BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15914, 11 May 1915, Page 6

BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT.

OPPOSITION INTERESTS.

SUGGESTED CANDIDATES.

PROBABLE REFORM VICTORY.

[DV TELEGRAPH.-OWX cORBKSPOSDEfT.] Kawusawa, Monday. A meeting of Opposition supporters will be held at Kaikohe this week when a candidate will bo selected to contest the Bay of Islands seat. At present the name, most in favour in Opposition circles are Messrs. J. C. Martin, barrister, tSaunders, of.Kaitaia, and C. G. Menzies, engineer to the Hokianga County CounciL Mr. Martin, so far as can be gathered, 18 not likely to be a candidate, as he has stated his disinclination to enter public life, he having declined to contest the seat at the general election. Mr. Saunders also, it is understood, has no hankering after a political career, and Mr. Menzies will most likely be the ultimate choice, of the party. He is a man young at seventy odd and is well known throughout the North. Ho was spoken of as a likely candidate at the general election but lie stood aside in favour of Dr. Buck. There are believed to be several other aspirants to the Opposition nomination. Mr. William Stewart, the' Government candidate, is, next to Mr. Vernon Reed, the best-known man in the electorate. He has occupied every position" in'local government in the gift of the people, and with credit. It is mainly due to his wise management of county and Hosp.tal Boarjj.' affairs that those bodies are in their ru/ e .

sent sound financial position. In Domjfaion politics Mr. Stewart has always tjecn regarded as holding moderate vievvs, and this, combined with his popularity in the Bay of Islands, will, no doubt, secure him many votes that might, if another choico had been made, have gone to the Opposition candidate. The general impression

locally is that the Mora Party's nominee is so strong that no man the Opposition are likely to produce will hare any mora than the very remotest chance of winning the seat.

ME. WILKINSON'S POSITION.

NO DEFINITE STATEMENT.

Mr. G. Wilkinson, who contested the Bay of Islands seat as a Government supporter at the general election, was asked yesterday whether he would be a candidate at the by-election. "I am not at liberty to disclose anything yet," was his reply. '