FIRST SHOTS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 225, 23 September 1938, Page 10

FIRST SHOTS.

SOUTHERN CAMPAIGN

PROSPECTS AT DUNEDIN

FIGHTS ON PARTY LINES. (By Telesrnph.—Own Correspondent.) DUXEDIX, this day. The first shuts in the election cam- | wig n were fired this week with addresses by the Labour candidates for Dunedin Xorth, Mr. J. W. Munro, Dunedin Central, Mr. I'. Xeilson, and Mr. W. •I. M--.|e, National candidate for Dunedin tent nil.

Mr. Munro was the only one of the members of the last Parliament to open new ground, when he hinted that probablv the secondary industries in future would lie assisted financially, as were the farmers. This could be done by buying out the shareholders in the Bank of New Zealand, and linking that bank with the Keserve Bank.

Through the Chalmers electorate being now absorbed in Dunedin Xorth, Dune<lin Central and Dunedin South, the voting will now be heavier in these three electorates, but with the exception of Dunedin Xorth the alterations in the boundaries are not likely to have much bearing.

With Port Chalmers now in Dunedin Xorth, Air. Munro will have a strong Labour vote from the seaport town. Portion of the Taieri has been included in Dunedin South, and, Taieri being a farming community, its vote is likely to go to thfr sitting member, the Hon. F. Jones. South Dunedin it*elf, however, has always been a strong Labour centre.

On Party Lines. | Dunedin Central, like the other three city seata, will be fought on purely party lines. This is Kir Charles Statham's old seat, and the National party's candidate, Mr. W„ J. Meade, a young Dunedin barrister, has good prospects of success against Mr. P. Neilson. A keen contest is expected in Dunedin West between Dr. D. G. McMillan, who defeated the Hon. W. Downie Stewart three years ago, and Mr. T. K. S. Sidey, another young lawyer, and son of the late Sir Thomas Sidey. Neither candidate haa yet opened his campaign.

Labour's strongholds would at present appear to be Dunedin North and Dunedin South.

In the country the Nationalists, Messrs. W. A. Bodkin, Central Otago, and J. Roy, Clutha, have as strong a following a« last time. An Independent is contesting Clutha against Mr. Roy and the Labour candidate, Mr. H. K. Edie.

Waitaki, Oainaru, Mataura and Wallace are being contested on party lines, except that Mr. D. McDougall is standing as an Independent for Mataura, although he voted with the Government in the House last session.

At Invercargill, where four candidates stood last time, the number has now been reduced to three, one being an Independent. It would not cause surprise if the Nationalist, Mr. F. G. HallJones, defeated the Labour candidate, Mr. W. C. Denham, who was elected in 1f13.i. Mr. J. Hargent has two opponents for Awarna, while the Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton, is opposed by Labour for Wallace. Neither in likely to be unseated. The Oarnaru election between the Rev. A. H. Xordincyer, who was elected in 1933, and Mr. F. E. Cooney, the Nationalist and an ex-Mayor, promises to be inter-, eating. ■ - .