THE BYE-ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 59, 1 May 1907, Page 2

THE BYE-ELECTION.

Wlut is of move immediate concern (o (lie eleciors of 1 In 1 Tarniialci electorate is tile forf hcoming bw-eleci ion, rendcr--1 Cil necessary by til'.' Ill) fol'U'.na t c demise »f till' lull' member. Mr. JO. 11. Smith. It is indeed ji healthy sign thil so great mi ill! has II llV;:;iy IjCi'll 111'OUsed, be- . tokening nil interest in ] hiJj]i<' mailers I hilt we were almost in-lined—basing our judgment oil the recent Borough Council ;mtl Mayoral eleclioiis-lo regret was almost nou-e\isteut. Supporters of the Liberal party have reason to lie grateful to 111- two gentlemen, Aiessrs. Smith an,l licllringer, whose names hail been lively mentioned as candidates, and who. rather than jeopardise the chances of the dovernnlenl retaining the seat, magnanimously declined noniiuation, retiriiiji trom the contest in favor of the parlv's nominee, Mr. 10. Doehrill. From the outset we were eoulideiit that such would he the case, and that no more than three contestants would go to the poll. Although even now there is not to he a straight-out issue liehveon followers of the two main political parties, there need lie no conllict of political inlerests. Mr. Dockrill is in the field as a supporter of the (lovernniciit. with certain clear and deliued reservations. Ur. llalone is in the Jield as an Independent Liberal, and no doubt will to-night clearly dcline how far Independence carries him from the general policy of the Coverniuenl. Ifr. Okey, whose views are presumably those, so far as (hey went., dearly outlined by the Leader of the Opposition on Monday night, represents the Opposition interests, (.'outran - to the expressed wish of a speaker at Mr. Jlasscy's meeting, that the (iovernment should run a leasehold (otherwise a Land Bill) candidate against the freehold nominee of the Opposition, the issue at lliis election is not to lie fought on (he freehold-leasehold basis. The (lovermncnt. whether or not they wish it, are fortunate in that none of the candidates are prepared to give more than a very ipialilicd endorsement (o (he provisions of the Land Hill. I'ntil Mr. Okey has spoken, we are unawaic whelh.T la l disagrees a( all with the view-, of Mr. Mu-:-ey. Mi, Uoekrill is in favor of (lie optional (enure, but. while opposed to the whole of the remaining Crown estate being converted into endowments, is in fm-or of n reasonable area being set aside to relieve direct taxation for the purposes of meeting the Stale's obligaliolis. particularly in regard t" the growing burden of old age pensions. We understand thai Mr. Ihilonc's views oil (he laud question, so far as the above provisions an- concerned, practically coincide with (hose of Mr. Dockrill. To sum up, the whole of the issue, so far as (Ik; Laud Tiill is concerned in this by-election, is, reasonable endowments for old age pensions, education. and hospital purposes, or no endowments. The result of the election, under these circumstances, depends, to a large extent, on the attitude of the great silent vote—that of the unobtrusive ; worker.