WELLINGTON NORTH

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 49, 21 November 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON NORTH

MR. J. P. LUKE THE GOVERNMENT CHOICE

ELECTION IN FEBRUARY

Interest in Ibe coming election for Wellington North seat is growing. It may now be announced that the candidate who will have the support of the Government will be Mr. ,T. P. Luke, C.M.G.. Mayor of Wellington, who has consented to allow himself to be nominated as a candidate pledged to support the National Government.

It is improbable that tho election will be hold beforo February. No more is announced as to who (he people are who are interesting themselves in the candidature of Colonel Hu«hes. It. has been freely suggested that the two organisations who have asked him to offer himself are (he Catholic Federation and the Returned Soldiers. Colonel Hughes will, meet his committee this evening, anil give them his answer. It is practically certain that ho will agree to contest tliie seat.

RETURNED SOLDIERS' ASSOCIATION AN OFFICIAL DENTAL. As soon as the candidature of Colonel Hughes was announced, it was assumed by a number of people that one of the organisations behind his candidature was the Returned Soldiers' Association. A statement on this subject was made to a Dominion reporter yesterday bv Mr D Seymour, general secretary" of "the New /ienland Relurned Soldiers' Association «n ll i 'L n( i corrcct " sai( l Mr. Seymour, . that the Returned Soldiers' Association is behind .tho candidature of Colonel Jlujhes. Our idea man association is that we should keep clear of politics, mid it is my opinion that if we ever are forced into politrps the association will be destroyed. The opinions of returned soldiers as citizens will naturullv be. reflected in the political life of the country, but our ortranisntion will havq no part in promoting political activilj. It is specifically set forth in the constitution of the association that the association shall be non-sectarian and nonpolitical. It would be, of course, emin. ently prooer that returned soldiers should occasionally fill vacanoies in the Konse of Representatives, and I have no doubt that many of them will do fo, but anv official promoting; of any part.ioular candidate is not only beyond the scone of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, but also beyond the scone of any local affiliated association."