TAURANGA BY-ELECTION.

Waikato Times, Volume 97, Issue 15183, 8 March 1923, Page 5

TAURANGA BY-ELECTION.

SPECULATION AROUSED. SIR J. G- WARD'S CANDIDATURE. HIS ATTITUDE TO PARTIES. (By Telegraph.—Special te Times). WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The announcement that Sir Joseph Ward will be a candidate for the vacant Tauranga seat has given rise to a good deal of speculation here as to what will be the ex-Liberal leaders attitude towards the parties he will find there in the oyent of his being returned to the House of Representatives His more intimate friends hold to the belief that Sir Joseph's own wish will be to remain unallied to any faction, and ready to give assistance to any measure likely to conduce towards the welfare of the country. As much as this has been suggested by his public utterances since the general election. But the business community, which as a rule centres its attention upon the financial side of politics, hopes to. see him filling quite a different role. It would have him occupying a seat at the Cabinet table, not as Prime Minister, and not necessarily, it says, as Minister of Finance, but as general financial adviser and guide to the Government. It is difficult to conceive of Sir Joseph accepting such a position, which would be that of a superior clerk doing the job of the responsible heads, and it is difficult to conceive or Mr Massey offering it to him, slnce.it was only a few weeks back \he declared* that while he remained Prime Minister he would continue to direct the policy of. the Treasury. The Prospects.

The news from Tauranga itself concerning the • prospects of the election is very meagre. Local opinion is reported to be fairly evenly divided between. Reform and Liberalism, Sir William. Hemes' substantial majorities having consisted largely of Liberals attracted to the sitting I member's side rather by his personality than by his party colour. But voting, after all, is much a matter of habit, and electors who have grown , accustomed to voting on one side are loth to give their support to the other. But lately the constituency has grown ; a little more critical of the Government than it was a few years ago—perhaps through no flagrant fault on the part of the Government —and it Is certain no other Reform candidate will poll as well as Sir William did. If the contest were narrowed down W a straight-out fight between Sir Joseph Ward and a comparatively un-P known Reformer, the majority, po a local authority says quite' confidently, would be with the ex-Liberal leader; but there is no saying at present what the Labour Party will do. If it puts up a candidate "in vindication of the great principles for which it stands," as Mr Holland would say, he will draw votes only from the Liberal side, and then the chances of the Reform candidate, whatever his claims may be, will be materially improved.

Press Comment. The New Zealand Times, the local Liberal paper, makes no editorial commentlthis morning upon Sir Joseph Ward's reappearance in the political field, but publishes in.... its ..news columns a very warm eulogy of the ex-Liberal leader. The Dominion, from the other point of view, is judicial and dignified in its attitude. "If the Labour Party," it says," "adheres to its 'professed intention t 0 make a fight for every vacant seat it will no doubt bring out the strongest possible candidate available. For the moment chief "interest centres in the -attitude of Sir Joseph Ward—whether he will follow in the footsteps of Mr Wilfdrd or strike put on a line of his own. Should his health permit him >to conduct a vigorous campaign, which he is hopeful of dqjng, he is likely to poll .well,'but a good deal no doubt will depend on the stand he takes in regard to the position of parties, and the possibilities of finding a way out of the present unsatisfactory political situation." This guarded utterance is entirely Appropriate to the occasion, and is taken by some people to imply that if Sir Joseph is disposed to make terms with Mr Massey on a basis that would give the country a stable Government he would be met quite half-way. Sir Joseph returned from the North only this afternoon, and he has not yet given his further confidence to the newspapers, but it is tolerably safe to say that if returned to the House he will concern himself more with broad national issues than with mere party differences. J

SIR J. G. WARD'S CAMPAIGN.

By Telegraph—Press Association, AUCKLAND, Thursday

Sir Joseph returned from Te Aroha yesterday and proceeded to Wellington by the Main Trunk express in the evening. lie Intends to ret.ifrn North next week, and will open his election campaign at Tauranga about the 'middle of the week. Sir Joseph said he had had no communication with Mr Lawrence Johnstone, the Liberal candidate at the last election, but he understood lhat Mr Johnstone was not a candidate for the seat. /

NO LABOUR CANDIDATE.

SEAT NOT TO BE CONTESTED

AUCKLAND, Thursday. The Labour Party has decided not to contest the Tauranga seat.

ANOTHER CANDIDATE.

TE .AROHA, Thursday

The latest candidate to enter the Held of politics is Mr Charles A. Blomficld, who describes himself as organiser "Pensions for the Blind Campaign," with a platform SocialisticLabour. He is now arranging for a vigorous campaign. •