THE OPPOSING ARMIES.

Greymouth Evening Star, 7 December 1911, Page 3

THE OPPOSING ARMIES.

LESSONS OF THE BY-ELECTIONS

[by telegraph—special to the star.]

WELLINGTON, This Day

To-day the electors of New Zealand will be called upon to return seventyfive representatives of European constituencies. There has been one unopposed election, and there are. four Maori constituencies, this making up the eighty electorates which return members to the House of Representatives.

There is no lack of competition for the honour. The nominated candidates total 22 in number, and the.r political faith is professed thus : Ministerial 80, Independent Liberal 25, Opposition 67, Independent Opposition 6, Labour 23, Independent 15, Socialist 5, Prohibition 1. THE LAST PARLIAMENT. STATE OF THE PARTIES.

The general elections of 1908 resulted in a majority for the Government over the Op]>osition party (leaving three Independents and one Labour representative out.of the calculation) of 26, the parties being represented thus :—Government 51, Opposition 25, Independent 3, Labour 1. The three Independents were Messrs F. M. Fisher, J. Duncan (Wairau) and T. E. Taylor. The last named, who died in August, was succeeded by another Independent, while Mr. Fisher goes to the election this time as an Opposition supporter. BY-ELECTION INDICATIONS. FOUR VERDICTS FOR LIBERALISM.

If by-elections since 1908 are an indication of the country's feeling—they are regarded as important "pointers" in the'"bld Country—New Zealand has undiminished faith in the Liberal Government. There-have been four of these tests in the interval, and not in one instance did the Opposition capture a seat. First came the Thames fight in February, 1909, when the Opposition was not even represented, two Liberal candidates standing and the Rev. E 11. .Taylor being returned to fill the place of the retiring Liberal (the Hon. James McGowan). The Rangitikei by-election in September, 1909, caused by the death of the Liberal member (Mr. A. E. Remington) was made a pitched battfe between the parties, Mr. Massey taking an active part on behalf of the Opposition candidate. The Liberal vote was divided amongst three candidates, but the second ballot enabled the Liberal to win by a majority ef 400. Auckland East by-election in June, 1910, resulted in another Liberal replacing the late Mr F. E. Baume, who had been a supporter of the Government. Here were five candidates, but the Liberal polled 3,180 votes, an absolute majority over them all, while the Opposition in the fight came fourth with 309 votes. No Oppositionist has been nominated for th's fight. The Christchurch North by-election is so recent that the details are familiar, but it is interesting to note as indication the general tendency of

the by-elections, the late Mr. T. E. Taylor, an uncompromising Radical, was succeeded by his comrade and friend Mr. Leonard M. Isitt.