BAY OF ISLANDS BY-ELECTION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVII, Issue 14, 17 May 1915, Page 2

BAY OF ISLANDS BY-ELEC-TION.

LIBERAL CANDIDATE CHOSEN. SPEECH BY SIR JOSEPH WARD. Pek Thess Assooiaxicn. Auckland, May 16. Mr C, C. Meuzies, of Rnwen? Uokianga, Ims been chosen* us the Liberal candidate for the Hay oi !;'- lands by-election.' He was Ijoru in Scotland and came to the Dominion at an early age. He is well-K.iown in the North, having been engineer in charge of the Northern Road District forU enty-five years and county engineer for Hokianga for twelve yea is. Me is sixty-five years old.

I The Leader of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, addressed a public meeting at Kaikohe last night, and rewijved a favourable hearing. The i•a 11 'was crowded. Sir Joseph reviewed i!.e present political position in the Doinin. ion and referred to the by-election that Uvas to take place in the Bay of Islands. The selected Opposition candidate. Mr C. C. Menzies, was one of the old colonists to whom New Zealand

owed so much. The Liberal party were proud of the support of such men. The regret was that they were engaged in elections at all at the present juncture. Against his wishes, a general election was held, and six months after they were still engaged in fighting elections instead of exerting every atom of the country's strength in prosecuting the war and minimising its attendant evils. Referring to the position in the Dominion, he would ask them if they were satisfied with the position. Regarding the cost of living in this country, the Commission that had been set up by the Government for the purpose of controlling prices had always acted too late to protect the people. They locked the stable door when . the

steed was stolen. The Commission had done comparatively nothing in order to have prices of necessities regulated in the interests of. the masses of the people. Sir Joseph stated his Imperial creed as one great Lmperial Fleet, one glorious flag flying over one British Empire, under one King. At the conclusion of his epeeech the Leader of the Opposition was accorded a , vote of thanks and confidence wthout la dessentient voice.