BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.

Otago Witness, Issue 3609, 15 May 1923, Page 28

BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.

STATEMENT BY TIIE PRIME MINISTER.

AUCKLAND, May 8. Mr Massey, referring in the course of an interview to criticism of his participation in the recent by-elections at Tauranga and Oamaru, said that when he first stood for Parliament at a by-election the then Premier (Mr Seddon) and two colleagues visited a number of centres in the electorate. Mr Seddon and (later) Sir Joseph Ward visited the district on other occasions without objection on his (Mr Massey’s) part. So far as Tauranga was concerned, there was a direct challenge to the Government, whose existence depended upon the result of the election. The question at Oamaru was whether the stability of the Government was to be increased, enabling it to do many imporlant things which, in the interests of the country, require to be undertaken. The Government must deal with the moratorium, w'hich ends in the not cTstant future, and must also arrange for 66 millions of the public debt, falling due in the next seven years. Representation at the Imperial Conference also required attention. In these circumstances Mr Massey felt it his duty as Prime Minister to put the position before the electors, and therefore he need make no apology for coming before them at a by-election.