KAIAPOI SEAT.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20302, 30 July 1931, Page 14

KAIAPOI SEAT.

MR ARCHER'S SELECTION ANNOUNCED. AN ABSOLUTE MAJORITY. ' By an absolute majority over his three rivals, Mr J. K. Archer has been selected by the Labour supporters in Kaiapoi to contest that electorate in their interest. Although the ballot was held on Tuesday by the instruction of the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee the result was not disclosed to the Press or the public. Yesterday, however, Mr Archer's success was freely rumoured; and by last evening the committee had decided that it would be useless to withhold the official Tesult any longer. Of the S4O papers which were distributed in the electorate to members of the committee and of its affiliated organisations, about 500 were returned to the Trades Hall, Christehureh. These gave Mr Archer au absolute majority over the three rival candidates, Messrs H. C. Bevell, Hiram Hunter, and J. N. Harle, Messrs Harle and Hunter polled only a very small total each, but Mr Kevell's rote was considerably larger. ! Successful Ballot. ! The ballot has been the most success- ) t'ul ever conducted by the committeo. i Only one of the 500 votes was informal, ! and that because it was returned without markings. The poll exceeded that in which Mr Revell was originally selected by 300 votes. The voting was conducted under the preferential system. The next General Election will be tho fourth which Mr Archer has contested. I J n 1919 he was tho Labour candidate | for J'nvercargill, and in 1922 and 3928 I lie stood for Christehureh North. The j Labour candidate for Kaiapoi at the | last election, Mrs E. E. McCombs (who ; will this year contest Christehureh | North), polled only 286 votes less than | the elected member, Mr R. W. Hawke ; ('United), in a three-cornered contest. ■ The. election, however, may see n ! straight-out contest between Mr Archer i and Mr Hawkc.

UNITED CANDIDATES. ITESS3 ASSOCIATION 't'JEUS&K. lU.) AUCKLAND, July 29. Mr 11. It. Mackenzie, a former chairman of tho Auckland Harbour Board, has been selected as the United candidate for Auckland West. Mr Mackenzie said that though he had been associated with the Reform Party he disagreed with Mr Coates's attitude towards Mr Forbes's fusion offer.

Mr W. H. Murray, a City Councillor, has been selected as the United candidate for Grey Lynn.