place in past years with regard to such matters as most people. Take my own case, for example. I became a- candidate in a by-election when I first stood for Parliament for Waitemata. The, election had been rendered necessary on account of the fact that the former member had been unseated for certain indiscretions, not of his own, but for which some of his supporters were responsible. I commenced my campaign in the usual way, and was getting through the district when the then Premier, Mr. Seddon, with two of his colleagues, put in an appearance, and these gentlemen visited a _ number of centres m the electorate with the object, of course, of securing the return of their candidate and defeating the Opposition candidate, as I tllen was ; To this I personally raised no objection. The canvass went on. but public sympathy was with me on account of the fact that, although I was a stranger m the district, 1 was on the same side of politics as the preceding member, and I was duly elected without more than the usual amount of trouble. The public and the candidates kept their heads, and there was no wild whooping or silly insinuations, such as came from the Leader of the Opposition after the poll was declared at Oamaru. A friend with whom I was travelling and myself spent the evening of polling day with Mr. John Scholium, of Pnhoi. The next day we proceeded quietjy to our homes, about forty miles distant, and the following day I was at work again on my farm.

"There are numerous other prece-' dents. Mr. Seddon visited the district I represented on several occasions after that time, and so also did Sir Joseph Ward, without the slightest objection on njy part. I advised my constituents to give the visiting Ministers a. hospitable reception, but to keep their votes for me, and they certainly complied with my request.

"I know that a good deal can be said _ against Ministers interfering in elections, but the precedents and reasons for such interference must not be overlooked. I have noticed in some instances in recent years that even the wife of the Prime Minister of England took the platform in the course of political campaigning when her assistance was apparently deemed necessary. "So far as the recent elections were concerned, what took place at Tauranga was a direct challenge to the Government, and its existence depended upon the results of the election. Oamaru was in a different position, and I would just mention in passing that I believe the majority of electors who voted in December intended to vote for Mr. Lee, but an unfortunate mistake in the printing of the ballot paperß made it impossible to be quite certain of this. The question at the by-election from my point of view was whether the stability of the Government was to be increased or not; whether, instead' of a Government with a small majority the country was to have a Government with a majority sufficient to place its legislation on the Statute Book", and to do the many important things which, in I'the interests of thia country at present, require to be undertaken. I am thinking particularly of the moratorium, the term of which comes to an end in the not far-distant future. Another fact is that in the seven-year period upon which we have entered there is £66,000,000 of the public debt of New Zealand falling due, which, of course, has to be paid off or renewed. Then there is the question of representation at the Imperial Conference.

"These are reasons why the Government requires to be strengthened, and so far as I am concerned, I make no apology for what I have done in the case of either election. If, in the circumstances, I had not taken part in both elections I would have felt that I had not done my duty as Prime Minister. I make no apology. I would adopt the same course in similar conditions. Naturally, I do not hanker after byelections. No one doeg who has had any experience of them, but the time comes when Prime Minister must give a lead to his supporters, defend his administration, and maintain the position of the Government if it is possible to do so, and after that the responsibility rests with the electors."