NEXT THURSDAY'S POLL.

THE AUCKLAND CONTESTS. ", ; CANDIDATES AND PARTIES.:.'. .'.<>;';/ ' " " •*!«?-«« candidates have been nominated lr the 20 electoral districts which are com&ed' in the Auckland province. Three years ago there were 52 candidates in the 1& districts- .■'■-•„.', There will be no contest in Gisborne, for .'. which sir James Carroll has boon returned j unopposed. Of the candidates for the disputed scats, 20 are standing as supporters . of the Government, 16 as Oppositionists,! tight 83 Independents, two as Labourites, two-a* Socialists, and, one as a Liberal-Labour-Ko-license candidate, and one | .specially in the No-license interest. In 11 i districts there are contests between'two' .- / .candidates only ; in eight instances the duel -j$ between Government and Opposition; in •two others a Government and an Independ- '' ent candidate ave seeking the seat; and in the remaining one the contest is between; •''■ a " 'Government candidate and a Labour-! V 'Prohibitionist. There are three candidate* | in five districts, four in two others, and j five in the remaining one. j ""* The- contests in the three Auckland city j electorates havo been greatly overshadowed j | by, the Paniell . fight. The late member j -; t javing retired. Sir John Findlay, a member j • of the Government and lately leader of the | •- '"legislative. Council, is seeking from the electors of Parnell the right to sit in the J ■.'y: parliament of the country as an accredited ■ representative of- tho people. Ho is op-1 posed by Mr. J. S. Dickson, an Indepdnd- : . nt, who is ' the - official candidate of 'the ; -JRaform party. Mr. M. J. Mack's-candi- j :-difture in the Labour interest baa been v '; greatly obscured by the turmoil of the ; 'party strife around him. ' ,•" The Reform party has taken no part in j the contest in Auckland Central. The j earliest candidate in the field was Mr. J. .-■ . C.' Glceson, an Independent, with symIP pathies for the Government. For some time Mr. A. E. Glover (Government), tho i ,-representative, in the last Parliament, conducted his campaign in a most nnosten- j Utiotis manner, but he has. now brought ; himself before the public by speeches and . 1 advertisements. Mr. M.. J. Savage, a . Socialist, and Mr. W. Richardson, who entered -the arena at the last moment, are the other combatants in this quadrangular . bout. • c There is a keen duel in progreso in Auckland st between Mr. C. li. Poole (Government), the late member, and Mr. J. H. =.JSrsdncy (Oppositionist). Tnree years ago, iMr. Poole had only one opponent. •'-■'■■ • ,' -In Auckland East, Mr. A. M. Myers, the 1 Government candidate, is being opposed, in , his appeal for re-election by Mr. ? Arthur j.Withy, ; a candidate of Liberal-Labour and Prohibition views. The principal issue ' in ibis contest is the liquor question. •In Grey Lynn, the Hon. G. Fowlds, un- '-■■■» til ; recently a member of the Government, •'is reeking . re-election .as a supporter of • the party. He is opposed by Mr. W. H. ■Murray, r tho Eofonn party's candidate,' and ' Mr. J. Payne,* a Labour candidate, who ■', JVi' gained some prominence in the contest. • In Waitemata, the Reform party's can- . didate for the seat vacated by * Mr.. L. R. Phillipps is Mr. A. Harris. Mr. E. W. Alison, jun., <n Independent-Oppositionist, j ' and. Mr. W. J. Napier, the Government : ' candidate, are also participating in the contest. \ , • ■ ' ''*• The member for ; Manukau in the last ■ Parliament was Mr. F. W. Lang: (Opposition). > His candidature is opposed by. Mr. ■ It D.*" Stewart (Government) and Mr. J. 'B. Morton (Independent). ' ;.- " I 'v.'There are five candidates in the new district of Raglan.- The-accredited candidate of the Reform party is Mr. R. F. Bollard. • Mr. W. Duncan and Mr. J. C. Drom- ' gool support the -Government, Mr. Allen Bell is an Oppositionist, and Mr. Basil ■ Hewitt an Independent. "■'-■' ' * There is a triangular contest in Kaipara between Mr. J. Stallworthy (Government), th'e'late member; Mr. E. T. Field • (Opposi- . tion), and Mr. R. J. S. Coates (Indepen- ■ dent). ' ' ...In all the other districts in the Auck- ; ' land' province the contest is a straight-out "one between the representative in the last C Parliament and one other candidate.