THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 129, 24 February 1908, Page 8

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

-i, '■ —' THE OUTLOOK IN THE WAIKATO. FEELINGS OF- THE SETTLERS. One electorate which- will, be :watched with special interest during: the campaign will be the WaikatoV /-The seat was. held for twelve years by that Opposition stalwart, Mr. F. W. -Lang, but at the last contest. Mr. H. J/ Oroerisliide.va Ministerial ist.'freeholder, defeated-him by about' 80. votes Mr. Lang has since reentered Parliament as member for Manukau,'.and will again bo a candidate for that seat.. 'The Opposition, however, •is hopeful' or winning back the Waikato, and in Mr.-. Allen' Cell it has a strong candidate. The. district is mainly agricultural, the largest town, being ■ Hamilton, with a population of'about 2500." Since'last eloction a . considerable ' area in '.tho King Country and Upper Thames lias been cut olf from the Waikato electorate, and' the mining district of lluntly lias boon 'into. it. It is thought that these changes, especially tho addition of Huntly, will; improve Mr.' Greeusladc's chance's at the-'poll'.:' The,contest' will certainly, be. a! strenuous; one.- . Mr. It. R. Martin, organising secretary of the New Zealand Political Reform League, has recently made a 1 tour, of the electorate, and ho speaks hopefuljy/of the prospects of success for the Opposition candidate; After completing a round of the agricultural por-. tions of tlie district, Mr. 'Martin was interviewed by a representative of. the "Waikato Argus. -Flo himself, as agreeably astonished at the satisfactory 'attendances ■it his meetings, although the .farmers were in the midst of. the harvest.', 'He was extremely gratified at the very .cordial recepgiven to the platform by the members of the new branches he had been successful in starting. ' ' i He found that the action of'the League in taking the earliest-opportunity to select a candidate had met with general approval. In Mr. Allen Hell, the'League'had .a candidate of tireless energy-and great ability, 'as was shown by the various splendid services he had rendered on the various: local bodies, agricultural,, social, and- other .institutions, since, his arriva 1 in the. district : seven , years ago. ' A general' de'siro was ..expressed* that Mr. Bell should visit the various parts of the electorate for the purpose of becoming personally acquainted with theinew settlers and the' requirements of the several* districts; Asked as to tho feeling amongst the settlers' with'regard 1 to the -rccent. ■land 'and other Socialistic . legislation, "Mr. ' Martin stated that he founrl'that the. actions'of the Ministry in this direction.-.-.were being regarded with, increasing 'suspicion ; and disfavour, the insecurity: of the' land tenure strongly ; appealing "to'-i the ''Country settlers, and rousing ,them to' the . need for, organisation and action—the necessity .for sinking all personal :diffqrences and-' working -for the' party .that, had fought, .manfully ;in- their interests. On, all sides, he heard ' expressions of approval of.: the; splendid /fork "dono-.by Mr. Alassey in- the interest's-. of' the community generally, a fact;which he considered augured well for ; the. ;future> .political'' pro-1 spects of that -gentleman; and- liisiparty. '