PATEA BY-ELECTION

Taranaki Daily News, 21 March 1921, Page 4

PATEA BY-ELECTION

TRIANGULAR CONTEST. LABOR TAKES A HAND. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Hawera, Saturday. The selection of Mr. E. Dixon (Mayor of Hawera) by* the Reform Party was a foregone conclusion when it became known that Mr. J. B. Murdoch had definitely declined to put his name in the hat. Probably Mr. Murdoch showed

good judgment, as he has his hands pretty full at present, and to become a member of Parliament would have meant piling up additional trouble and work at a time which is generally recognised us pretty difficult.

The other aspirants were given a fair run, even Mr. Pearce, who few thought would have desired to venture into the political arena again. Several liked Mr. Clutha Mackenzie’s chances after his great fight against the Hon. A. M. Myers in Auckland in 1919. Tn deciding upon Mr. Dixon, however, th,e party have obviously done the wise thing. He is a decided force in local public I'fe, and his political convictions run on the same lines as those of the late member. Though in some quarters he will meet with opposition from previous supporters of the Government, he will greatly gain by his close connection with the prohibition party and the non-conform-ist churches. Colonel Macdonald, not having received the Reformers’ support, has decided not to contest the seat, and has returned to the south.

Labor promises to take a prominent hand in the contest. It has little chance of winning, but this faxit has not deterred. Qie party from choosing a candidate to again queer the pitch of the Liberal candidate, who, his supporters claim, wpiiid have won last time but for Labor splitting the Opposition vote. There was a gathering of Labor supporters on Friday evening, Mr P. Fraser (M.P. for Wellington Central) being the guiding hand. Two candidates were nominated. One was Mr. Leo Sim, of Stratford, and formerly of Hurford Road, New Plymouth, a returned soldier, who has read Carl Marx and sincerely believes he has discovered the only sure and quick way of reaching the industrial milleninm, and is anxious to show it to h : s less fortunate and enlightened fellows. The other candidate was Mr. L. Mcllvride, who carried Labor’s banner at the last Wanganui election. The latter got the verdict, which, perhaps, is just as well for Mr. Sim, who magnanimously assured the meeting that he would throw in his weight on behalf of his successful comrade.

Mr. Fraser announced that lie would stay in the district for a fortnight, and bring up all the heavy artillery Labor possessed, in the persons of Comrades Holland, McCombs, Howard, etc., and turn it on ‘‘every corner and cranny of the electorate.”

The Reform Party, it may be stated, 'are not perturbed by Labor’s interposition; on the contrary, they rather welcome >t. But the Liberal Patty take a different view, and are already looking for bricks to hurl at Labor for what they regard as a body-blow to Mr. Mor-

The writ is expected to be issued early in the week, and it is returnable within three weeks. The Prime Minister has sent the following telegram to Mr. Dixon: “I congratulate you very heartily upon being selected as the Government candidate for the Patea seat at the forthcoming by-election, and I hope to be able to congratulate you later on being returned to Parliament by a good majority, as I feel certain that you will worthily represent the of the district in the Legislature of the Dominion. I am quite sure no better man could be selected to follow in the footsteps of the late member. I send you my best, wishes.” /

Mr. Dixon announces that he will meet friends and supporters at the Foresters’ Hall, Hawera, to-night at 7.30, and at Tokaora to-morrow, whilst he will meet ladies at the Presbyterian Hall to-mor-row at 3 p.m.