THE BY-ELECTION

LYTTELTON SEAT

POLLING ON SEPTEMBER 13

THREE CANDIDATES

September 13 lias been, fixed as the clato of the Lyttolton by-olection to fill the vacancy caused by tlio death of Mr. James McCombs. The- Acting Prime Minister (tho Bt. Hon. J. G. Coates), who is temporarily in charge of the Electoral Department, stated today that tho writ for tho by-election would be issued on Monday next. The roll would close at 6 p.m. on that day, and no further names could be added after that date to tho roll which would be used for the by-election. Mr. Coates added that nominations would closo at noon on Monday, August 28, and polling day had been fixed for Wednesday, September 13. Three candidates have now been announced to contest tho election of a successor to Mr. McCombs, who held tho scat in the Labour interest from 1913 until tho time of his death. Mi". F. W. Freeman, who was tho Coalition candidate at the General Election and finished within 32 votes of Mr. McCombs, has been accepted as the official Coalition candidate. In a joint statement issued last evening by the Acting Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) and the Minister of Lands (tho Hon. E. A. Eansom), who is the senior United Minister in New Zealand at present, it was stated that the Reform and United party executives of Christchurch had forwarded a unanimous recommendation that Mr. Freeman should be the Coalition candidate. Mr. Coates and Mr. Eansom state that' they have pleasure in endorsing Mr. Freeman as the official candidate. A Press Association message from Christchurch states that Mrs. Elizabeth E. McCombs, widow of the late Mr. McCombs, 'was last night selected as tho official Labour candidate. The message also states that Mr. E. L. Hills has been announced as an Independent Labour candidate. Mr. Freeman was born in Christchurch in 1881, and was educated at the Sydenham School and the Christchurch Boys' High School. After serving a term in a legal office, he joined the Canterbury Lands and Survey Department, where he was for four years, and served a year in the Cfiristchurch Magnetic Observatory. After three years of surveying and engineering training, Mr. Freeman began practice as a civil engineer and surveyor in Christchurch. In public life lie is a commissioner of tho Waimakariri Eiver Trust, and f eproscnts the Cashmere riding on the Heathcote County Council. He is a former president of the Canterbury Automobile Association, a member of the executive of the South Island Motor Union, and a director of the S.I.M.U. Insurance. Mr. Freeman is on the executive of the Canterbury Progress League, the council of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce, and the _ Arthur's Pass National Park Board. 1 Mrs. Elizabeth Reid McCombs was born at Kaiapoi and educated at the West Christchurch District High School and the Christehurch Girls' High, School. • At the last election Mrs. McCombs contested the Kaiapoi seat, polling only 236 votes less than the successful candidate. She is,regarded as one of the most capable women in the Labour Party in New Zealand. For seven years Mrs. McCombs held the office of secretary to the Children's Aid Society. She has served on the Chiistchurch City Council for eleven years, and has been a member of the Hospital Board for seven years, and a member of the Christehurch Tramway Board for four years. On the Hospital -Board she has interested herself in the well-being and comfort of the patients in hospital and has been active in furthering the benevolent work of the board. Sho has also been a willing worker in the interests of the hospital nurses, keeping touch with their conditions of work and eager to make improvements. Mr. E. L. Hills has held positions in tradet, unions in Christchurch, but severed his connection with the Labour Movement recently.