WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 May 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(UUf Special Correspondent)

THE PRINCE

THE CONQUERORING HERO

WELLINGTON, May 7

Tho Prince of Wales has come and soon and conquered—conquered not only the hearts of liis father’s loyal subjects, who would have grown enthusiastic over a milch less charming personality, but also the understanding of those who profess to think lightly of monarchical institutions ahei all they imply. f The appeal of the Canterbury Labour Representation Committee to ignore the proceedings iii connection with the royal guests reception and entertainment) is obtaining no sympathy in Wellington to-day. The workers of tho Capital City indeed, are displaying more enthusiasm than the idle rich over the visit, and are “letting themselves go” as they have never done before. The peace celebrations were scarcely a • circumstance compared with the rejoicings that began on Thursday night and are gathering in volume and intensity as they continue. HARD WORK.

b’or the nonce, at any rale, the Prince himself cannot be counted a lifting the idle rich. “The poor boy,” a.s the motheriy women of the community love to style him is simply being tv oik ed to death by his hosts. He arrived on Wednesday night with liis right arm out of action as tho result of perpetual hand-shaking. His left aim lust night was scarcely better after the day’s experience. To-day be is going through ;i terrific programme. At noon he lolt Government House, after dancing at the State Ball till the small hours of the morning to attend the children’s demonstration in the parliamentary grounds, at 12.3 Uhe was at the returned soldiers’ demonstration, at 12.45 ho returned to Government House, and now is at the football match at the Atheletie Park. Thence ho will go to the pageant at Potone, the military hospital, a dozen other places and end up with tho citizens’ ball. He is being cruelly overtaxed and is obviously feeling the physical strain. THE STRATFORD ELECTION. The Stratford bye-election, made necessary by tho disqualification of Mr R. Masters on a technical point and field yesterday resulted in the re-election ol the unseated candidate by a larger majority than lie scored at tho general election. There are still 481 absent voters’ permits to be counted, but if tho whole of these should be returned 31(3 would have to be cast lor Mr Hiuc to extinguish Mr Master’s present majority of 152. This is such a highly improbable contingency that no one is taking it seriously into consideration. At the general election G 175 valid votes were polled, 3118 for Mr Masters and 3057 for Mr Mine, a total of 6175, so that the votes polled on the present oc. fusion, including the absent permits, show an increase of 522, ail unprecedented occurrence in a by-election. TARANAKI REPRESENTATION.

It is interesting to recall that at the election of 1914 the lour Taranaki constituencies, Stratford, Taranaki, Foment and Patea, returned four Reformers with 1.3,329 votes, while the Liberals with 10,474 votes obtained no representation at ail. At the election ol December last tho Relormers polled 12,885 votes and the Liberal-Labour combination 13,809, so that the representation was as nearly as possible fairly divided each party obtaining two members as would have been the case in 1914 had a system of proportional representation been in operation, ratliei to the disadvantage on the exact figures of tlie Reformers. Mr Smith,-the member for Taranaki and Mr Masters the probable member for Stratford, both received the united support of the Liberal and Labour electors.