CANTERBURY SEATS RURAL AREAS

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27500, 6 November 1954, Page 6

CANTERBURY SEATS RURAL AREAS

Ashburton And Hurunui NATIONAL PARTY’S STHOK HOLD [By Out Parliamentary Reporter] With a 1951 majority of 2887 vol and no change in the boundwits his electorate, Mr R. G. Gerard see assured of being returned ta M 'meat to represent Ashburton hr further term. Mr Gerard bifi be a National Party member at Paris ment since 1943—three years M Mid-Canterbury and since tton if Ashburton. Since the ■ Nalimf Government assumed office hc hs been Junior Government Whip. I In 1951, Mr Gerard had as Usiaina Party candidate Mr W. E. Roge, w was also a candidate in 1948, and® increased his majority by neatly K® votes. This year- he faces Mr fiewj Glassey, a 53-year-old seetMtodJ officer for the Department dS Agriculture at Ashburton-iMP Glaxfl has been president of the Ashtertsg Labour Representation Committee fr* three years, arid connected , wRb ki Labour movement since IB3L ■ Mr Gerard is a farmer, aged Sj standing in a farming electorate, hl the past he has lost ground in th! urban areas, but has every eta®® of recovering that ground this jail A Leeston farmer and fisherfin, *1 year-old Mr R. H. Morten k tbi Social Credit Political candidate. ; Large Electorate I Hurunui is a large electaikS reaching from about Belfast iitaM to Kaikoura, north of Hanmer SOW and across to the mountains. It is >8 district which has long favocnl| Liberal or National candidates a# Mr Gillespie has been in Padlii®d| since 1943. He also is a farmer, it® most of his speeches in the ‘ of Representatives have been « agricultural topics. " , In 1951 Mr Gillespie had a onjuri? of 2921 over his Labour opponent X W. E. Cassidy, and in 1949 his majalf was 2535. An energetic campaigner, Mr M l Kirk, is standing for Labour st election. Mr Kirk, now 31, was el«*e Mayor of Kaiapoi last year, airi * the youngest Mayor in the PomlalrHe works as an engineer in i Christchurch factory. For Social Credit, Mr W. ,L C* a 32-year-old telegraphist at Rangiora Post Office, is standing.« a public servant, he has been « special leave to contest the'eled™ and has been throughout moat of® widespread district. But more than active campaiS® would seem to be needed to UM® Mr Gillespie.