PAHIATUA BY-ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1916, Page 8

PAHIATUA BY-ELECTION.

(By Our Special Correspondent.) Wellington, August S. The success of the Reform candidate in the Pahiatua by-election seems to be ] generally as a foregone conclusion. The I Reformers had a substantial majority i t th?. general election, and their candidate on this occasion has the endorsement of the heads of the National Government, in terms of the agreement that Libera] "and Reformers would not fight one another at ■any by-election arising from the death or retirement of a member of either party during the war period. But the Labor members are taking their candidate seriously, and insist that he is going to poll well. Mr. fi. D. Maefarlane, who has been selected to carry the banner of Labor, is reputed to be a fairly good speaker, and a man of moderate opinions as contrasted with the extremists of his party. It is stated that some of the Pahiatua Liberals will refuse to follow their party leader on this occasion, but there is an Independent Liberal to catch their votes. The members of the National Government will be disappointed, and perhaps a little startled, if the official candidate does not secure an overwhelming majority, and the chief interest of the by-election may lie along that line. A "minority win for the Reformer in tliis triangular contest would give the National Ministers food for thought.