VACANT SEAT.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 77, 1 April 1940, Page 8

VACANT SEAT.

QUESTION OF A POLL.

WRIT TO BE ISSUED.

WIU THERE BE ELECTION T

The writ for a by-election for the Auckland West seat, rendered vacant by the death of Mr. Savage, is to be issued this week. If the scat is to be contested—and there ie no certainty that it will be—the poll will have to be held before the middle of Mav.

The Labour party hae not yet selected a candiate for the seat, nor have any steps been taken by the National party. In the city, and especially in the electorate, people are saying that a good man, worthy of following Mr. Savage, should be selected by the Labour party and that the election be not contested. To-day the "Star" publishes a letter by Mr. R. M. Algie, organiser of the Freedom League, who makee a suggestion to that effect. Mr. Savage held the seat, after the election of 1910, with a comfortable majority, and Auckland West has come to be regarded as a "eafe" Labour seat. Apart from that fact, it ie current opinion that, jn the circumstances, it would be a waste of effort and money for anyone to contest the 6eat against the official Government candidate.

Whether there will lie an election depends upon the decision of the National party, and perhaps of independent political groups. The Speaker of the House of Representatives, under the provisions of the Electoral Act, haa been advised by the Registrar of Deaths of the death of Mr. Savage. Having been eo advised, it becomea the duty of the Speaker to issue a warrant to the Clerk of the Write, directing him to issue a writ to supply the vacancy. In the writ is set down the latest date for the nomination of candidates, and a day for polling, if a poll ie required. The former date must be not Ices than 10, nor more than 17, days oefore the date of the poll. The writ itself is returnable in 40 days from the date of issue. It was reported in labour eirclea today that the question of filling the vacancy had not yet been considered and could not be discuseed until the national office of the Labour party advised, what was already known, that the teat was vacant.