THE GREY SEAT.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1778, 17 June 1913, Page 5

THE GREY SEAT.

THREE CANDIDATES IN SIGHT.

LIBERALS & LABOUR. NO LOYB LOST BETWEEN THEM. (By Telegraph.—Special Correspondent.) Hokitika, Juno 16. A large and representative meeting of Grey electors, desirous of furthering tho candidature of Mr. 11. L. Michel, of Hokitika, for tlio by-electiou caused by tho death of "Sir A, It. Guinness, was held to-night in tho Foresters' Hall, Greymouth. General and largely signed requisitions were presented from tho Grey and outlying districts, and it was utiani-. mously decided that Mr. H. L. Michel bo asked to contest the seat in the Government interest, and that Messrs. W. Morris (Greymouth), E. Holmes (Colxlcn), D. Leech (Blackball) proceed at once to Hoand i present the electors' requisition to Mr. Michel. Mr. Morris was ono of tho nominators and leading supporters of tho lato Sir Arthur Guinness. •• Mr. Michel has been inundated with telegrams asking him to contest the seat. Miners and Mr. P. C. Webb. At a meeting of miners at Runanea yesterday it was decided to support Sir. P. C. Webb for tho by-clectiou and make a levy of M per man towards tho olection esponses, Humorous Admission. Before Mr. Hannan has announced his political convictions it is clear thpt tho Opposition candidate will havo tho lamblike support of both tho Greymouth papers. Both havo persistently condemned the Reform Government,' and when they maligned and misrepresented Mr. Masscy s party (both beforo and 6ince tho last election) their charges havo gone on unanswered and their misrepresentations havo not boon exposed, for there is no Government paper published in tho Grey electorate. Everybody is laughing at the "Groy River Argus," which on Saturday announced its wholehearted sympathy with the Opposition candidato, and wound up with this remarkable statement:— •1Y 6 A m,t pro^css to bo acquainted h ■ Hannan's particular brand of politics, but wo can promise such support as tho "Argus" is ablo to givo. This is of the Opposition press, bo long as the candidate is willing to 6tand in the Opposition interest ho has tho support of the Opposition press, OV .®P though they are "not acquainted with his particular brand of politics." Tho Unseemly Liberal Hurry. Referring to the coming contest in Greymouth, the "West Coast Times" says: "1 ho vacancy for Grey, causod by tho death of tho Hon. Sir Arthur Guin--5035, provides an excellent opportunity for tho Liberal party. Much has been written and spoken of the Liberals' burning desire for an alliance between. Liberals and Labour, but bo far the negotiations have progressed no further thau Opposition talk. The selection of tho candidates to contest tho by-election for tho Grey seat will oertainly indicate the amount of sincerity that thoro is in the Liberals. There have been protestations of their alleged anxiety to eombino with Labour in tfio fight against tho stronglyentrenched Reform Government, but what do we find? How much is Labour oonI suited ? Before tho mortal remains of the much-respected Sir Arthur Guinness had been laid to rest—to bo precise, oil the night before the funeral—tho Oppositionists, who were sent as representatives of tho neighbouring electorates to show how much their constituencies mourned the death of tho member for Grey, actually held a political caucus with somo leading Greymouth supporters of tho Opposition party, and persistent entreaties were mado to Mr. Hannan. to contest tho seat. So oomplete and so successful wero tho negotiations that, beforo tho funeral took place next day, the man an the 6fcreot knew tho name, of tho Opposition candidate. In foot, the issuo oT one of the Greyrooufh journals, on the day of the funeral, announced Mr. Hannan s candidature. Tho frantio and improper haste of tho Opposition party (whoso orgatiLEcr was in Greymouth before the; funeral) provides an excellent example of ! how much tho Opposition troubles about the interests of Labour when they think their own interests can bo served. , Last cloction the Labour candidate for Grey polled 2532 votes, and thoro are probably uioro workers in tho Groy electorate, in proportion, to the population, than .'there are in any other constituency in tho Dominion. The Opposition party had an excellent ohance of demonstrating that they mean what they say when they talk of tho Liberal-Labour alliance. So much for Liberal sincerity. After many months of ooquetting and palaver with the Liberals have declared war agaitut Labour, and tho battle-ground la in the by-election for Grey."