OTAGO SEATS

WHAT ARE PROSPECTS?

MUNRO "BOMBSHELL"

XE, STEWART'S POSITION

(By Telegraph.) (Special to the "Evening Post.")

DUNEDIN, This Day.

The dramatic disclosures by Mr. J. j<■ W. Munro, Labour candidate for Dunedin North, of a plan to deal with moneyed interests should they offer resistance to the policy of Labour, together with threats in other directions, came as a bombshell even to many of his own supporters, who consider^ he would have been better advised to have brought it up after, provided Labour has a majority, than before the election. Now that the cat is out of the bag, tongues are beginning to wag, and many of those electors who were inclined to waver are putting on their thinking caps. , ; Nevertheless,, Labour still seems to have a good chance of winning three seats—Dunedin North (Mr. Munro), Dunedin Central (Mr. Neilson), and Dunedin South (Mr. Jones)—as against two last time. Keen interest continues to be taken in Dunedin West, which promises to be a close fight between the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, Independent Nationalist, and Dr. D. G. McMillan, Labour. Mr. Stewart had a majority of over 900 at the last election, but his Labour opponent on that occasion was not seriously considered. This time his opponent is one of the ablest members of the Labour Party, though a comparatively new resident in the electorate, having come from the Kurow district. Like all other candidates opposed to Labour, Mr. Stewart has had stormy meetings, but has never failed to imL press. His campaign has been well organised, and despite his physical disability he has hardly missed a night . addressing electors. The result will be I close, but the great silent vote in this p electorate should turn the tide in Mr. Stewart's favour. t Mr. Jones's return for Dunedin . South is assured. His majority against . an ex-Minister (Mr. ,W. B. Taverner) ' .at last election was over 3600. Con--1 sidering his youth, Mr. T. K. S. Sidey, - Nationalist, is putting up a good showi\ ing and has made an impression which should assist him in the future. 1 Mr. D. C. Cameron, Nationalist, who - is opposing Mr. Neilson for Sir Charles i Statham's old seat, stood for Dunedin s South four years ago, when he was J third to Mr. Jones and Mr. Taverner. - He should do much better on this c occasion, but Mr. Neilson went close r to victory last time against a stronger opponent, and there is no reason why c he should not poll a larger number of y votes next Wednesday. Mr. Wren, s- Independent,-will.take very few votes c from either. d Dunedin North is the only other tris angular contest, with Dunedin's first s woman candidate, and between the c two, Mrs. Black, Democrat, and Mr. 0 Falconer, Nationalist, Mr. Munro '- should slip in by a fair majority. Z BOLD BID FOR CHALMERS. •s Labour is also making a bold bid a- for Chalmers. Last time 'Mr. A. E, »1 Ansell, Nationalist, was returned only p by a small majority, and his re-election c is today uncertain. Mr. Campbell, Labour, is going tc ;o poll very heavily at Port Chalmers, ;e Green Island, and probably Mosgiel it and the farmers arc the only ones tc save Mr. Ansell. The most interesting contest is Clutha, which has never yet returnee a Labour candidate. The party i; represented by a shrewd campaignei in the Rev. E. T. Cox, Mayor o1 Dunedin. but whether he will be abh to persuade the farmers in particulai to vote against Mr. Roy, Nationalist and a resident of the district foi years, is doubtful. It should be « close contest. ■Mr. W. A. Bodkin has always hac )c j strong support in Central Otago, am o though opposed by Mr. Edie, one o '" the best candidates Labour could havi 5y chosen for this electorate, he should b( it- returned. re For Oamaru, Mr. J. A. Macpherson j s Nationalist, is expected to be returnet .' by a small majority, while the Hoh u~ J. Bitchener, Nationalist, is safe foi Waitaki. o- SOUTHLAND CONTESTS. ■ a" In Southland, four are standing fo ~~ the Invercargill seat, whicu is reall; °T a toss up, with Mr. W. McChesney *, Liberal, and Mr. Gordon Reed, Demc , crat. having the best chances. At ttv , c last election Mr. McChesney ran a gooi *° second to Mr. Hargest, who this tim °f is contesting Awarua, where he is hay v" ing a hard fight against Mr. Neiderev , Democrat, but the ex-Invercargil member should win this seat with a bi 10 to spare. ey The Hon. A. Hamilton also has tw I} V opponents for Wallace, but he won s easily last time and still has such strong following that he has little t "2 fear. ty For Mataura, Mr. T. Golden, Natior J w alist, is again contesting the sea ;re against Mr. D. McDougall, now an Ii ; dependent, who beat him at the la; ' as election by over 900 votes, and wh ln will again be hard to beat.