THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, FRIDAY, NOVER, 20, 1914. THE ELECTIONS

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 20 November 1914, Page 2

THE KAIPARA AND WAITEMATA ECHO WITH WHICH IS INCORPORATED "THE KAIPARA ADVERTISER & WAITEMATA CHRONICLE." HELENSVILLE, FRIDAY, NOVER, 20, 1914. THE ELECTIONS

So far as Helensville is concerned, aye, and a few other " safe" places included, re the general elections, the candidates might just as well be as dead as Moses^-for all the" stir they are creating. No one here appears to be the least interested in the great coming event which is to see the Eeform Party returned to power or else the hoisting of the Ward-Social-DemocraticPartyon the throne of glory—if there be any glory in it. Talking this matter over with a Reform and a Liberal adherent recently, both gentlemen put down the apparent lack of interest in' election matters to the war, to which our Editor disagreed. Let us take our neighbours, the Bay of Islands electorate, as an example, where the contest between Dr Buck (Liberal, and Messrs Vernon Reed (present Reform Member), and Geo. Wilkinson (the old Reform and consistent candidate), who are waging a political war to the bitter end. But this is all Massey's Fault, who stands to lose the Bay of Islands seat, which, to our way of looking a gift horse in the mouth, is an absolute gift to Dr Buck, and, therefore, the Liberal Party. Last election Reed, then a staunch Wardite, polled 2671 votes, against Wilkinson, the consistent Reform candidate, who polled 2488, or 183 under. Since then, as we all know, Reed turned his coat, and in the face of the Bay of Islands Reform League (boast£*ig a very large body of members), deciding through its various delegates from Whangarei boundary to the North Cape to support, in council assembled and at which Mr Massey was in attendance, Wilkinson's candidatureship, notwithstanding the fact that the latter, when asked, announced his willingness to stand down if the Council decided in favour ot Reed, and' also the fact that he had been offered a seat in the Upper House and Reed would "throw up the sponge " twelve months hence, if he (Wilkinson) would stand down, he is now in the field, Reed stating whether the League supported him or not, he would contest the election. Now on the top of all Massey has declared Reed to be the Government candidate. Thus —"I am the King!" And to crown all, our good old " Luminary " of Kawakawa, has the dictatorial effrontery[to appeal to the electors who profess to be Reformers to vote for Reed because Massey says so, and Reed a Reformer of a couple of years only, while Wilkinson, a Reformer all his life, should stand down out of the way. Now, the electors who stand for Reed to-day and Reed himself are no more true Reformers that our old Gat's grandmother, They are simply Reedites and Reed. The old Wilkinsonites should and will stick to him. But for all that Dr Buck creeps in between, and it will serve Massey right for interfering with the vote of the Reform League delegates.