WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 April 1929, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

BAY OF ISLANDS ELECTION

A SIGNIFICANT RESULT

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, April 11

'l’he result of the Bay of Islands election yesterday is significant enough. At the general election in November, Colonel Bell, the Reform candidate, and Mr H. M. Rushworth, the Country Party candidate, scored practically a tie, the Colonel being credited with 3,849 votes and Mr Rushworth with 3,839, while M.r R. Hornblow, the Lib-eral-Labour candidate polled 351, making a total of 8,039. Yesterday, the Reform candidate who was ready to adjust his politics, for the time being, at any rate, to the United programme, and Mr Rushworth, who already had assisted th(> United Party in defeating Reform, had the field to themselves. Mr Hornblow realising that the second contest was theirs. The result, as it is officially known at the time of writing, leaves Mr Rushworth with 4,209 votes and Colonel Bell with 3,720, giving the former gentleman a majority of 489 which cannot be extinguished by the 300 absent votes still to come. What happened, apparently, was that Mr flornblow’s 351 votes wore transferred to Mr Rushworth and that 130 or 150 of Colonel Bell’s previous votes followed them. ‘"STRENGTHENING THE OPPOSITION.”

In view of tlie outcome ot the Bay of Islands by-election the explanation offered by Mr H. Holland, the member for Christchurch North, for the doleat. of the Reform Party at the recent general election fulls more than a little flat. “As a matter of fact.” a telegraphed summary of an address Mr Holland delivered to the Canterbury branch of the Junior Reform League this week runs, “the party numerically was the strongest in the House and bad a majority of 43.000 votes. Many people thought that the party was too strong and evidently decided that it would be a good idea il the opposition were strengthened. This to his mind was the reason why the party had tern porarily gone down.” Mr 11. Non Ascii, in the role ol candid friend, differed from Mr Holland’s view of the situation. He attributed “ the downfall of the Reform Party ” to its weak knees, its intrusion upon business and its socialistic legislation. Needless to say Mr Holland’s assertion that Reform was numerically the strongest in the House and had a majority of 43,000 votes was simply a figment of a fevered imagination. LAND SETTLEMENT.

The Hon. G. NV. Forbes, the Minister of Lands and Agriculture, has managed to make a fairly comprehensive inspection of the Crown Lands ol the Dominion since lie assumed office some five months ago. and is well satisfied on the whole, with the facilities they offer for extended . settlement. His chief difficulty at the moment is finance. There were many areas of Crown lands up and down the country, he said to-day, which might be brought into profitable occupation by the right kind of men if the Government were in a position to give them a little preliminary assistance. This, lie bad no doubt, would be one of the problems submitted to Parliament during th n approaching session. There was plenty of suitable land available in the country, and well as plenty ol sturdy hand*to tackle it, and it would be the business of the Government to bring tlr two factors together. With that accomplished the country would be well on the way towards surmounting most of its troubles. The Minister was looking forward with confidence to Parliament giving him its assistance in ■formulating his scheme of sound settlement.

MINISTER OK MARINE. The retirement of the Hon. J. G. C’obbe, the Minister of Marine, from the Wellington Harbour Board, on account of his inclusion in the now Ministry, lias drawn from the “Dominion” an “ appreciation ” which is as creditable to the newspaper as it is due to the Minister. “While one must agree with the view that it is undesirable that the Minister of Marine should occupy a position on the Wellington Harbour Board,” the morning paper says, “ it is none tin* less regrettable that the Board should lose* Mr Cobbe’s services. Mr Cobbe has represented a country constituency on the Board for a number of years, and has been a valued member and for a time its chair man. Ho has shown a progressive spirit in harmony with the policy oi

• the premier port of the Dominion, bid at the same time has displayed a pro--1 per measure of caution to ensure as far as possible that progress should lie on sound lines and with due regal'd to future requirements.” It is gratifying J to have such a striking example ol I differences in politics being set aside in appreciation of the individual.