A BY-ELECTION

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 217, 11 June 1935, Page 10

A BY-ELECTION

* Contest For Lyttelton Seat GOVERNMENT CANDIDATE Mr. M. E. Lyons Mentioned A keen contest at the forthcoming by-election for the Lyttelton seat in the House of Representatives is already assured. In addition to a great effort by the Labour Party to retain tlie seat which was successively held by the late Mr. J. McCombs and his widow Elizabeth, whose death occurred last week, the Government Party will have a candidate in the field. Although nothing definite has been decided, it is probable that the selection will be left to the joint committee of the Reform and United organisations in the Lyttelton electorate. There has been no official talk yet about the new National Political Federation selecting a candidate. . It is confidently anticipated in Parliamentary circles that Mr. Melville E. Lyons, a former Reform contestant of the seat at the general election in 1925, will be selected as the Coalition Government candidate. Those who are familiar with political opinion in the Lyttelton and Christchurch districts say that Mr. Lyons, who is the popular secretary of the Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association, has expressed readiness to contest the seat. It is admitted freely that he is “a very likely candidate.” Mr. Lyons, when a journalist on the staff of “The Sun,” Christchurch, made his mark in the keen campaign for the Lyttelton seat in 1925. The result was almost unique, the poll resulting as follows:—M. E. Lyons, 4901; James McCombs, 4900. A petition was lodged, however, on technical grounds, and the recount by the Petition Court resulted: McCombs, 4900; Lyons, 4889 On that occasion there were 10,859 electors’ names on the Lyttelton roll. Mr. Lyons proved himself an effective platform speaker with an attractive personality and energetic courage.

Other Aspirants.

It is said that several other aspirants are willing and eager to carry the Government’s banner in the coming byelection campaign. In all probability the final selection will not be announced for several days yet. The Labour Party also will contest the vacant seat, but it is not crying its intentions from the house-tops. Several names have been mentioned in a conjectural way. . It may be mentioned, however, that, in Lyttelton -nd round about Christchurch there is a strong opinion that the Rev. J. K. Archer may secure the Labour Party’s selection. He is an excellent speaker and is well known in the electorate So far, he has been more conspicuous for failure than success in electoral campaigns. Twice lie has suffered defeat. first for Christchurch in 1928. when he polled well, although at the bottom of the poll, and again in 1931, when Mr. R, W. Hawke, United candidate, defeated him by 4963 to 3803 votes. Election Procedure. The roll to be used for the Lyttelton by-election will be that used at the last general election plus the supplementary roll used at\the by-election at which Mrs. McCombs was elected in 1933, with the addition of any names received up to the time of the issue of the writ. Eligible voters at the 1933 byelection totalled 13,905. Incidentally, the Lyttelton electorate includes the Chatham Islands, where there are approximately 190 voters. Notice of tlie vacancy and the cause of it will be given in the Gazette'ar an early date by the .Speaker of the House of Representatives. The next step is that tlie Speaker is required to issue a warrant to the clerk of writs directing him to issue an electoral writ. This is issued to the returning ctfieer. The writ fixes the latest div for the nomination of candidates, which is not less than ten or more than 17 days before polling day. The date of the election is also fixed by tlie writ, which is returnable within 40 days after issue. The roti closes at 6 pm. on the day of the issue of tlie writ.

A*- the by-eketion the late Mrs, McCombs, who was the Labour candidate, had a majority of 2669 votes over the Coalition candidate, Mr. F. W Freeman, who polled 3675 votes. The other candidate. Mr. E. L. Hills, who stood as an Independent Labour representative. received 263 votes. At the general election in 1931 the voting was: James McCombs (Labour). 5404; F. W. Freeman (Coalition), 5372; W. L. Page (Independent), 83. Majority for McCombs, 32.