The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News The Echo and The Sun. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1931. THE CITY SEATS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXII, Issue 283, 30 November 1931, Page 6

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

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1931. THE CITY SEATS.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the iorotif that needs Tpn? ijis f"*"* , * «» tke distance, And the good that toe r«» da.

In none of the strictly city contests to be decided on Wednesday is there a clear-cut struggle between the Coalition and Labour. The nearest approach to such a state is in Auckland Central, where a Communist has intruded. The Labour candidate, Mr. Parry, is particularly -well entrenched as a result of years of Parliamentary service, and his Coalition opponent is an untried man. There has been less general interest in the Auckland Central campaign than in

any of the other Auckland contests. All this, however, should not prevent friends of the Coalition from giving Mr. Congdon all possible support. In Grey Lynn, Mr. Fletcher is fighting to retain his scat against Mr. J. A. Lee, formerly member for Auckland East, Mr. Bartram, Independent Labour, and Mr. W. H. Murray, Coalition United candidate. Though Mr. Fletcher is an Independent, and the needs of the country require that the Government shall have a strong majority above all. other parties and groups combined, there are" good reasons why Coalition supporters should vote for him. To begin with, Mr. Fletcher has been an energetic if somewhat erratic member. Then there is a serious risk that Mr. Murray will take enough votes from Mr. Fletcher to give the scat to Labour. This is a danger that Grey Lynn voters should seriously consider.

The contest in Auckland East is one of the most curious in the Dominion. There are five candidates, but no official representative of the Coalition. Dr. W. H. Horton is standing as an Independent Coalition United, Mr. H. P. Burton as an Independent Coalition Reformer, Mr. J. A. Arthur as an Independent. Miss Ellen Melville, whose determination to break into man's Parliamentary monopoly must move the stoniest of hearts even among those men who have not rounded Cape Turk, offers herself as a Women's candidate. This may be a mistake in tactics, but Miss Melville has a strong backing among women who take more than the usual amount of interest in public life. The happiest candidate is possibly Mr. F. W. Schramm, Avho sees the anti-Labour vote divided into four parts. In Auckland West there would have been a particularly interesting contest if Mr. Savage, one of the ablest and most popular of Labour members of Parliament, had been opposed by a Coalitionist in an uncomplicated fight. Mr. Savage has received the votes of a good many citizens who are far from subscribing to the ideals of the Labour Party. He is a steadying influence in the party and has served Auckland long and faithfully. It would have been instructive to discover whether in a crisis like this he could hold his seat against one opponent who made his appeal to all non-Labour voters. As it is, the anti-Labour vote will be split by Mr. Allum and Mr. Mackenzie. Of these two candidates, Mr. Allum has much the stronger claim on voters who do not wish to see Mr. Savage elected.