THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 122, 16 October 1914, Page 3

THE ELECTIONS.

LIBERALS' PROSPECTS.

A .NOT); OF CONinDENTtIi

Auckland, October 14. An interesting statuimeiit was made by the Leader of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, this morning to a reporter inspecting election prospecuti. In the counto «f a fuw days Sir Joseph Ward stated, lie would' l>e' able to announce definitely the official list of eand.'datela bt-tnding in t'he intnire.sts of the Liboral Party throughout the' Dominion. Asked how he viewed the ejection prospects from a party point of Vdew, Sir Joseph replied thai, the indications throughout -the ceuntny wtre most hopeful, lie was quite satisfied with the general position. An attempt had been made in many ,parts of Now Zealand by tlleir opponents to defeat the chances of the Liberals at the poll* by getting a third candidate in the field, whoise object it would be to split the Lilwral vote. This, of course, had been the main object of those who advocated the repeal of the Second Ballot Act. The friends, of progress throughout tho country, however, were fully alive both to the object of ithe second tallot repeal iuid the efforts which were l einp so strenuously made to have eandidatcfc returned up<m a minority vote. It of course depended uposi the common sense of the people aa to whether this ruse was going to be effective. Personally ho thought the object of iJic second ballot repeal was obvious to the people ot this Dominion from one end to Um other, and he did not believe it was going to ha,ye tihe effect* which tile opponent* of liberalism. dwiivd, namel.-, the splitting, of the Liberal vote by two Liberal candidates and the return of t.\ >. (lird candidate upon a minority vote He personally was a strong believer in the principle of majority rale for the election of reprcswiiaUvi* of the people, and it was a matter for sincere reeret that. at the coming elections there would lie no system in existence which would enable the will of tho to be expressed b(v, a majority vote. "Wliat our party wants." added Sir Joseph, "is a fair fight. We go More the elociors in the, confident belief thai the .people are cognisant of the good york done bv Literal Adowawt-ratiom in th ( . wist, that, they realise the ctiorreous benefits which (practically all section* of the community now enjoy a r ; -i result of Liberal legislation. and thai they are confidrjit of the, sincerity of (lie part v m promoting a policy which will be laid down at the proper time v" , K ' tho country as a .whole.'