BY-ELECTION IN AVON

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25161, 17 April 1947, Page 6

BY-ELECTION IN AVON

DATE NOT YET FIXED WARNING OF CLOSING OF SUPPLEMENTARY ROLL No information about the date of the Avon by-election has been received by the Registrar of Electors (Mr A. A. Besley) or the Returning Officer (Mr H. G. Jamieson), although they do not expect it to be long delayed. Mr Besley said yesterday that per- ? on s with qualifications for enrolment in the Avon electorate should not put off enrolling. The supplementary roll would close with the issue of the writ for the by-election, and, although there would probably be some warning of the date oh which the writ would be issued, there was no definite provision that notice should be given. The annual meeting of the Avon branch of, the National Party was held on Monday evening, but only routine business was transacted and no steps were taken for the selection of a candidate for the by-election. The branch has everything in readiness to advertise calling for nominations of prospective candidates, but it is not going ahead until it has r ceived definite advice from the head office of the National Party that the by-election will be held. Among the subjects of political speculation in Christchurch vesterday was whether a by-election would be necessary in view of rumours of the possibility of the Government’s resigning if the Raglan decision went against it. Well-informed opinion is that, whatever the Government might do later. Parliament would have to meet in June to vote funds for the carrying on of public services, so there seems no chance that a General Election would be held for some months at the earliest. A by-election could not be postponed in such circumstances.