291 CANDIDATES

NOMINATION FEATURES

Candidates nominated for the General Election on September 25, a list of whom was given in "The Post" yesterday, total 291. They comprise 270 candidates for the 76 European seats and 21 for the four Maori seats. The total is believed to be a record for New Zealand. In 1938 the number of candidates was 176, in 1935 it was 265, in 1931 the number was 189, and in 1928 the total was 212.

Apart from the number of candidates, there are other features about the nominations. In 1938 there was a straight-out issue between National and Labour in 64 electorates. There was no large third party in the field at that election or anything like the number of Independents or other candidates -that there were in 1935 when Labour was first returned as the Government. For this election Democratic Labour provide a substantial third party with over 50 candidates. The People's Movement, Real Democracy Movement, and an Auckland organisation, the Fighting Forces League, also have candidates in the field, and in addition there ar.e a number of straight-out Independents without any label.

The Labour Party and the National Party each have 77 candidates. The only seats which Labour is not contesting are Awarua, Mataura, and Nelson. The sitting members, Brigadier J. Hargest (who is interned in Switzerland following his escape from a prisoner of war camp in Italy) and Captain T. L. Macdonald. both Nationalists, have been re-elected unopposed for the Awarua and Mataura seats. The Nelson seat is held by the Independent (Mr. H. Atmore). The National Party has not nominated- candidates for Ka'ipara, Palmerston North, and Buller.

. Democratic Labour has 52 candidates and the People's Movement" or Independent Group has nominated 25. Among the ten women candidates' nominations are three who were'in the last Parliament —Mrs. C. Stewart (Wellington West), Mrs. M. M. Dreaver (Waitemata), and • Miss Mabel Howard (Christchurch East). The women represent various political interests, and five of them are seeking election to Auckland metropolitan seats.

In contrast to the position at the last election, there will be straightout contests in only 13 electorates on this occasion. For all other seats, except Awarua and Mataura, there are three or more candidates, with the record number of nine for Northern; Maori.

[Mr. P. te H. Jones and Mr. M. Peka, candidates for Western Maori, were described in the nomination list published yesterday as "Independent Labour." They' should have ' been "Unofficial Labour."]