THE TAURANGA RIDDLE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18357, 24 March 1923, Page 10

THE TAURANGA RIDDLE.

SEEKING A SOLUTION.

MR. J, A* YOUNG'S GUESS.

A WELLINGTON PLOT.

[BY. TELEQBAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.} HAMILTON. Friday. In response to an inquiry as to his views on the Tauranga by-election, Mr. J. A. Young. M.P. for Hamilton, made some interesting observations this morning in the course of an interview. Mr. Young said he knew the Tauranga electorate well, and had many friends there, more particularly in the Thames Valley, with whom he was fairly well in touch. In fact, he had for some months past been attending to local matters in certain districts on behalf of the late Sir William Herries during his last illness. Naturally, he was interested in what was going on. Mr. Young said he had been invited by electors in a number of centres in the Tauranga electorate to take the platferm and expose some of the fallacious statements and reasonings of Sir Joseph Ward. But as Sir Joseph appeared to be somewhat "nervy" about outside speakers coming into the electorate, he did not wish to occasion him any perturbation on that score, especially as he thought the ex-member for Awarua was not fitted to stand any strain beyond the pleasant jaunt he was now enjoying in motoring through the Tauranga electorate.

Mr. Massey's Participation. Asked what ho thought of Iho Prime Minister's action in taking part, in the contest, Mr. Young said that in the circumstances the Prime Minister had acted perfectly correctly, and did what the country had a right to expect. Sir Joseph Ward was endeavouring to create the impression that he was & heaven-sent emissary come to Tauranga* to raise the Dominion to some ethereal plane of political existence, and all else was naught without his aid. Mr. Young said he regarded Sir Joseph Ward's candidature as a challenge \o the ceuntry, concocted among certain powerful interests in Wellington, which were desirous of either breaking dorm the Reform Government or manoeuvring Mr. Massey into such a position that he was at the mercy of thuso interests. Mr. Young declared that Mr. Massey was not i the man to put up with that sort of thing, and it was not in the interests of the country and the producers, and an electorate like Tauranga, that such a thing should happen. The election of Sir Joseph Ward at this stage, in the special circumstances and away from his home electorate, would do more to precipitate an early general election than almost any other act, said Mr. Young. The country did not want a general election at present, and a tremendous responsibility rested on the, Tauranga electors in that connection. It was therefore only right and proper, contended Mr. Young, that Mr. Massey should be in the electorate to put the true position before the people, and to reply to some of the extraordinary contentions that were being put forward by Sir Joseph Ward in the campaign. Sir Joseph Wards Intentions. To determine logically what Sir Joseph Ward's words really meant was not easy, said Mr. Young. At one time he said, "If he were elected the Reform Government's majority would be reduced from three to one," and at another time he said, "No Government could carry on with such a small majority as three," and again, "A new election at the present time would be suicidal," and only at Morrinsville on Tuesday last, he refused to say whether he would vote against the Reform Government on a no-confidence motion moved by Mr. Wilford. It was reasonable to believe he would not vote against th© Government on a noconfidence motion moved by Mr. Holland, continued Mr. Young,'unless there was some compact or understanding come to between them."*' 5 Whether that was possible or not was for Sir Joseph Ward to say. To believe that he would vote against his friend Mr. Wilford, were he to move a no-confidence motion, which he would be bound to do, was somewhat of a riddle. When at his best—and Sir Joseph Ward was far from that on the platform at the present timehe had the not-too-happy knack, of flooding the atmosphere with words, until his hearers were driven to think that speech was being need by him to conceal his thoughts rather than express them. The impression left on thoughtful minds was that the answer to the riddle was that Sir Joseph Ward wanted a portfolio in Mr. Massoy'a Cabinet, as neither Mr. Wilford with his party of 19 nor Mr. Holland with his 17 followers, had any hope of forming a Government. Where, then, must Sir Joseph Ward look ? The answer, said Mr. Young, was toward •Masseydoma." In short, the presence of Sir Joseph Ward in Tauranga was a direct challenge to Mr. Massey and his Government, and on that ground alone the Prime Minister was justified in taking an aggressive hand in the campaign.