WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1928, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE POLITICAL PARTIES

PROFESSIONS OF CONFIDENCE

(Special to “ Guardian ”.)

WELLINGTON, October 29

The contending political parties have entered upon' another week of the election campaign with reiterated assurances of' the progress-jthey are making -in the constituencies. The Reformers claim to have a bigger majority in view, than the: one they had in the expiring Parliament; the Labour Party is confident it,will be the largest of the three parties in the hew House, and the Unionists have no doubt of holding the balance' of- /power after the polling. 'Lookers-on, who are watching the con■test with no particular leaning towards any of the .parties, however, give the Reformers' a majority of: only eight or ten European votes, compared with . their ’Majority, of/' thirty-two in 1925. This probably is' hearer the mark/than the predictiohs of/ 1 people actively engaged in ;the contest and the Prime Minister'and bis colleagues well might be satisfied with such a substantial advantage with a majority of three Maori seats to fall back upon. The loss of more than one half of its Majority would .do the Government, no harm and pfobably WoUld have a Very wholesome effect upon its administration. INFATUATIONS.

Labour, in the Wellington district at any rate, is securing ,better meetings than are either the Reform or the. Unionists; and the}* ‘ Evening to its credit, is giving it a full share of publicity; but Mr Holland, and most of his ifront-rankers, seem to be bent more upon disparaging their, opponents than they are in making their own case good. They are losing the votes of many disgruntled Reformers and leaaerless Liberals by these tactics and probably their stock is not so good as it was a month or two ago. The Prime Minister himself, by. the way, has made a similar mistake in his own constituency by holding- Labour up to derision when' a little dignified indifference would have served. his purpose better. The unfortunate indisposition of Sir Joseph Ward, at a most unfortunate stage of the campaign, has handicapped the Liberals; but they still may exercise some real influence upon the final decision. The’ inevitable comments are being, maffe upon, the absence of. Reform candidates, in Westland and Hutt; but they do not reflect upon the sitting members.

SIR JOSEPH WARD. The leader of the United Party hopes to get away to the South Island this week, but his arrangements are not yet finally completed. 1 That he is taking a keen interest in the contest in all ipafts of the Dominion ' goes '•■ .without saying. He expresses himself as mheh amused and not at all disturbed/by the criticism that is being levelled against his loan proposal. The prediction pf the Minister of Finance that the credit of the Dominion would disappear in a single night if seventy millions were borrowed appeals to him as a tit-bit. “ What value have we received for the thirty millions the Minister has added to the public debt since the present Government took office,” he asks. “No doubt the work of the Minister would disappear if the finances of the country were put on a sound basis. The muddlement, wastage, and extravagance of the present system would end; but the Dominion and its people would accept their disappearance without regrets.” If Sir Joseph manages to keep his southern engagements he will impart renewed zest to the campaign.,, .