SHORT AND SHARP.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 11 October 1924, Page 5

SHORT AND SHARP.

“A SNAP ELECTION.” LABOUR WELL ORGANISED. THE CAMPAIGN OPENED. BY CABLE PRESS ASSOCIATION— COPYRIGHT T LONDON, Oct. 10. , It is understood that the new Parliament will meet on November 18, so the straggle will be one'of the shortest and .sharpest on record Members of the' House of Commons of ‘ill parties are personally delighted that the campaurn will be short, but the Liberal organisers complain that it is the most flagrant snap election ever forced upon an unwilling electorate. The rapidity of the election is possible owing to the House- of Lords allowing the Irish Bill to pass without amendment, after a conference of leaders.

The Parliamentary correspondent of the Daily Express savs the House of Commons gasped with surprise when Mr. MacDonald announced the date of the election. Even Labourites were surprised, but then they realised the cleverness of the move and cheered Mr. MacDonald to the-echo.

The Stock Exchange regrets the election, but as it was certain to come oyer the Russian. Treaty financial circles prefer to have it quickly over and finally remove the uncertainty. The isuccess of the Queensland loan was a reassuring factor, showing that the effect of the dissolution on the money market was very slight. THE CANDIDATES. LABOUR. AND CONSERVATIVES. ABOUT EQUAL, LIBERALS HAVE 350. LONDON, Oct. 10. The Labour electoral organisation boasts that it is better prepared for a general election than its rivals. This is true in comparison with the Liberals, but the Unionists have long expected an election in the autumn and their organisers were not caught napping. Millions of pamphlets have already been printed. The Daily Chronicle says: “It is obvious that the Government is counting on the unpreparedness of its opponents. Another reason for the. rush is that the Government- is threatened by its Communist elements.” Labour already has 373 candidates in the field and expects-co have live hundred, compared with 427 last year. The Conservatives will number about five hundred and the Liberals 350. All the .present women members of the House, except Mrs. Philipscn, will, stand again, and twenty-one other women candidates have already been selected. The majority of members have left for their constituencies. The Liberal campaign in London opens on Tuesday afternoon with a demonstra-' tion at the Queen’s Hall, the speakers including Mr. H. H. Asquith. Mr. Lloyd George and Sir John Simon, and all the Liberal candidates for London seats will be present. Seventy Socialists in the last House were returned on minority votes. Of these fifteen are London seats, ten of which are rightly Conservative and five rightly Liberal. The Daily Express suggests that arrangements be made to obviate these losses, and adds that as a result of discussions last night in Mr, O’Grady’s seat at East Leeds, it is expected tlva.t Mr. Slesser will contest it, as the financial difficulties in connection with the Governorship of Tasmania have now been overcome.

Mr. Austen Chamberlain, speaking at Liverpool, indicated that the Dominion preference question will be revived during the Conservative icampaign. He declared that apart from Socialism the electors must decide whether the country should rebuff the Dominions and at the same time try to bribe the Soviet.

Mr Winston Churchill, speaking at Woodford, in Essex, also dealt with preference and Singapore. He said the Labourites had told Australians “you can shift for yourselves,” almost on the morrow of the war in which half a million Australians and New Zealanders had given their lives for love of the Mother Country. Mr J. Maxton, speaking at Alfreton, Derbyshire, said he had been accused in a measure of responsibility for the release of Campbell. When he heard of the arrest he had expressed the view that it was a mistake. He said he knew Campbell, who went with the army and returned battered, and lie had only been in his editorial ,iob a week or two. Mr Maxton added: “I don’t think he is responsible for this offence. The Attorney-General said he would enquire if my statements were true. That was the only conversation I had with any Cabinet Minister concerning the case.”