FRANKLIN BY-ELECTION

New Zealand Times, Volume LII, Issue 12161, 11 June 1925, Page 7

FRANKLIN BY-ELECTION

BOTH PARTIES CONFIDENT REFORM LEAVING NOTHING TO CHANCE LEADERS TO DELIVER ADDRESSES (By Telegraph—Special to “Times.”) AUCKLAND, June 10. With the poll in Franklin by-election only a week distant both the Reform and Labour parties have brought their campaign to a high pitch of activity. The party leaders will shortly take a 6hare in the contest, the Prime Minister on Monday, and the leader of the Labour Party (Mr H. E. Holland) tomorrow. The Prime Minister (the Hon. J. G Coates) will arrive from Wellington next Monday, and will address a public meeting at Pukekohe the same evening. The next day he will speak at three suburban centres, Papakura, Papatoetoo, and Otaliuhu. Mr Hol|and is due to speak tomorrow evening at a meeting in Otabuhu. and at Papakura, Papatoetoe, and Pukekohe on Friday, Monday, and Tuesday evenings respectively. The Reform organisation in Franklin, which -earcely needed to bestir itself during Air Massey's lifetime, de-

velopod remarkably in the past fortnight. Active committees have been formed in all parts of the electorate, districts have been mapped out tor them, and almost everything ® ™ readiness for the polling day. . JVlr A J 3. J)acy, l the party’s organiser, states that in his political experience ho has never seen a plan of campaign carried out so quickly and effectively by all concerned. The meetings addressed by the candidate have been most enthusiastic, and at one a vote of thanks and confidence m the Refotm Parly has been carried. The supporters of the Reform Party have made up their minds to leave nothing to chance in this contest. Mr McLennan who, at the beginning of the campaign, lacked experience as a platform speaker, Ls considered to have improved remarkably. LABOUR WELL SATISFIED The Labour Party is verv well satisfied with the reception which its candidate is having in different parts or the electorate. Those in charge of the campaign consider the personal merits of the candidates are fairly eq-ml, both being farmers of long res 'cnee and good standing in the electorate. Personalities are entirely absent from the contest, which thus becomes purely and simply a trial ot strength between tho parties The chief subjects of contioversy at the meetings are Labour’s land policy and- the existing order of things. Farmer electors are not greatly interested in any of the campaign issues except the land tenure ana rural finnnee. The Labour . renresentativee say there has been something in the anatare of concerted opposition at their meetings in tho towns on the railway principally in the form- df repeated hostile questions to the candidate. In the countrv, however, the farmers attending the meetings seem to have been genuinelv anxious to fine out what Labour proposes to do for the man on the land, and particularly for the settler carrying a heavy burden of mortgages on land bought at pre-slump prices.