TARANAKI ELECTORATE.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 April 1922, Page 7

TARANAKI ELECTORATE.

(To the Editor.) Sir, —It is to be regretted that “Country Reformer” should have written his very indiscreet letter. He should recognise that the Taranaki electorate is overwhelmingly a town one, being five votes to the country’s one, and it is imperative that our candidate should be a townsman. Mr. Bellringer is easily the best in view, even granting that he is a weak candidate. There is no blinking 'the facts that he has changed his party, and has also been defeated on four occasions, and these facts may militate against his success. But there is a possibility of splitting the vote on the other side by a third candidate being induced to stand. The extremists here, though only very few iu numbers, would rtin a candidate if sufficient funds were available, and they think they exercise great influence over their saner comrades in the Labor unions with their glib tongues and incessant posing in - the limelight. It is doubtful if the Unions would find sufficient to assist a candidate whose possibilities of success are hopeless. If there were any means by which their finances could be augmented something might be done. Even with a split vote Mr. Smith would pfobably win. The question is, Would it be worth while to throw away money on. what is at best a very elender chance?—I am, etc., “TOWN REFORMER.”