ELECTION NOTES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17338, 9 December 1919, Page 11

ELECTION NOTES.

WHICH IS TO BE ACCEPTED? Speaking at Riverton the other day, Sir Joseph Ward said: "Aggregation in the Dominion during the past few years had been enormous. Parliament had not done anything to prevent this aggregation, stnd laving himself open to a charge of being egotistical, he was prepared to say the proposal he submitted to the House was the only one that would have any effect." Speaking in the House of Representative on the Land Laws Amendment Bill. Sir Joseph Ward said: "Those of us who lm\p been in this Parliament for ;» number of years may congratulate our-.-cl\es upon the very fine advance which lias been made in the land, laws of the Dominion. I am rather inclined to think that if sonic of the men of former days »»n» ainong.«t us to-night they would marm*l af some of the proposals" contained in '•i- Rill -1 mean they would marvel with appreciation. It looks almost a* if the leopard had changed his spots when one ie.ilise,s some of the proposals contained •n this Hill, and remembers what a tremendous fight we had in the past. . . . I!..- proposal to prevent agp-egation of land is one." Discussing the proposal further. Sir Joseph Ward's only qualification ■■• the eulogy which he" uttered on the provisions of the Bill was that the aggregation clause did .not go as far as he would like to see it. So that it seems difficult to know which Sir Joseph Ward has to be taken seriously, the one who speaks in Riverton or the one who speaks in Parliament. IMF DOCTOR AND THE POLITICIAN. _ Answering a question at his meeting at Newmarket last evening, Mr. Clutha Mackenzie placed his finger upon one of the weaknesses of the system of wholesale nationalisation. He said he did not bolies in the nationalisation of the medical profession, because it was not possible to nationalise conscience. If all medical men wore made servants of the State, there would be some who would do their d !ii<>* conscientiously, while others would draw their salaries, and would be like the army medical man who believed in treating all disease by "Number Nine Pill." Mr. Mackenzie might have said just as pointedly that they would be like the politicians who believed in dealing with all the problems of the day by nationalising ..verything. Tn the one case there is the want of conscience. In the other there is something like a want of constructive statesmanship. AVOIDING THE ISSUE. Tn his Leeston speech explaining his attitude towards the Labour Party, Sir Joseph Ward has missed the point completely. He indignantly repudiates favouring direct action or Bolshevism. Nobody has accused him of this. He also says he has made no compact with Mr. Fraser or Mr. Holland regarding the future: again he has not. been accused of this. Further, he says what- he will do in regard to Labour if he is returned as head of the Government. Rut that is not the issue. What the country wishes to know is what he will do if he is returned, not as the head of the (Government, but with the position such that he might become head of the Government with the. support of the Official Labour Party. His latest explanation makes no reference to that eventuality and leaves the position absolutely open in reference to it. Mr. Holland says the party will vote with Sir Joseph Ward on a no.confidence motion, and in tbo event of it proving successful will support him in office provided he will legislate as the partv i demands. That possibility is carefully avoided in the latest pronouncement by the Leader of the Opposition, and it is just the point which vitiates, his position. THE NOMINATIONS. The list of nominations shows a total ot 210 candidates for the European constituencies— for the 45 seats in the North Island and 80 for the 31 seats in the South Island. There are five candidates in three districts, four in nine, thiee in 31, and two in 33. According to the pledges given by the candidates. there are 70 supporters of the Government and 70 supporters of the Opposition in the field. The Labour Party has 54 candidates. Thirteen others are advocates of the Labour interests, but not adherents of the Labour Party. The remaining three candidates have not yet been identified with any of the principal parties, As usual there are many aspirants for the representation of the Maori districts — 12 for the Western Maori seat alone. The Hon. A. T. Ngata has been returned unopposed for the Eastern Maori district, the only member who will enter the new Parliament without fighting his way into it. WOMEN CANDIDATES. , The names of only three women appear in the list of nominations Government candidate for Grey Lynn, and supporters of Sir Joseph Ward for Parnell and Thames. A Maori woman had been nominated :;"or the Western Maori seat, held in the last Parliament by or. Pr.mare. but at the last minute she withdrew her nomination. Her participation would have made a total of 13 candidates — whic' may be the reason for the lady's withdrawal. MAORI WOMEN IN POLITICS. The withdrawal of the Maori woman candidate, who threatened to stand for e'ection in consequence of the privilege granted to Maori women, in common with their pakeha sisters, last session, at least saves a member of the Legislative Council from being proved behind the times. When the Women's Parliamentary Rights Hill was before the Council, Mr. Tukino. a Maori member of that body, said:"l know that the native people of this country will not agree to a woman of their ri'-e representing them in Parliament. That is against the customs of the Maori people. It has been the custom of our people from the time of their ancestors down to the present day that the male should. on all occasions. and under all conditions, be the channel through which the affairs of the people should be cared for: that he should think "in what is best for the people and for the protection of the people. The male is the master mind." On the other hand, ■I the North had been able to provide a woman candidate there might have been n revival of the famous "Komiti Wahine," which added not only to the excitement, hut to the gaiety of native politics in North Auckland some years ago. The Komiti would have had something definite to work upon, and the members would nut have levelled at them the same reproach as they had to face before, that »'! their energies vter-i devoted to helping the campaign of the best-looking candidate.

PROPHETS WITHOUT HONOUR. A curious thing about the present election, says a Southern paper, is the extent to which the candidates of the Official Labour Party have been drawn from Wellington. Not only does the party in Wellington supply candidates for the seats in thai city and its vicinity, but they supply them also for seats on the East Coast arid in the South Island. A Labour candidate was quired for Hawke's Bay. Mr. ('. H. Chapman "as sent away from Wellington for the contest. One was required for Gisborrie. Mr. Rrindle was sent from Wellington for the contest. It might have Kee.ti supposed that, Canterbury could Im\c supplied Labour candidates for all the scats in that district. Not so. how- <•■•!■ From Wellington was obtained a candidate to contest the Riccaiton seat. Perhaps it is a case of prophets finding no honour in their own country. Auckland can remember an occasion when a ■i-itor cann- to «in the Parnell seat and did not make ,i very prolonged stay. orates have a way of resenting these ii.cin-sion.-.