WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 November 1931, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE PARTY PROBLEM. DIFFICULTIES BY THE WAY. Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, November 17. The task of the United and Reform •leaders in marshalling the Coalition forces for the approaching general election is proving more onerous than they expected it would be when th e y fwst fi et about allotting the respective constituencies on the principle of an equal representation of their respective parties, -rt is not that they have any difference between themselves on the subject. They are going about their difficult job with the utmost harmony, so fiar as the outsider may judge. There is a feeling abroad in some quarters, however, that the Coalition Cabinet has gone a little beyond the practice of previous Governments in selecting candidates for 'the .approaching election without consulting the wishes of the communities immediately concerned. It is maintained by the malcontents that it would have been much better for the constituencies had the life ol Parliament been prolonged for a year than that the Government should bn assured of an overwhelming majority for three years. WAITING OPPORTUNITY.

Two cases of this kind are being specially quoted just now.. At the general election of 1928 Mr A. McLeod, the Minister of Lands in the Massey and the Coates Governments, lost the Wairarapa seat mainly through his devotion to his official duties, and Mr A. A.Me Lachlan, making his first venture in the political arena, reached within forty-five votes of the successful candidate for -Riccarton, after practically conceding sixteen or seventeen hundred votes to Labour. Mr McLeod has stated and reiterated that “as on previous occasions” he would stand as a Reformer and if elected “would support the Coalition Government or any other having a sound policy -aiming at the rehabilitation of New Zealand’s great farming duties.” Mr McLachlan is a younger man than Mr -McLeod, hut in his years has made his way in farming, teaching and law, and, given the opportunity, h e would add very materially to the sound and effective representation of th-i “Wheat Province” in Parliament. LIBERAL AND LABOUR.

Very special interest -seems likely to be taken in the tussle for the Hutt seat- a t the approaching general ©lection. This growing suburb of Wellington was for long a stronghold for Sir Thomas Wilford and the Liberal Party, particularly for Sir Thomas, since he was a good fellow and had b*en born in the place. But when Sir Thomas went to London as High Commissioner —the dream of his life, as he frankly .admitted—his successor in Parliament had to be elected and the Reform organisation saw inn opportunity to shake the Liberal fastness. The contest was not between the Liberal and Labour alo-’.e as it previously had been. A third candidate was placed in the field, a war hero, a King’s Councillor and an acr compli-siied gentleman, who secured just sufficient votes to place the Labour candidate at the head of the poll. Now (United mud Reform together are arrayed against Labour in a solemn compact, and there is speculation as to which way the verdict will go. AGAIN INDEPENDENT. Mr H. Ai-more, the late member for (Nelson and a candidate for the further representation of the most restful of the Dominion's cities, is another figure in the political arena of the counriv commanding passing attention. At the general election of 1929 he stood as an Independent and polled some 2,500 votes over the score of his single opponent, thus earning thp portfolio of Education in the United Government. Now, not having ffiJen included among the five United Ministers constituting one half of the Coalition Government he has returned to the role of an Independent with a suspected leaning towards Labour. Though Mr Forbes could not reasonably retain him as Minister of Education, that portfolio, rightly or wrongly, having been transferred to the Legislative Council, he offered him a specially comfortable, seat in the “other place" which, apparently was abruptly declined. Ths rebuff is much to be regretted. It betrayed -a. spirit of pique which was unworthy of a politician who had been given the fullest opportunity.