WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1680, 20 November 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE GENERAL ELECTION

PROBABLE DATE

(Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Nov. 18. This afternoon tho Prime Minister, •who is hack in Wellington, was attending to a number of pressing departmental affairs. From what can be gathered from different quarters it seem.? most likely the General Elections will take place on Wednesday, December 17, or Thursday, December 18. This is a later date than has been fixed for any election for a very long time past, but tho preparation of tho rolls is proving a very difficult business this year, and both sides naturally arc anxious to go to the country on a complete register. Mr Massey expresses himself as very well pleased with his reception during his hurried northern tour, and believes his party will improve its position in tho Auckland district at the polls, but he is not indulging in any extravagant boastings about tho result.

MINISTERS ASSAILED

Mr Massey’s own scat, of course, is safe, and from this forward bo will be able to devote most of bis time, to cam{wigning work, but several of his coloagucs are engaged in keen fights, and will be tied pretty closely to tnoir constituencies till the struggle is oyer. Sir James Allen in Bruce is meeting an active young Liberal, personally popular, with no political sins to count against him; the Hon. W. Nosworthy in Ashburton is opposed by his neighbour, Mr W. J. Dickie, also a farmer, whose former constituency has been extinguished j the Hon. J. B. Hine, in Stratford, is being tackled by one of tho best equipped recruits the Liberals have discovered, for a very long time; and the Hon. W. H. Henries, in Tauranga, is meeting a live Labour condidato, who may give him trouble. The Hon. J. G. Coates, in Kaipara, probably will have little difficulty in holding his own against a Labour candidate, and tho lion. D. H. Guthrie, in Oroua, as yet is without an opponent.

LIBERAL PROSPECTS

Most of tho prominent Liberals appear to hold fairly strong hands. Judging from tho accounts of Sir Joseph Ward’s Southland tour, which are being published hero, the leader of tho Opposition has a safe seat in Awarua; the Hon. \\. D. S. Mac Donald is a “certainty” in Bay of Plenty, and probably will Us spared the worry of a contest; Air Ti. K. Sidey is meeting one of the strongest of the Labour candidates in Dum.fJin South, but his mana in tho consliitucncy has not departed; tho Hon. G. W. Russell is “tho old dog for the hard road” in Avon, and should pull through oven against a younger nnd equally capable candidate of tho Labour persuasion; tho Hon. A. M. Myers did such good service in Parliament ami in tho Cabinet during tho war period it is impossible to think of his being exchanged by Auckland East for either of the alternatives that are offering; Mr George Forbes, Air L. Al. ■lsitt, the Hon. David Buddo, and tho rest of Canterbury Liberal stalwarts all seem safe enough. THE FINAL RESULT.

Never before has the result of an election in this country been so difficult to predict. During tho last five years thousands of boys and girls, who had -given scarcely a thought to politics and parties when tho war began, have reached manhood and womanhood, and have taken their place on tho rolls. They Lave been brought up, as it were, under the party truce, and are now realising for tho first time the sharp differences between the elements they see in conflict. How these young people arc going to east their votes no one can te11,., but probably the great majority of them will take on-.the colour of- the environment in which they have grown up and support Reform, Liberal or Labour as their parents and friends did _ before them. Arguing this way the quidnuncs are predicting a very even division of representation between tho two old parties.