LIBERALS' HIGH HOPES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18742, 23 June 1924, Page 8

LIBERALS' HIGH HOPES.

■•"' : '-— ■» —-———;•-' EARLY RETURN TO POWER. LEADER'S TOUR IN THE SOUTH. [BY TELEGBAPH.—-OWN ; CORRESPONDENT.) ; ; WELLINGTON. Saturday. An optimistic account of the Liberal Party's prospects in the South Island was given by Mr. T. M. Wilford on his return to Wellington. " I may certainly say that our party is well on its feet," he declared. - - '"' ' % ,

Referring to his visit to Dunedin Mr. Wilford said:—" In Dunedin ■; I met the executive of our organisation, at which meeting the Hon. J. A. Hanan attended on behalf of Invercargill, and we settled the lines upon which organisation should take place for Dunedin city; and for Chalmers and Mataura, the only seats held by Reform outside the city of Dunedin. Reform has only one seat in Dunedin city which will be attacked by our party. Candidates for the Hon. Downie Stewart's, seat and for Chalmers are in sight but they must be elected locally before being approved by : our party. -'-.•" ■ ' v. ; " Generally in regard to the South Island there .is' no Reform ■;seat : which is ' invulnerable, \ there is no Reform constituency in which the Liberals have not a chance of beating Reform, and there are at least five seats'; in the South 'Island which Reform has little chance of holding, :■■■-'. , , ; "I have no doubt after my tour through the north and the evidence that was given me during the last week in the south that we can claim in the near future a return to power of the Liberal-Labour Party.'*