DATE OF THE ELECTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17269, 19 September 1919, Page 8

DATE OF THE ELECTIONS

EARLY !N DECEMBER MR. MASSEY'S PREDICTION. FIVE WEEK'S CAMPAIGN.., [BT TELEGRAPH.—SPECIAL REPOBtm] ' WELLINGTON. Thursday. Further questions regarding the probable date of the general elections were asked in the House of Representatives this afterboon. Sir Joseph Ward, Leader of the Oppo sitioii, who opened the subject, asked ill* Prime Minister if he couldlgive msmbtxft any Idea what the date would be. Mij, ; Mossey replied that he e»'Ud not possibly say, since it all depended upon the length of the session, which wis itself contingent! upon the progress wh'oh was made witiKthe* business. Any opinion he expressed , would be his own in veto view. After being further urged 10 givt his opinion, Mr. Maasey said he expected 'he session Would conclude at the (Mid df October, and that the elections would take place in the first or second weak in December. *y.. ... Sir Joseph Ward then suggested that At ■would be a fair thing if Mr. Massey would give an undertaking that the election would not take place before the first week in December. Members woo Id then know where they stood. Mr. Massey said his own opinr.<m was that there would be sufficient business to keep the house occupied /'•til Ni-ve'uber Ist. Members would then have live or six weeks for their election campaign. Sir Joseph Ward: My own spin am is that the House should nse by the middle of October. The Prime Minister replied that, thay could not do this and get through the work that was to be done. Sir Joseph Ward then said the point on which he wished to be reassured was that if the Hotme rose in the middle of October or at the beginning of November the elections would-not be held before the beinning of December. Perhaps the Prime Minister would give an assurance that a fixed interval would pass after the Hcusa rose before the elections were held. Mr. Massey said his oWn idea was that there should be five weeks between the rising of the House and the election?. He could not give any further assurance than he had done. He had already given more information on the matter than he had ever heard any other l-'rime Minister give.