The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY. OCTOBER 28, 1911.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3360, 28 October 1911, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. SATURDAY. OCTOBER 28, 1911.

For some reason or other there has been a good deal of delay in arranging for the Gisborne seat to be contested. As a matter of fact, it was until yesterday about the only electorate throughout the whole Dominion in respect of which a candidate in opposition to the sitting member had not been definitely announced. Why this should have been the case it is not easy to understand. Sir James Carroll, it is true, has held the seat for a very considerable period ; but this fact must not be overlooked—that new conditions are arising. In the past one of the greatest stumbling blocks in the path of other aspirants for the seat has undoubtedly been the great popularity of the sitting member. During recent years, however, the territorial limits of his electorate have been considerably reduced, and as the result of the rapid growth of the town and immediate district he must now find among his constituents a larger number of new residents who will be prepared to judge him merely on his political views. As we have already remarked, it is therefore astonishing, under the circumstances, that those electors in this district —and they must now constitute a strong force—who are opposed to the Ward Administration, did not take the field against Sir James Carroll, one of its most prominent members, long ago. There can, we feel, be not the slightest doubt that there is in this district—as would appear to be general throughout the Dominion—a strong and growing body of opposition to the present Government. Like the other members of the party which is always proclaiming that its members are the only true exponents of Liberalism in this country, the Native Minister must have been impressed with this fact on the occasion of the general election three years ago. Sir James Carroll, it will be recalled, was in 1908 forced to a second ballot. The real position was that lie could not afford to relax a single effort. It will be of interest to bear this in mind when the Ministerial press of this district trot out the old story that this is one of the safest seats in the Dominion as far as the Government is concerned. For our own part, we are convinced that one or more opponents to Sir James Carroll must invest the contest in connection with this seat with even livelier interest than was the case three years ago. It may, of course, lie said that the delay of other aspirants in making a start with their campaign will militate against then chances considerably. Against this circumstance is the fact, however, that during the past couple of years Sir James Carroll himself has personally been but little in touch with his constituents. As far as the Labor party is concerned, they have in Mr. Anderson a candidate who has shown a dogged determination to be allowed to serve the people in the role of a representative which could not fail to have been generally admired. There can be not the slightest doubt, we should say, that he will be very much more successful in the political arena than he was in his quest for municipal honors. But opposition to Sir James Carroll is almost certain to come from another quarter—the Reform party. We had expected to announce the candidate who will represent the Opposition at a much earlier date, but if a report which lately gained currency is to be fulfilled, there should not be much further delay in the matter. There wilL of course, be plenty of opportunities to discuss the merits and the views of the candidates for this seat. In the meantime we will only say that we feel that the electors in the other parts of the Dominion have a right to look forward to a hard contest here, seeing that the sitting member holds such an important position in the Administration which is now going before the country for the second time. And everybody who is acquainted with Sir James Can'oll knows that he would be one of the last men in the world to expect re-election merely on account of personal popularity. ,

The Cisborne Seat.