By-Election Contest

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20627, 1 December 1941, Page 3

By-Election Contest

Sir—l notice that polling centres adjacent to Gisborne in the Bay of Plenty electorate are going to be visited by leading Ministers and members of our Labour Government, for Die purpose of inducing the electors to vote for the Labour candidate. That so many cf our busy Ministers are making these special visits is not complimentary to their parly’s candidate, or must be taken as very complimentary to his opponent. One wonders why such serious attention should be spared from such other matters of national importance. The Labour Party has its predominance in Parliament and their candidate with all this outside backing can only join the “two-a-penny yesmen” which is how Mr. John A. Lee, M.P.. recently described those whose only value in Parliament is to vote “Yes" on any party measure and remains silent on other occasions. What great satisfaction it would be to whichever candidate was elected to have the knowledge that he was elected entirely on his personal merits, but it is quite plain it is not considered the Labour candidate can make the grade alone. During the recent municipal election Mr. Coleman endeavoured to set, a standard of etiquette for war-time elections by declining to address meetings, and become involved in what he -termed “a wrangle” when there was so much more of a serious nature to occupy people’s attention. His consistency is shown by immediately jumping into the Bay of Plenty political arena and starting a wrangle over the contest, which will be extended when the “big guns” get going. I suppose there will be ample benzine for the Ministers and others to make these lengthy special trips, while the farmer and his family, desiring to do a little joy-riding at Christmas, will have to stay at home. “COASTER.”