CANTERBURY SEATS THE VOTING TN FENDALTON

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27489, 25 October 1954, Page 10

CANTERBURY SEATS THE VOTING TN FENDALTON

Mr Holland’s Increase In Majorities LARGE BUT COMPACT ELECTORATE LBy Our Parliamentary Reporter] Just as the Labour Party can claim safe city seats in Christchurch, so can the National Party claim Fendalton as an electorate where it is solidly entrenched. In every election since Fendalton was created in 1946 the Prime Minister (Mr Holland) has increased his majority there. In 1946 he had a majority of 2004, in 1949, when he became Prime Minister. 3576. and in 1951 4366. Labour Party organisers have always put up a hard fight in Fendalton, taking advantage of Mr Holland’s absence. first as Leader of the Opposition and then as Prime Minister, in other parts of the country, to hold as many meetings as possible, but past candidates have been on the scene only once. This time again there is a newcomer to politics in a young trade union worker. Mr R. H. McDonald. In this election Mr Holland has addressed only one meeting in his electorate, but his constituents have iad an opportunity of hearing him at his opening in Christchurch, and of listening to nis broadcast speeches. His absence from campaign meetings is as unlikely to affect his votes as his absence in Wellington throughout the year. The problems of his electorate have been well attended to by the member for Selwyn (Mr J. K. McAlpine), who has performed a similar task for the Minister of Industries and Commerce (Mr J. T. Watts) in St. Albans.

Mr Holland must receive a good many votes because of the position he occupies. That position and his majority are even reasons why his opponent may lose votes, for some of the critics in Fendalton of the National Government take the view that it is not worth their while to record their votes. That is a view which Mr Holland himself is the first to condemn. In most of his speeches he urges electors, whatever their political bteliefs, to protect their democratic right to vote.

Fendalton is a large city electorate, but a compact one. This time it has lost to Christchurch Central an area which in the past gave a majority to Labour—the south-west corner bounded by Durham street and Moorhouse avenue. It includes the suburb which gives it its name and reaches out to upper Riccarton, where there has been considerable housing development in the last few years. This year the third candidate in the field is Mr A. E. Collins, who is representing the Social Credit Political League. Mr Collins, who is 43, lives in Fendalton.