WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 28 February 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

i’OI.ITTCAL A( TIVITV. tii!•: tafraxga skat. KI’KCI.U, TO Ur.UiIHVN. WELLINGTON, Eeb. 2(5 .Many di Sir Joseph Ward’s political friends who are anxious to sec him. in Parliament again arc urging the exKilicral leader to contest the Tattrnngti seat rendered vacant by the death oi Sir William Merries. They believe that other Liberals whose names have been mentioned in connection with the com. test would readily stand aside in favour of Sir Joseph and cordially assist in securing his return. These prospective candidates, however, have not yet I ate n formally consulted on the unit ter, and judging from what happened at the general election, only a little more than two months ago. the present leaders of the Liherttl Party would not lie particularly anxious to intervene. Nor does Sir Joseph Ward hintsi.Jl seem disposed to rush into this contest, or into tiny other contest for the matter of that, precipitately. Nothing was further from his mind than entering the Tiiurniiga fillet when lie expressed his sense of personal and public less at the death of Kir William Merries, and he naturally would feel suit!'' diffidence in opposing with the very next breath, so to speak, the polities lor which the deceased gentleman stood. Mis friends have not yet approached Kir Joseph with a reipiest that he should stand and perhaps on learning of his own feelings in the matte- they ntitv refrain from doing so. Ti! K MOV KKX.M ENT's DILEMMA . .Meanwhile the Government Vs diUiettlties have been furl her aggravated by what has happened. Though Sir William Merries was prevented by illhealth during the last year or two from taking a verv active part in the proceedings of Parliament, he remained one of the most alert and capable of .Mr Massey’s counsellors right u'>

the end. Me was neither a brilliant speaker nor a notable administrator, hut he never doubled lor a moment the righteousness of his own cause or the wav of Ids duly. His personal popularity stood the test of a quarter of a cent ory of public lif" and in it self was it great asset to his party. It was Sir William's personality rather than the it's policy that belli tin; Tsuraiiga seat securely for l’elorm. and with l his gone lhe electors may he

disposed to look at their politics trout another point ol view. With tin's ao.m't added to his need for arlrlit ional iViuii the I .ibertil Part v Ibe Minister' lot It'll a Itappr noiiiicer! Inuiscll a> a ! t'rmcr . i.iiididate for M e scat, standing as a Liberal and as a strong advocate of a farmer's hank, hul it is not yet known whethei 1 or not ho lias the aporoval of the Kxe cut ive of the Liberal-Labour Pitrl.v. I’OLiTK'S \N I> RELIGION". h was ope’dv stated bv the friends of .Mr f.'(’urge Mitchell on Ibe dev lollowing Ihe general election that I lie Independeiil member lor Wellington South lost Ids scat through the I’rotestaut Political Association having publicly named him as one ol it - can didateL The story ws: continued by Mr .Miatehell himself in llf course ol a socecli lie delivered at a Social

given ill Ids liottonr by bis lornier constituents on Eriduy night. "Quite ~;ir|y in the campaign.” Mr Mitchelf said'. "I was asked if lunged to (!„• I’.l’.A. I -v,id "No." The matt(*|. dropped. Ido not think it mis iclovred to again until the day helntv the election, when my name appeured mi the I’.l’.A. thkei. I’enple assumed that I had lied. I want to say thn> it aii;.’ared without m\ kimwleilge and without inv consent.' A- a matter ol lad. Mr .Mitchell, who laid a number of Catholics oil his committee, more than once during the campaign deprecated i lie ini ri duet ion ol religion into the contest. Mr Eorsyth. the Reform member for Wellington Last. was treated in the same way by the IM’-A. after having declined to nave anything to do witdi Its propaganda. and his friends attribute his deleat mainly in the unasked patronage ol the Association.

An; DKI'KNC'K. The efforts of the !!<>ti 11. I’. "’ignun of Christchurch to induce the Covei'imieiit to mi've serious attention to tlie proposal to establish an adequate jukl effect ive oir service m coimeet ion with the defences of the Dominion seems nt Inst to he hearing fruit. At the meeting of the Kxeeutive ol tlie Returned Soldiers’ Association here oil Saturdav the following motion was cnrreiti iinanimotisly. "’Hint a letter he sent to the Minister oi Defence -station; that the Dominion executive, while appreciating the indue ol the increased provision being made for I he eueottr agement of aviation, strongly urges the Coverntneilt to give further eonsiderai ion to the important place ot aviation in the defence system, and to make .till further provision for the training of pilots, observers and mechanics. ;nul that a copy of tin- resolution be forwarded to kindred organisations with a request for their co-opera l ion j, ud support." It is understood the Minister of Defence i- strongly ill favour of the provision of an adequate ■dr force regarding it as toe most ;.| R . ( , m . and cheapest defence within the means of the Dominion, hut. so far he lias been unable to obtain a vote sufficiently large to cover the whole c I Mi WigranTs scheme.