ELECTION NOTES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 4 December 1911, Page 8

ELECTION NOTES.

WELLINGTON CONDITIONS

PROCEEDING MERRILY

[BT TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL TO THE STAR.]

WELLINGTON, This Day

Only during the last few days has .election fever been generally obvious. The temperature is high now, and things are-going to be lively until the polls. A feature of this week’s happenings has been he way in which the Liberal candidates have displayed a great turn of speed. They are making the platform pace a hot one, and so far their example has not been followed by the Opposition, though the Labor candidates street meetings are numerous and generally well attended.

When hostilities first commenced the Opposition candidates fired off heavy broadsides of allegations and destructive criticism. They had the field almost to themselves and made a big show in print, but as time went on their story was worn threadbare, and it has not been replaced by anything fresh. Last night, for instance, found Mr A. L. Herdman talking in Wellington about a mysterious lack of information OA r er the Land and Income Tax Department inquiry, while the cost of Dunedin Railway Station plus the yard, the signalling and reclamation, also did duty once more. Mr Robert Fletcher has made great headway in Wellington Central this week, his speeches being informative and free from personality. He is making his claim on the merits of the Liberal policy, while bis opponent (Mr Fisher], interests audiences nightly with lively scenes ,in which interrupters are ejected, by the candidate. It looks as if Mr Fisher is losing ground. THE LOCAL CL POLL. The licensing fight is mostly a matter of advertisements. Large sums are being spent in the newspapers by both parties, and the Liquor advocates are also using dozens of covered expresses to carry their message. The gang of young men responsible for spoiling a Prohibition demonstration last night previously gave attention to the antimilitarists and the Socialists, so that the fact that a No-license meetingfailing cannot be taken as -any true indication of public feeling on the subject. OPPOSITION MASS MEETING. The Opposition party has arranged a mass meeting in the Town Hall on Monday night to be addressed by all the Reform candidates of Wellington and suburbs.

THE OTAGO SEATS. PREMIER’S STRENUOUS WORK. [BY TELEGRAPH—SPECIAL TO THE STAR.] MILTON, This Day. Sir Joseph Ward’s progress throughout has been very strenuous, reminding one of the late Richard Seddon’s great inarch in 1905. Yesterday he addressed four meetings, meeting with hearty receptions at Kaitangata, Sterling, Lawrence and Milton. He has made several fine lighting speeches which should greatly help Ministerialists in the Bruce, and Clutha electorates. CLUTHA SEAT. As far as the latter is concerned Mr Livingstone is severely handicapped by his poor speaking power while Mr Malcolm is an adept on the platform. The fate of this election now seems to hang on the display which Mr Livingstone makes at Balclutha on the eve of the election. He is undoubtedly gaining ground in the out districts but the general opinion is that his being an outlander will prove his undoing. BRUCE SEAT. Mr Parker McKinlay, who Is proving a tougher antagonist than either Mr J. Allan or his supporters ever imagined, is a forcible speaker and being a product of Stirling, which is on the edge of the electorate, the young people are rallying to his standard in a surprising manner. He may effect a boil over, but my own feeling is for Mr Allen by a reasonable margin. DUNEDIN WEST. The Hon. J. A. Millar is quite satisfied his seat is safe, wherefore he has cancelled all engagements for next week, and may hold himself in readiness to give help to Ministerialists in the neighbourhood of the city. His supporters are very hopeful he will avoid a second ballot, but I think he will be short of that result by over a thousand votes. If the optimism of their committees is based on solid facts loth Messrs J. A. Arnold tnd T. K. Sidoy will bo returned on the first count. In Dunedin North it is only discussed who will stand in the second i allot with Mr G. M. Thomson. There is much diversity of opinion, but I make Mv Douglas runner un, CHALMERS. Mr Clark will have his work cut out to hold Chalmers since Mr Johnston lias declared he will not support the Onposition under any circumstances. There has been much comment over the form of pledge which the Worker’s Representation Council exacted from Mr Munro who carries the Labour banner in Dunedin West. The Council are empowered to forward his resignation to the Speaker if elected, under whatever circumstances they consider it necessary to demand the surrender of his seat. W AKA TIP U SEAT. In Wakntipu there is a well founded belief that Mr Horn will comfortably win that seat, but this is counterbalanced by reports from Awarua that Sir Joseph Ward will have to fun the gauntlet of second 1 .allot. The fact that Mr J. Allen U able to leave Ids own decorate and address a meeting at Bluff to-night lends colour to the belief that the Opposition regard the seat as ope within their grasp, hut all WY tofprmation points to the Premier winning at the first try.