THE FIGHT BEGINS.

Shannon News, 16 March 1923, Page 4

THE FIGHT BEGINS.

SIR JOSEPH WARD AT TAURANGA

TAURANGA, uast Night,

The Tauranga fight has begun m earnest, and from now until the- night of March 28 this contest, the result of, which all New Zealand is awaiting) wilf 4 be strenuously waged. It will be strenuous because the electorate 1 is a large one, and in order to cover it by polling day the candidates will have to do an enormousiarnount' of travelling and speeches will have to be delivered at several places per day. ;■ Sir Joseph Ward reached Tauranga to-day after a somewhat adventurous niotor drive from Te Aroha. He hns been received all along the line with wonderful enthusiasm.' He was at Morrinsville on Wednesday and visited the show, and-it was clear s the people Were delighted to see him. At Te Aroha he was entertained at a big public reception, and the enthusiasm there was quite remarkable. The gathering cheered him to the echo, and ih unmistakable terms expressed the vhope that he would be returned at the head of the poll. Prom Te Aroha he set out that evening for Tauranga, but motor trouble developed en route, and lbng delays by the .wayside induced him to stop for the, night at the township of Hatikati. Quite a number of people had heard that he Would be passing through, and they stayed up till a late hour to cheer him, on his ' way. They gave him a rousing reception, and he had hardly stepped cut of the car when he was met with % request for a new post office. Tauranga was reached early in the afternoon. There was a big crowd waiting and the cheering for Sir Joseph and Lady'Ward lasted some time.. In thanking the people for their reception, Sir Joseph said that he could : not understand why it should be so. It was said that he was really a passing stranger He had come here feel, ing that Tauranga was part of New Zealand, and that he was mart of New Zealand, and if Tauranga was part a£ New Zealand “and he was part of New Zealand, how cbuld his opponents piut him down as a strahger? (Cheers). Sr Joseph added that he was entering the- campaign with a light heart, and to come out of it at the finish with a light heart. (Applause) . If he won he would shake hands with hds opponent, and if he lost he would shake hands with him. (Applause, and crifes of "rou will beat him easily!”) The enthusiasm for Sir Joseph iri Tauranga is unmistakable, and even Reformers express the opinion that the niajority their party had at the genCral defection will be changed to a minority. . ! It is gathered here; that there is same trouble in the Reform cainp owinig to many considering that Mr Macriiillaii is not the chosen candidate of the Reform- section of the community, bit is foisted upon them. My MacMtillan is not a good platform man, and has not the personal following of the lake Sir Wm. Herries.

A striking feature of the campaign sen far as it has gone is the personal popularity of Sir Joseph Ward. An instance which was furnished at Te Aroha will serve to • illustrate this fact. Both Sir Joseph; and..Mjr Massey visited the Te Aroha races, and while the Prime Minister spent , tlie day in Comparative loneliness, Sir Joseph was suirrounded throughout his stay at the coiurse by knots of acquaintances and people anxious to meet him. The at-tention-shown to Sir Joseph by so many of those present was a subject of comment for days afterwards. ’ . Sir Joseph is in splendid speaking form, and his platform work was. never better. He is in excellent health awl great though the task is he has defcided. to visit every portion of the electorate between now and polling daiy. This afternoon an itinerary was mapped out, which covers the whole electorate. While Sir Joseph is shouldering the whole campaign himself, the Reform candidate is by no means single-handed. The Prime Minister and the Hon. J. G-. Coates halve been in the electorate for some dajvs, and it is expected that the Reform fighting force will be reinforced in the course of a few days* It is very evident that the full strength of Reform is being concentrated here.