AUCKLAND BY-ELECTION .

Marlborough Express, Volume XLIV, Issue 123, 1 June 1910, Page 2

AUCKLAND BY-ELECTION .

A LABOR CANDIDATE CHOSEN

ACTION BY THE OPPOSITION

(Dominion Correspondent.)

AUCKLAND, May 30. The Labor party intends to make a strenuous fight to capture the Auckland East seat at the % forthcoming byelection. To assist in the campaign, it has secured Mr T. E. Taylor, Inaependent member for Christchurch North, Mr D. M'Laren, Labor member for Wellington East, and Mr J. A. M'Cullough, the Labor representative on the Arbitration Court. Yes-

terday afternoon these three conferred with local leaders in the Labor movement, and also addressed some 200 persons at the Grey Statue. Mr M'Cullough stated that, on behalf of the southern Labor people, he wished to associate himself with the Labour party in Auckland, in order to secure the direct representation of Labor in Parliament.

Mr M'Laren remarked that, in Wellington East, people had stated that there was not the slightest ho^e of putting up a Labor candidate. However, in spite of this pessimistic view, the sun of Labor had risen, and he believed that Auckland East was not going to lag behind the southern constituency, but was -going to send the Labor candidate to Parliament. He instanced the remarkable growth of the Labour vote at the 1908 election as compared with that of 1905, and added that he felt that the lesson taught by their comrades in Australia was not going to be lost upon this country. , Mr Taylor, who was received with j cheers, paid a tribute to the qualities of the late member, Mr F. E. Baume.! He felt that, in this city, there would be an opportunity during the next three weeks of winning an election which would mark an epoch in the history of New Zealand politics. He thought that the Labor leaders would experience a very great surprise in 1910, and the Auckland East election would afford those persons who did not agree with either Sir Joseph Ward or Mr Massey an opportunity of expressing their views. As he had stood as an Independent at the last election, he owed it to his 'constituents to continue as such as long as Parliament lasted. He had, however, always made his views clear. At present there were no strictly Labor men in Parliament, though Mr M'Laren was nearly such. Mr M'Laren had, however, not been returned exclusively by the Labour party. If on this occasion they secured the return of a Labor man for Auckland East, it would leave such a track as would enable 25 Labor men to enter the House at the next elections, and it would be the occasion of the birth of the New Liberal party of New Zealand.