WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 November 1931, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS

J COALITION GOVERNMENT. * PERILS OF APATHY. Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON, November 24. The nominations tor the seventy-six European seats in the House of -Representatives to be determined on Wednesday of next week cannot be altogether satisfactory to the promoters ol the Coalition Government, who have been counting upon such a majority as the one which befel the .Imperial Government only a few weeks ago. Pretty compliments have been paid to the Hon. E. A. Ransom, the Ministei of Landsj the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, the Minister of Defence and Justice; Mi W. J. Broadfoot, the member for War toino, and Mr K. S. Williams, the member for Bay of Plenty on being returned to the House without going through the tiresome ordeal of a contest; but many of the remaining members of last Parliament are threatened with keen contests. There are fortj Reform Coalitionists required to pass through the test and twenty-seven United Coalitionists, while fifty-six Labour candidates and some two score Independent Reform and United 'candidates are on the list with a few odds and ends making up a total of 189 ascompared with the 212 aspirants ot three years ago, Peril of Apathy, At the election of 1928 there were two candidates ip each of twenty six ‘constituencies, three in each of forty and four in each of ten. At the approaching election there will be two candidates in each of forty-one constituencies ; three in each of twenty-four; five in each of four, and four in each of five, while four seats, as alreary indicated, will be uncontested. The trend in the present contest obviously has been towards lessening tbe number of candidates. The “Evening Post” in reviewing tbe situation, declares that the only peril of the situation is the apathy of a public which does not fully recognise the gravity of the position. “Individuals and groups,” it says, “have declined to follow the lead which would at once hav© assured, victory. . . . The call that was given to parties must now be addressed to the electors. The issue is in their hands. The United elector, with no United can didate to support, may neglect vote for Reform ; the Reform elector, with no Reform candidate, may leave if t : United.” The peril could not be better expressed. Country Not FJarty. Whether or not it was a wise move on the part of the Coalition Government to prescribe that sitting United and Reform members - in - the' late Par-- - linment should have the first nomination for the new one, is still a, matter of more or less heated controversy without any profitable conclusion being achieved. It is plain, too, that then are people of consequence who by n ' means are satisfied with the Government’s dictation. Sir John Luke, for instance, has joined in the contest foi the Wellington North Scat, an Independent Coalitionist by force of circumstances, where Mr G. A. Troup the nominated Reform Coalitionist, is opposed by Mr C. H. Chapman, who wrested the seat from Sir John thre< years ago and since then lias borne tinflag of Labour with considerable credit. Then there is the Hon. A. D. McLeod, another victim of the Reform debacle of 1.928,- bearing the roll of Independent Reform in opposition to Colonel T W. McDonald, who, carries the bad"' of Coalition in tbe Wairarnpa constit uency for both United and Reform. There are quite a score of constituencies throughout the Dominion in somewhat similar plights. Labour’s Part. In the Wellington city and suburbai constituencies Labour seems likely P do at most no more than hold its owi in the approaching election. Af Wellington Central Mr Peter Fraser,_whr in 1928 secured the largest vote in tin Dominion will barely retain his distir ction, and is sure to lose ground, to hi? three opponents. With no vote split ting Mr TV Forsyth should recover Wellington East for Reform and the Coalition Government, and Mr R, A Wright, meeting the Labour and Unit ed candidates in the Wellington Suburbs constituency, on the same terms as he did in 1928 should at least re tain the distinction of a. minority victory. Mr R. McKeen Ims established himself so firmly in Wellington South that Mr W. Appleton, making his first appearance in the role of a politician will find it a difficult task to outvote him. If the Reformers' come to fir assistance of Mr J. Kerr, the CoalitioUnited candidate for Hutt, he should poll a, fair margin- against Mr W Nash, the Labour candidate; but failing their assistance the tussle will h< a- verv_ close one with the margin tending towards the better platform speaker.