WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 273, 20 November 1919, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE GENER\L ELECTION.

PROBABLE! DATE

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Nov. 18

This afternoon the Prime Minister, who is back in Wellington attending to a number,of pressing.departmental affairs., was unable to make any definite announcement, in regard to the date of the general election, but from what can be gathered from other quarters it seems most likely that tho Soiling will take place on Wednesay, Dec amber 17th, or Thursday, December 18th. This is a later date than has been fixed for any election for "a veiy long time past, but the preparation of the rolls is proving a Tery difficult business this year, and ' both, sides are. naturally anxious to go to the country on a ' complete icgister. Mi* Massey expresses himself as very well pleased with his reception during his hurried northern tour, and believes his party will impiove its position in the Auckland district at the polls, but he is not indulging in any extravagant boastings alout the result. MINISTERS ASSAILED. Mr Massey's own seat, of course, is s?fe, and from this forward he will be able to devote most of his time to campaigning work; but several of his colleagues are engaged, in keen fights, and will be tied pretty closely to their constituencies till the struggle* is over. Sir James Allen in Bruce is meeting an active young Liberal, personally popular, iv ith no political sins to count against him; the Hon. W. Nosworthy in Ashburton is opposed by liis neighbor, Mr W. J. Dickie, also a farmer, whose former constituency has bean extinguished; the Hon. J. B. Hine, in Stratford, is being tackled by one of the best equipped recruits the Liberals have discovered for a very long time, and the' Hon. W. H. Herries. in Tauranga, is meeting a live Labor candidate who may g'ye him some trouble. The Hon. J. . tCoates, in Kaip.ira, will ■ probably have little difficulty in holding' his seat against a Labor candidate, and the Hon. D. H. Guthrie, in Oroua, as as yet without an opponent. LIBERAL PROSPECTS.

Most of the prominent Liberals .fjppear to hold fairly strong hands. Judging from the accounts of Sir Joseph Ward's Southland tour which are being I published here the leader of the Opposition has a safe seat in Awarua; the ; Hon. W. D. S. MacDonald is a "certainty";' in Bay of Plenty, and probably will .>e spared the worry of a contest; Mr' Jl. K. Sidey is meeting one of the strongest of the Labor candidates in Dunedin South, but his mana in the constituency has not departed; the' Hon. G v W. Russell is "the old dog for the hard road" in Avon, and should.pull through even against a younger and equally capable candidate of the Labor persuasion; the Hon. A. M. Myers did such good service in Parliament and in the Cabinet during the war period that it is impossible to think of his being. exchanged by Auckland East for either of the alternatives that are offering; Mr George Forbes, Mr L. M. Isitt, the Hon. David Buddo, and the rost of the Canterbury Liberal stalwarts nil seem safe enough and, except in Ashburton, no material change is expected in the representation of the wheat province.

THE FINAL RESULT-

Never before has the i osult of an election in this ■vounfcry h<-en so difficult to pi'edict. During the last five years thousands of boys ai d {iris who had given scarcely a thought to politics and parties when the war began have reached manhood _ and womanhood and have taken their place en the rolls. They have been brought up, as it were, under the warty truce, and are now realising for the first time the sharp differences between the elements they see in <•• ?.iflict>. How these young people are going to cast,their votes no one caa tell, but probably the great majority of them will take on the color of the environment in which they have grown up and support Reform, Liberal, cr Labor as their parents and friends did before them. Arguing this wj.y the quidnuncs are predicting a very even division of representation between the two old parties and the final decision remaining with Labor. Perhaps at the moment there can be no »>« tter guess. 5