VISIT TO NORTH AUCKLAND

Southland Times, Issue 23146, 12 March 1937, Page 8

VISIT TO NORTH AUCKLAND

Leader Of The Opposition AMAZING INTEREST IN POLITICS (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, March 11. Complete satisfaction with the results of his visit to the North Auckland electoral districts was expressed by the Leader of the Opposition (the Hon. Adam Hamilton) on his return to Auckland.

One of the most impelling impressions he obtained from his tour, he said, was that a more serious and longer-sighted view of politics was being. taken by farmers and the amazing amount of interest being taken by everybody in the affairs of the Government so soon after the election.

Referring to a statement he made at Whangarei, that it was necessary for supporters of the New Zealand National Party to choose 59 candidates before the end of the year, Mr Hamilton said there was no special significance to be attached to this except that these were the 59 seats which the party did not hold.

. “It is our duty to get candidates ready for these seats if We are to win them,” said Mr Hamilton. “The , selection of candidates before the. end of the year is necessary mainly in order to give the selected candidates perhaps 12 months to establish themselves before the election takes place. It is hardly fair to candidates to ask them on the eve of the election to contest seats. They ought to know in plenty of time, 12 months before if possible. “I found during my visit to the north that electors are certainly becoming politically minded again,” he said. “In fact they are becoming politically minded much earlier after the election than is usual. This was shown by the attendances we had at our meetings, which were of an extremely gratifying nature. It is many years since such political interest was in evidence before the sitting Government’s term was half over. It would also appear that farmers are taking a more serious, view of politics—perhaps a longer view—than in the past.” Mr Hamilton emphasized the necessity for young people to interest themselves in political affairs. They had the future of the country in their hands, and he had found from his tour that evidence was not wanting that the younger generation was beginning to realize its responsibilities. In. a large measure at the next election the appeal to the country would be a straight-out contest and it would more effectively test, and more correctly register, whether New Zealand wanted to be governed by Labour.