POLITICAL. GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN. THE LIBERAL CANDIDATE

Northland Age, Volume 25, Issue 7, 11 June 1925, Page 2

POLITICAL.

GENERAL ELECTION CAMPAIGN.

THE LIBERAL CANDIDATE

BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT. (Own Correspondent) The Auckland Provincial Executive of the Liberal-Labour Party met at the Phoenix Chambers, Auckland, on Monday 25th May, when the official nomination of Mr. R. T. Wrathall was announced for the Bay of Islands seat. The decision was wired to Mr. Wilford, and on Thursday 28th, Mr. Veitch came to Auckland and met the chosen candidate. The evening was spent in formulating a method of campaigning and dealing with preliminaries in connection with the forthcoming general election.

Mr. Wrathall returned by the S.S. Clansman, calling at Russell and Whangaroa whsre he met a number of his friends and supporters and dealt with the present political situation resulting from the death of Mr. Massey and the consequent change of leadership. The candidate said that as the Liberal leader had not yet made an official statement regarding the fusion of parties it would be indiscreet for him to attempt to make a statement as to what the future may bring. What he could and would say was that the war cry for a fusion had apparently emanated from sitting supporters of the Reform party whose return at the coming election was doubtful, and nothing but help from the Liberals would save them from defeat. The Liberals, however, are better organised at the present time throughout the entire Dominion than ever before, and with the small farmers waning confidence in the old crowd, and a large percentage crossing over to the Liberals, the prospects look very bright for a Liberal-Labour victory. Up to the present time the official brand of the party has been placed on 54 candidates and the final selection of quite a number of other seats is held over for a time when Mr. Veitch will visit the centres concerned and asssist in the final choice. The difficulties Mr. Veitch is experiencing is that too many candidates are offering and anxious to carry the banner, and in most cases all seem very worthy candidates and their several supporters consequently are briskly pushing their claims. This is in my mind an indication that the Dominion is swinging back to Liberalism. At last election the position was just the reverse, it being a difficult task to get candidates, but now the general war-cry from end.to end of New Zealand is “back to the Liberal Government.” Great problems, both internal and international, many aggravated by the war, aftermath, confront the Government. Industrial, social, and commercial reforms are long overdue, and to deal with these many problems that are requiring immediate attention, experienced statesmen of the best type should be called in, and these men are offering their services at the next election under the wave of the Liberal banner. Mr. Wrathall has been promised support from quarters where he least expected it, quite a number of whom supported Mr. Reed at last election and as the Liberals of the electorate are organising their forces there appears to be only one conclusion to be drawn. Mr. Clemett, the president of the Liberal League, convened a meeting of the supporters, at the Chamber of Commerce rooms, Mangonui, for Wednesday night when the room was packed to the door. Mr. Wrathall addressed the meeting at length and answered several questions to the satisfaction of the assembled committee and friends, and the following resolution was passed unanimously (amid prolonged applause):—“That this meeting of representative Liberals express our appreciation of the. action of the Auckland Provincial Executive in endorsing the local League’s decision by placing the official nomination of the Liberal Labour Party upon Mr. Wrathall as the the candidate for the Bay of Islands, and further that we place our absolute confidence in Mr. Wrathall as the one who can carry the Liberal flag to victory in the Bay of Islands electorate.” BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT. MR. HORNBLOW’S CANDIDATURE, Mr. R. E. Hornblow, who is to contest the Bay of Islands seat against the sitting member, Mr. Allen Bell, is at at present in Auckland (said the Auckland Star of the 2nd inst). Mr. Horn-

blow stated to-day that he had completed a tour of the southern end of the electorate, covering over 400 miles of country during the past eight or nine weeks. Though he has not addressed any public the candidate gained much valuable-first hand information, which, he says, will create considerable interest whan delivered from the platform. Mr. Hornblow expressed the opinionthat unless drastic steps were at once taken to prevent the wholesale desertion of farms which is now taking place all over the North, chaos and ruin would involve the country in a still greater loss, amounting to millions. The serious situation which was causing whole families to leave their holdings, practically penniless, refllected only too plainly on the inability of the Government to grapple, with the present-day difficulties of the farmer and their utter inability to develop an efficient land policy.