WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LIII, Issue 274, 21 November 1919, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN

INDEPENDENT CANDIDATES

(Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 20. Never before have ?o many "Independent" candidates appeared on the hustings as are appearing, in the present election campaign. There ore Independent .Reformers, Independent Liberals, and Independent Laborites. Whether their multitude is due to a revolt against the narrowing ties of party or to a desire to stand as well as "may be with all the conflicting elements, it is hard to say. Perhaps both these factors have had something to do with a development of a state of affairs that is proving wry embarrassing to the party leaders. But whatever the cause, it is certain that the presence of an army of Independents in the field is going to affect materially the result of the approaching election Independent is a sweet-sounding phrase that tickles tlw ears of people iinacquaint«d with the game of politics, and in the present contest it will contribute largely to the vote splitting that is menacing both the older parties, to the substantial advantage, of course, of the Labor Party. MENTAL RESERVATIO.NISTS. In addition to the frankly avowed independence of a considerable number of candidates, there is the mental reservation of other candidates which will enable them to cross the floor of thu House should such a course appear necessary to save the country from the expense and unrest of another appeal to the electors. At least one candidate for a rural constituency in the Wellington province has announced this as his intention, and his friends appear to be taking no exception to his light regard for his party obligations. There are, indeed, many other candidates who have expressed theraselvr-s to ranch the same effect in demanding that in the event of the two older parties being closely balanced at the polls the occupancy of the Treasury Benches shall not be left to the determination of a little group of extremists. There must be a strong v Government from one side or the other, they insist, r,nd minor party differences must not stop the way.

PARTY,

Meanwhile the party spirit, so far as the great mass of the electors is concerned, is much less pronounced than it was in, the days before the war. Some of the active participants in the fight and most of.the party newspapers are doing their best to revive the old bad methods, but outside the Official Labor Party they are achieving little success. The Social Democrats, incongruous as it may s«;-em side by side with their demands for fair play, freedom of speech, and the rest, seem to think it good tactics to harass Reform and Liberal candidates, especially Liberal candidates, in every way they can, and already have managed to prevent several of their opponents getting a hearing. Their object appears to be to drive the two older parties into some sort of coalition, but they, and other people, Avho have been dreaming of a development df this kind, niay as well dismiss their fond delusions at once. The Reformers and the Liberals, bj' the deliberate choiceof their leaders, are now as far apart as they over hove been

THE LIOUOR QUESTION. If the Parliamentary contest is arousing little general' interest, the liquor poll is arousing less. The agents of the conflicting parties: are busy in searching the rolls and distributing literature, but the public, for all the enthusiasm it is displaying about the issue, might be utterly indifferent to the result. Notwithstanding this apparent armthy among the peoole who are to decide the question, however, both parties profess to be confident of the result coming their way. The Prohibitionists count upon polling a largely increased soldiers' vote and the trade upon the electors accepting, the recent referendum as the last word on •the subject. As far as may be judged fiom the attitude of the "man in the street, this is a fairly accurate diagnosis of the position. He does not wish to be worried about the matter again.