WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 October 1925, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THK GKNKKAI. ELECTION

-MINISTER HE AGR KTLTTRI' CHALLENGED.

Special to " Guardian.") WELLINGTON, October 12

The event of the week-end in the election lield is the appearance of a strong Nationalist candidate for the

Ashburton seat in opposition to the Minister of Agriculture. I’ntil the attiiotilieenient was made on Saturday it looked as il the lion. W. Nosworthy'.luck' was sticking to him and thal again he would have an easy task at the polls. Hut Mr If. M. Jones, who contested the seat as a Liberal tlirec years ago and made a very excellent light considering all the circumstances, alter consulting with his friends decided to make way on this occasion for Mr Robert Galbraith, a retired temperance hotel-keeper, who has resided in Ashburton for a number of years ami al present is serving hi- second term as mayor of the borough, lie had a good business training with a stock and station linn before going into business on his own account, when lie mhh-t! to Hie experience of the wage-earner the wider knowledge ol the producer. In his younger dayMr Galbraith was a foremost footballer representing both Otago and Southland at Rugby, and he still lakes a keen interest, in wholesome sport of all kind and remains a recognised authority on the law and the practice of the game lie made his own. AS A POI.ITKTAN.

Though his present distinct ion as tl chosen champion to meet the .Minis!' of Agriculture in the triennial inch was thrust upon him somewhat sin dcnly, Mr Galbraith is by no meat ill-equipped for ihe tas|< he is nude taking. First of all he has the genii

personality and sanguine teiiiperainen w hich wins friends everywhere ami keep then l . Then he is essentially Irani and nraelical. lie will not sat nion than he means, or less, and lie will no lily claim to virtues he does not pus st’s s, l| may lie taken for grantet that he will not he. in a parliuniontitn sense, a good party matt, lie will uol withhold from the Government mix i red it that may lie its due and he will not claim infallibility for hi- own sit It of polities. He confesses a leaning towards ” fusion." but stipulates it. li'.ll-I lie aeeoinpa Ilied bv a reeonslriie I ion ol the ('idunet and a -a He, pro gressive policy m w hich land -el t lenient looms large. He has no laitii in Mr Noswoi l hy’s "absolute control" schemes, believing they present a real peril not only to pnloueers themselves but also in' the community at urge. He sees much that could he ac■omplisli.'il by co-operat ion and orgnusaliou. but nothing Useful that will he ichicfc.l by eonipul-ioii. It I- predict-

ed that this very practical farmer will ■give the Minister the hardest light ol his political life. thi: i.AHori! vote. There alway- is a good deal of loose talk at elcelinii time, and Mr J. A. I.ce. the -itting member lor \mkhiiid I’.a-t. wi.o I- now -eck ne. re-eleel i. m was in no way peculiar ill slating the oilier niglit that l.abom bail "doubled 1 1 - represen la I ion in I’a ilia men I at each election and it - piogie-s i- in • wimble." Taken literally. Mr Lee'assertion, so tar a- n applied to tin elections ~| I PIP and H'22. teas correct : Inn iln imi-!' tin. mem Lit wi-lmd inii in lie nee to !,e ‘ 11 . i i.iii I'tUui'ii I lie-, two anpoals to the elector- Ibe l.abom vote find increased by UMI per cent. This was very far indeed from being the ease. . Tbe Labour vole m IPIP mi? 127.012, and in 1P22. 117 70.'!. an iucrease o| 20.1101. or Hi per cent. Hut the proportion of tbe Labour vote to total vote- of all till’ parties in IP!P was 2.'!.2 per cent, while in 1022 it was 2A.S per cent., an increase ol only d. lima I li per l ent. The !net is that in 1010 Labour, owing to vote splitting with the Liberals, secured only eight seats while Ihe number of it.- vote- entitled it to seventeen or eighteen seats. This was the year ill which ill, Iteformerx with only Pc per rein ol the total votes polled secured II of I licit! Ft 11 open il seats, while the Liberals with Pli.P per cent secured only 22. ami Labour with 2P.2 jut cent only

ffsiox a<;ix. Tin.' *■ Dominion" in its many headhues introducing its special cnri'csponliciil's report nl t!u* Prime Minister's speech nt Pi vert on on Saturday night, proclaims tlmt Mr Contes ” ileail nl 1 1 •11 _r 11 1 with the fusion negot inlions," while | lie coi respondent himself simply sillies llml “ fusion was the subject ol a short reference." Hut whether the riTcrenee was lone or short 1 lie l.iherals here are Well satisfied with the .Minister's summary of what happened during tie negotiations hettveen the two older parties during the reeelTt session. Ilis own proposal, he is reported to have said, was to fttse forthwith settle the different electorates, go to the country as a National party aim ask tin’ electors to return a National Covernmeiil. lie previously had said there could he no reemist ruction of the Cnhinet till niter the election. All this was plain cough and had heen ac eepied. practically, hy the Liberals " Apparently if Mr Coates had lieen allowed to have his own way fusion would have been consummated." sain a member of Llie Opposition this morning. after commending the Prime .Min islet's candour. "Hut .Mr .McLeod the .Minister of I.amis and organiser of the Reform Party, did not approve of the fGovernment committing itself toe far. He wanted to see what the penoral election brought forth. Hence lie insisted that the candidates upon whom, he had placed hi' imprimatur should remain in the field whatever other shape the fusion might take, lie had his way and the negotiations were brought to an end." This seems to he the plain story ol the whole I.u