PATEA SEAT.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17114, 8 April 1921, Page 6

PATEA SEAT.

THE BY-ELECTION CAMPAIGN. (SrECIAt TO "THE PRtSS.") HAWERA, April ?. The Prime Minister paid a -visit to the Patea electorate to-day, for the purpose of speaking to the electors on behalf of the Government candidate, Mr E. Dixon. Ho was accompanied'\v tho Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. W. Nosworthy). The by-election campaign has been proceeding vigorously since the end of die Parliamentary session, and the supporters of tho Reform ean-iidato have no reason to be dissatisfied with the progress that Mr Dixon is mt.kiug. Ho has been having.excellent- meeting* in nianv parts of the electorate, and the policies that he is advocating are such as are likely to appeal to a country electorate in which 'a siurd> farmius element predominates. Mr Dixon has two opponents, tho Liberal Opposition being represented hy Mr W. Morrison, and the Labour Party 1-v Mr L. Mellvride. Mr Morrison polled well at the 1919 general election, when he was defeated hy the late .Mr W. D. Powdrell, but there wero local circumstances in his favour that do not exist, at the present time. The Labour Party is particularly ar. tive in lOiis contest. Members ot tho party are speaking all over the electorate, and the party is canvassing thoroughly. They do not expect to win with Mi Mellvride, but they are making an eager bid for second place on pollinc; dav. Local people anticipate that the Labour oandidatc will be .quite definitely at the bottom of tho poll on April 13th. Mr Dixon's victory is confidently expected by ihis friends,