REPRESENTATION OF GREY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17292, 18 April 1918, Page 4

REPRESENTATION OF GREY

A VACANCY CERTAIN. SPECULATIONS AS TO NEW MEMBER (Fbom Oub Own Cohhespondent.) _ WELLINGTON, April 17. Tnere is 110 doubt now that the Grey seat iin Ist become vacant in a few days. Tlio session is not yet legally over, bccauso nominally Parliament lias been adjourned until Monday next, but beforo that date tho prorogation notico will bp published. Tlio session will then legally end, and then it will bo certain that Mr Webb has been absent from h;s place in the House without / or aMI session of Parliament. Tho initiative m tho matter rests with the Speaker of tlio House, and it may bo presumed that ho will issue tho proper instructions to the officials of tho House to declare tho seat vacant, and to take steps to have another election. Several suggestions have been made as to who the Labour peoplo may choose in place of Air Webb. It may yet bo that thev will persist with Mr Webb, for thero is nothing in the law to prevent a man from being a candidate for a seat in Parliament even if he should at the timo be in nrison. Quito recently an Irish member was elected to the Britis.li House of Commons while ho was in prison. Mr Scruple is another man who has boen_ suggested, but Mr Serrrplo states tliat he is not anxious to enter politics. Another suggestion is that Mr Harry Holland will try to win tho seat' if the Labour bodies will have him. Ho is giving up the editorship of tho newspaper Maoriland Worker, and for this reason tho report that ho may bo willing to represent Grey docs not seem to be aJi improbablo one.