POLITICAL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 11028, 17 March 1914, Page 3

POLITICAL.

THE NEXT ELECTIONS. REFORM ORGANISER IN THE NORTH. [From Otjr Correspondent.] AUCKLAND, March 16. The first of the election war-cries has been heaTd in the Far North, an-3 some interest attached to the visit made by the Government organiser, Mr Paape, to Mangomu. Mr Paape was announced to deliver an address oji Tuesday evening in Mrs Harris's liall, but owing to some mismanagement very few •of the electors knew of his coming, with the result that only fourteen persons were present. Mr E. Samuels took the chair and Mr Paape proceeded to address the meeting. He referred to the many things the Reform Party intended to do if the present Government remained in power after next election. The position so farj he said, had been difficult and ha paid a tribute to the keen debating power of those on the Opposition benches. He criticised the action of the Liberals in supporting the Labour candidates at the second ballot at the last two by-elections, Grey and Lyttelton. 'After dealing with the prospects from his party's point of view, which he said were very bright, the speaker proceeded to deal more particularly with the position in the Bay of Islands electorate. The situation, he said, was somewhat peculiar in that there was danger of two candidates coming out in the Reform interest. One was Mr Wilkinson, whom the party had to admit had locally supported Reform when the party was almost hopelessly in the shades of Opposition, and on the other hand Mr Reed, the sitting member, who had joined them at a critical moment when help was required. The speaker went on to say that it was largely due to the influence of the member for the district that others had gone over at the same time. For tbis reason the Government could not turn Mr Reed down. It was certainly .to unfortunate position, but . lie' .hoped that the risk would not be taken of losing the seat by letting two Reform candidates go to the poll. This was the only electorate in which there was such a tangle. Elsewhere the arrangements were most satisfactory. In the South Island they were confident, not only of holding their own, but of gaining at least two new seats, Nelson and Y/airau. He contended that the Liberals were losing caste with their own supporters, and a case in point was that of Mr Field, who had previously represented Otaki as a Liberal, and would this year, he said, come out as a Reform candidate. Mr R. T. Wrathall took exception to Mr Paape's reference to the attitude of the Liberals in connection a\ ith the Grey and Lyttelton by-elections. The Labour candidates in each instance had only been a second choice at the second ballot- Did Mr Paape forget that Mr Massey had set a precedent for that in supporting the Labour candidate at the Grey Lynn second ballot in 1911? , r ... ... Mr Paape: Mr Massey probably did not know then what Mr Payne's attitude would be. Mr Wrathall: That cannot bo so, for Mr Payne had issued Ins farcical scheme forty-five weeks before the 111st ballot, and it was pulled to pieces by the Reform candidates in the Grey Lvnn contest. Mr Paape: I have to admit that I am not familiar with what happened at Grev Lynn last election. There was some further debate between Mr Wrathall and Mr Paape, in'the course of which the former challenged different statements that had been made, and alleged that at last general election, when tho final issue had to lie fought out. in Otaki between Mr Field (Liberal) and Mr Robertson (Labour), after the Reform candidate had been "turned down" at tho first ballot, Mr Massey telegraphed instructing tho Reformers to support Mr Aobertson.