THE BY-ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 290, 17 May 1915, Page 8

THE BY-ELECTION.

LIBERAL CANDIDATE CHOSEN. SPEECH BY SIR JOSEPH WARD. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Auckland, Last Night. Mr. 0. C. Men/.ics, of Rawene, Hokianga. has been chosen as the Liberal candidate for the Hay of Islands byelection. He was born in Scotland and came to the Dominion at an early ag.. He is well known in the North, having been engineer in charge of the Northern Road District for twenty-live years and county engineer tor Hokianga for twelve years. He is sixty-five years old. The Leader of the Opposition, Sir Joseph Ward, addressed a public meeting nt Kaikobe last night, and recjived a favorable hearing. The hall was crowded. Sir Joseph reviewed the present political position in the Dominion and referred to the by-election that was to take place in the Bay of Islands. The selected Opposition candidate, Mr. C. (.'• Meuzics, 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 th.< 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 Do minion, he would ask them if they were satisfied with the position. Regarding the cost of living in this country, the Commission that had been sot 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 ill the interests of tlii' masses' of the people. Sir Joseph stated bis Imperial creed as one great Imperial Fleet, one glorious (lag flying over one British Empire, under on" King. At the conclusion of his speejb the' Leader of the Opposition was accorded a vote of thanks and confidence without a dissentient voice.