GUESSED WRONG

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVII, Issue 8608, 19 December 1913, Page 6

GUESSED WRONG

A TALE FROM WANGANUI. SPECULATION AI3OUT LABOUR LEADERSHIP. The other day the Wanganui correspondent of the Christchurch “Press” telegraphed to that newspaper:—“Mr P, Hickey, one of the Federation -of Labour leaders passed throujJii Wanganui two days ago «u route to New Plymouth. Ho asserted that in years’ time Labour would bo the do. minant power in Dominion politics, with Mr G. W. Russell as leader. The Labour party, he declared, wanted neither Sir Joseph Ward nor Mr Massey. He also stated that Mr J. Clancy, of Taumamnui, who took a prominent part in the Blackball strike, would contest the Waimarino seat at the general election in. opposition t<r Mr R. W. Smoith.” Mr' Hickey informed a “New Zca land Times’’ reporter yesterday that someone had been having a little bit of fun at the expense of the Wanganui representative of the Christchurch “Press.” He had never been in Wanganui in his life, and had novel made the statement attributed to him, which was quite untrue. Mr Bussell stated to our Christchurch representative yesterday that there had never been any suggestion that he would take the leadership of the Labour parly as predicted. “No suggestion has ever been made by mo or to me in that connection,” he said, “and consequently the suggestion that for purposes of my own I am attempting to elbow my respected leader out of the way is absolutely beneath contempt. I recognise that Sir Joseph Ward is the leader of the Liberal party, and X have always and will b« his loyal supporter.”'