WARNING TO ELECTORS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19759, 13 October 1938, Page 6

WARNING TO ELECTORS

FRANCHISE IN DANGER PAMPIILRT INTERFERENCE MR, SULLIVAN'S OPINIONS (Spocial to the Herald.) WHAKATANE, this day. The probability that if Labour were returned, the electors would have voted away their own franchise has been forecast by Mr. W. Sullivan, National candidate for the Bay of Plenty, throughout the northern parts of the electorate. lie based his prophecy on the Prime Minister's refusal to pledge himself not to alter the country quota and on a Labour pamphlet widely circulated in the Bay of Plenty. This stated: "Be on the winning side. Say Hultquist is vour representative for many years to come. Do that and avoid a contest next time." "Just exactly what does that mean?" asked Mr. Sullivan. "Why do they attempt to suggest there will be no contest next time. It is to be inferred that there will be no next time —that the very basis of democratic Government is threatened and that the Socialists definitely contemplate an alteration to the electoral law, although they may not dare to say much before the election for fear of jeopardising the Government's already shaky position."

It was up to the member to explain the wording of his pamphlet. It looked to Mr. Sullivan that it indicated that the party hinted at the eventual abolition of the franchise. "I have said .before and I am prepared to say again that you may vote yourselves into socialism but you may flljd .it impossible to vote yourselves out again," said Mr. Sullivan, who laughingly discounted as Labour propaganda the rumour that his full time would not be given to the electorate.

"I entered this contest looking for a .iob, weighed it up long before eventually accepting the Nationalist nomination and will devote my full time to the electorate," he said.