GENERAL ELECTION.

Taranaki Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 143670, 14 December 1911, Page 4

GENERAL ELECTION.

DUNEDIN WEST CONTEST. . Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Dec. 13. At a special meeting of the Dunedin Labourers’ Union to-night, a motion was carried by 25 votes to 17, repudiating the action of the president (Mr. Perry) in supporting trio candidate!© of Mr. Bedford for Dunedin West without the authority of tho union, and asking him to resign forthwith. It was decided by 24 votes to 16 to support the candidature of Mr. Millar. THE INVERCARGILL SEAT. INVERCARGILL, Doc. 13. A big meeting was held by tho Reform Party to-night in support of Mr. Fleming’s candidature. Several speakers supported the cause of the Reform candidate at tho second ballot, and a vote of thanks and confidence was carried. OPINIONS OF THE PRESS, Those who thought that the election was in the nature of a debacle in which the Liberals were the victims were misled by illusory appearances. In nearly every case in which a second ballot is to be taken the combined Liberal vote polled by Radical candidates greatly exceeded those by the Opposition candidate, and the legitimate assumption is that at least twenty-five of them will result in a triumph for the Government candidate. H our anticipations should prove correct the Government contingent would number fiftyone and the Opposition twenty-nine, the Government majority being twenty-two ■—the same as Mr. Scddon’s in 1908, fer oven his majority diminished from forty-nine in 1902 to forty-two in 1905 and twenty-two in 1908. It is easin' to make enemies than friends, and tho success of the Ward Administration so far has been phenomenal when we consider that it has had to stand the brunt of twenty-years of its own errors and those of its predecessors, whilst it has boon given tardy credit for notable achievements during tho five years of its own existence. Sir Joseph Ward has every reason ro b t e satisfied with the result of tho. ejection. Even if tho second ballots should not give the Government the twenty-five supporters wc .anticipate a liberal margin for error of judgment may bo allowed and then tho Government would be strong enough for all practical purposes. The parly at the hack of the Ward Government will be strong enough to retain office and to so justify its existence That the next appeal to the people will make it as strong as ever. It is nlain that whilst the Liberals will gun in popularity during the next three years of steady persistency in tjW.arrs cf .social and economic w:Oppcsilion must find it m r >r.: tb.rTrrer' difficult to do such work.—Sbuihland Nows. There was no teat in the Dominion so difficult |to capture as Awarun, and it is anybody else would hare done ;SO well as Mr. Hamilton. It has tc be recognised that many hundreds of-tho doctors of Awarua appreciate the advantage of haring the Prime Minister as their representative, and tho same feding is general throughout Southland. Sir Joseph Ward has done a groat deal for this district, and his ability and worth are widely acknowledged. Mr. Hamilton mav take the number of votes ho received against such an antagonist as a very high compliment, and on the | other hand Sir Joseph Ward's majority is a fine proof of his popularity in Awarua and of the continued confidence of tho doctorate he has‘represented for nearly twenty-five years. Considering his exceptional qualifications and his groat services to the country it will be regarded as eminently right that Sir Joseph Ward should have been returned to lead the Government, and pleasure at his success will be widespread in Southland. As regards Mr. Hamilton it may be said that the manner in which ho has fought this election will make him the first choice of the constituency should tho services of Sir Joseph Ward not bo available in future years.—Southland Times.