THE AUCKLAND ELECTION.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 831, 1 June 1910, Page 4

THE AUCKLAND ELECTION.

The Auckland by-election promises after all to provide an interesting contest. The Labour party is mainly responsible for this. Spurred on, no doubt, by Labour successes in Australia, a vigorous attempt is being made to arouse enthusiasm amongst trades unionists and to gather m those workers not associated with the unions. Me. T. E. Tastlor, as the moving spirit in the new movement, will be certain to assure good meetings for his party during the campaign now in progress, but it is open to dotibt whether he will be as successful in other directions as he is in attracting attention by his platform utterances. It has bean suggested that Me. Taylor's latest role may imply an understanding between the NoLicense party and Labour. We very much doubt that any such understanding exists. Th-3 No-License movement ,_has been kept clear of party polities up to the present, and it is open to question whether it could exercise any great influence in ■ any ordinary Parliamentary election even if its leaders decided to take an active part. Wo can quite believe that if Mr. Taylor were' contesting the Auckland seat against Me; Myers Prohibitionists would rally very strongly to the former's banner, and that political party views would be sunk by electors on both sides —that the struggle might very easily resolve itself into a contest of No-License represented by Mr. Taylor as against the Liquor interest represented by Me. Myers. But that would be an exceptional case. In the present struggle Labour will have to rely on its own forces, supported, perhaps, by a section of the Opposition party, who apparently do not think _ Mr. Myers sufficiently free of Ministerial influence. The. Opposition appear to have bungled the matter oi running a candidate. After deciding not to do so, soma of the leaders of the party changed their minds and requested the Re/. J. Clark to stand in the Opposition interest. Mr. Clauk could not accede to this request, and the struggle will therefore take place without cither the Government or the Opposition party being represented. A strenuous fight, however, can be looked forward to.