BULLER BY-ELECTION

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18236, 3 November 1933, Page 6

BULLER BY-ELECTION

MINERS’ CANDIDATE MR. McLAGAN SELECTED It is understood that at a meeting held at Blackball on Sunday it was decided to nominate Mr. A. McLagan, secretary of the United Mine Workers of New Zealand, to contest the Buller by-election, states the Greymouth correspondent of the Christchurch Times. The opinion that the West Coast miners would never have the heart to turn down Mr. P. C. Webb as the Labor candidate for the Bailor seat was expressed by Mr. D. G. Sullivan, M.P., when asked if he would comment on the trouble that had arisen over the selection of Mr. Webb. “The miners never had a better friend than Paddy Webb, and in days gone by he was one of the doughtiest fighters, and he certainly was ono of their best organisers,” said Mr. Sullivan. “I feel sure that provided there is no precipitate action taken and time is allowed for the situation to be fully considered, Mr. Webb will make such arrangements in connection with the dispute prevailing between the co-operative miners and the ordinary miners as will be acceptable to both parties. Anyhow, I feel perfectly certain that when it comes to a show-down the miners will never have the heart to turn down such a man as Paddy Webb, who has fought so valiantly for them in the past.”

LABOR SPLIT IMPROBABLE *f “I do not think there will be any unofficial Labor candidate for Buller,” said Mr M. J. Savage, Leader of the Opposition, when a report that a sec-, tion of the miners had decided to nominate Mr A. McLagan, in opposition to Mr P. C. Webb, was referred to him. “ If such a candidate does come forward, he won’t cut much ice and he won’t affect the result,” said Mr Savage. “Everywhere miners have been noted for their loyalty to the official Labor movement. He said that even a very powerful candidate individually could not hope to defeat a man who had the official support of tho party.