The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1931. THE NEXT PARLIAMENT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 253, 26 October 1931, Page 6

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, The Echo and The Sun.

MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1931. THE NEXT PARLIAMENT.

For the came that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance^ Wq* tilt f*Atll T £ IS* • tfig d:i?td&C£ And the good that toe c%n da.

The United and Reform * Parties having agreed to go to the country within a few weeks as a Coalition, it remains, for the party, organisations to make the best arrangements possible to ensure ' the return of Coalition candidates. Obviously it is not going to be the easiest of. taslcs. ' Sitting members naturally consider that they have first.call on the support of their own party organisation and of the Coa|ition,-but there are aspirants who believe that they could win seats and provide,- a more .competent 'representation. There are the Ministers and private members who were .rejected at the last election, some of them by small majorities. And there are constituencies in which both United and Reform have already chosen candidates to oppose sitting Labour members. #In some cases it will be difficult to reduce contests to a straight-out duel between Coalition and Labour, but since the issue at the election is whether the Coalition policy shall be approved and the Government given a mandate to get on with its job in this national emergency, every effort must be made.' That the country is burdened Avith* a bad electoral law makes it all the more necessary that the strength of the Coalition vote should be concentrated oh one candidate'in each contest. -':;.':

It has been contended that occupation of a seat should not by itself confer a right, to Coalition -nomination; that, in the public interest, a sitting member should give way to a better man.- In principle this is perfectly sound; and "no one" would suggest that every present member of our House is the best man available. In .practice, however, it is extremely difficult —indeed, well-nigh' impossible—to displace a sitting member as a party nominee if he insists on standing. He is the-man in possession, and is not at all disposed to admit that he couldbe improved upon. He can argue that he won the seat,, and ask if there is any certainty that another, candidate would do as well. -There.was a conspicuous instance in the Reform Party in the Auckland province a few years ago. A sitting member went to the parly ballot against a man immeasurably his superior, but he was not displaced. Of course, in an ideal society the sitting member would come forward and admit his defects and beg the party organisation /to consider only the good / of the country in making a selection, butif our society,.were ideal there would not be parties. As.it is, the .party organisation, weaker: here than in "England, is not strong enough to insist on a member who is a poor stick effacing himself.. The main task of the Coalition organisations will be to see that there is ho vote-splitting in .trying to hold seats or to win them'from Labour. , •- . .""•■,