MAORI ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 228, 26 September 1930, Page 5

MAORI ELECTION.

UNITED MAN FAVOURITE. VOTE-SPLITTING PROBABLE. FACTORS AFFECTING CAMPAIGN. Interest in the election to be held in the Western Maori elect-orate on October 8 to fill tlie vacancy in the House of Representatives caused by the death of Sir Maui Ngatata Pomare is heightening, and the chances of the three candidates in the field are being discussed freely bv members of the native race.

Those seeking Parliamentary honours are Messrs. Taite te Tomo (Reform), Pei te Hurinui Jones (Independent) an 4 Tahu Rat an a (United), and the feeling is that factors are at work that will swing the voting in favour of the United

The Independent Mr. P. T. H. Jones.candidate's possibilities of victory are regarded as remote, though it is considered that he will play a big part in the election in a vote-splitting capacity. He is not expected to rob Tahu Batana of a great many votes, but on the other hand, being an energetic young man of the modern school of thought, he is likely to jeopardise the chances of the Reform nominee, who is of the older school. Maoris consider it significant that Sir Apirana Ngata, United M.P. for the Eastern Maori electorate, has changed his front so far as the Ratana movement is concerned. Several elections ago, thev say, he was directly opposed to Pvatanaites, and he practically ignored the Maori •'"Prophet." Now, however, a Batana has been accepted as a United candidate, and factions formerly opposed to him are friendly.

"It appears that the Independent candidate is being used, quite innocently, as a catspaw to split the Reform vote," said a prominent Auckland Maori this morning in discussing the election prospects. "Hence the position is such that neither Jones nor Taite te Tomo has a chance of being. elected. The United vote will go to Tahu Ratana, while the followers of the Ratana movement—it is a very big following—will also support him. Undoubtedly Ratana is the favourite so far."