The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JUNE 30th, 1924. THE MEMBER FOR WESTLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 30 June 1924, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is incorporated the West Coast Times. MONDAY, JUNE 30th, 1924. THE MEMBER FOR WESTLAND.

With ud the political rumuiirs alloat just ut piosent it is lint without interfst to k*uni that there is a definite statement I'iom Mr 1 . !•>. Y. .Seddon, tliat lie will be a candidate lor the Westland seai when next election comes round. This preliminary announcement "ill oe legurdcd with a Hood deal of satisfaction lor more reasons than one. There is the feeline abroad very geuetally in Westland that the electorate made a very stupid mistake on the last occasion in rejecting Mr Seddon. His defeat was due to a (Oiuhination of causes which need not l e traversed just now. I hey weie palpably clear to all who followed the course of events at the time, and we make take it that all who were responsible for tl’.e undeserved defeat are now much wiser for the experience gained at such cast to the community. The sitting member for Westland has no doubt attempted to do his best. Mr O'Brien was quite unexperienced at the discharge of the duties thrust upon him. To some extent he has striven m-cording to his lights to fill the hill. Many parts of the district, however, must feel that the representative has not done them justice, in that so little has l>een seen or heat'd of him, while his interest in public affairs of local concern has been nil, practically. Mr O'Brien has spent a good deal of hi.s tin - while Member for Westland flitting about the Dominion on business other than that which concerned the people of the Westland electorate. Many of his trips nhrond would not lie countenanced by the general body of electors. and from this we may infer he has proved an unsuitable representative. Tn eases where matters have been brought liefore him, Mr O’Brion appears generally to have been good enough to do what ho could, hut in mast cases he appeared to he rather starting behind scratch, and the handicap was often too much for him to achieve a real measure of success. On the whole it may be said with a good deal of definite assurance that lie has not made good so far ns the general body f s f public opinion h concerned

His shot trainings have manifested themselves in various directions, and it is certain there will he among many sections of the people a demand for a change at the first opportunity. The announcement made by .Air Seildon of kis intentions will, therefore, give a very general amount of satisfaction. It is quite on the cards of course that the next election, like the last, might he a. triangular fight. If so the sitting member will have the best of the deal on the face of things. It just remains to he seen how sincere those folk are who express dissatisfaction with the present representative, and how far they are disposed to comhino to sink personal differences in the mat. ter. The same issue presents itself generally all over the Dominion, hut there seems little doubt if the forces within the electorate opposed to extreme Labor and who fear the advent of that parly to power, rare to consolidate their camps and present a

united front, with ATr S’eddon as the popular candidate, there is no doubt the Westland seat can ho won back from the party now holding it realty onlv on .sufl'crnnee.