OMNIVEROUS OAMARU

NZ Truth, Issue 910, 5 May 1923, Page 3

OMNIVEROUS OAMARU

Devours Mr Massey Incidentally Eats Baby Lee. j Mr. MasseV is to be congratulated on the -result of the Oamaru election. So confident was he of success, that as soon as he had spoken the last word he was'statutprily allowed to speak he left< the -district to look after itself. This, was in: marked distinction to has attitude in. Tauranga, where he remained over the polling day for the purpose of congratulating Sir Joseph Ward on his victory and salving the wounds : ot Mr. McMillan. Queer how that -eriormous brain- of his works. Those who -say that, like other rats, he deserted a- sinking ship in the case of Oamaru are surely mistaken. - Any^way.'he can scarcely be disappointed, for the little baby who tagged along at his •Mommer's apron .strings bleating, "baa- aa" ;. at '.'■ . his foster-mother's be,hest, ran a very good second in a field of -two in a race in which he had already been defeated, but which was run- over again to soothe his injured feelings "and those of the shattered party, he posed as representing—purely, toy proxy. ■■-■<: • .-■»"■ '■'■;, : • This journal does tio% propose to stress ■ Mr.^Macphersbii's victory. It was earned off ; his.pwn bat, Respite the strong 'organisation of Mr. Massey,. who tried practically every trick in the bowler's repertoire to, ; get the genial Scot's wicket; The result has sadly spoiled his average for the season. Incidentally it has demonstrated that his sacrifice of the principle of non-inter-ference in political elections in a desperate .attempt to save his party from the annihilation which is imminent was not .'justified.-. • "'*"''' •■•-■.<*, •; Mr." Ma^seYs explanation of the defeat; of ; the ; Kef orm candidate is an ingenuous', one. He works the sympathy vote for all it is worth and includes a voluthe of innuendo- ana artificial aspersion "gt-.l a nebulous character . .wtfich the election figures utterly fail to support. On his ,own showing he has not been hurt by the result' of. the election,' for at Tauranga he publicly announced that so long as that seat remained in the possession of his party the country was safe from another general election, and i;he Government was assured of a continuance of office. That : is his opinion as it stands on record. But the real application of the result of the election lies with Parliament itself. It seems to us to indicate, as we have all along contended, .that- the re-birth of Liberalism is an actuality and not a mere aspiration. - . • - : ■ . The election has been a peculiarly keen one and: has been flavored with an exceptional spice of personality, for 1 which Mr. Massey alone is responsible, for he could riot expect to be allowed to throw bricks without having bricks thrown 1n return. Possibly he may regard this lesson— probably he will not. However, It'- is satisfactory to know that after his prolonged holiday he is back to work again and once more I earning his ['.screw. - •■•"•.,.: . A significant fact' of the election is that Mr. Macpherson scored a country vote in advance of that polled by him at the general election in December last, and that hi^ victory is rby no means a "town one." This will probably cause the Reform Party to think further, for the continuance of its existence depends solely upon the country vote in' the Dominion. This will make the Prime Minister eVen more strenuously -opposed to a further appeal? to the country. ? However, there is no need to labor the i question further. Mr. Macpherson has won the seat fairly and squarely by *a substantial majority and by his Own unaided efforts. JSven should the combined intelligence of Mr.' Lee and Mr. Massey discover a ; "turned comma", or a. missing full s/op in any of the voting paper3 the most sympathetic Court in the land would hardly upset the election aiadgivetjie dgfeated^ candidate another strike. There were ro "no balls" in this over. "' Again we congratulate Mr. Massey on the result, whilst sympathising with Mr. Macpherson On having to a Parliament which is led by a man whose political ethics are as dinary as his mental gymnastics.