PARTY PROSPECTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIII, Issue 1075, 28 November 1911, Page 2

PARTY PROSPECTS.

STATEMENT BY SIR

J. WARD

Auckland, Nov. 26

The Leader of the Government is confident that his party will be successful at the general elections. Discussing the prospects ot the Reform Party on Friday, the l.t.ulei nt the . imposition (Mr W. F. Masse}., 1 sailed that, judging trom bis information, there are no fewer than 24 Government seats in danger, while there are only five Opposition seats that can be regarded as doubtful. Commenting on this estimate this afternoon, Sir Joseph Ward said that, as a general principle, a party leader does not give out the expected results in detail prior to a general election. “i am quite satisfied, ” be continued, “ that the information obtained by the Leader ol the Opposition must either be from a very unreliable source, or else buoyed up with false hope to convey a favourable impression to excite the sympathy and support of places that are in doubt. From the information 1 have received, I can say that if 24 Government seats are in danger, then upon that basis of assumption all the Opposition seats are in greater danger. I think that will be found to be about as accurate as the information Mr Massey has received from the source to which be refers, lu the ordinary course we must wait until after election day to learn who is more correctly informed. My own opinion is that we are going to win some seats from the Opposition at the present elections.”