LABOUR IN GREY LYNN

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 103, 4 May 1931, Page 11

LABOUR IN GREY LYNN

SECOND BALLOT TO BE TAKEN

A further ballot for the selection of a Labour candidate for the Grey Lynn seat in the House of Representatives is to be held on 20th May, the result of the ballot held at the beginning of the year, when Mr. J. A. .Lee, formerly member for Auckland East, "was selected, having been upset as the result of an informality. Prior to the ballot, now declared null and void, several nominations had been received for the Grey Lynn seat, among them being Mr. Leo and. Mr. F. N. Bartram, formerly member for . Grey Lynn, who was seeking endorsement for his old seat. . It was understood at that time that Mr. Lee had defeated Mrl Bartram, his principal rival, by a very few votes. The ballot for the Auckland East seat was taken at the same time, Mr. Leo having also been among the ■ canfljdntcs.-....'1t is known, however, that Mr.. Lee was also placed first in that ballot, but as the Grey Lynn papers were opened first he chose to have that nomination, and Mr. 1\ W. Schramm was eventually announced as the selected candidate) for Auckland East. When these announcements . were made the point was raised that had the Auckland East ballot papers been, opened first Mr. Lee would have had to accept that decision, thus leaving a clearer field for Mr. Bartram in Grey Lynn. There was a suggestion in Labour circles in favour of the order of ballot being decided by lot. An appeal was made to the party's national headquarters in Wellington for a final decision on the point. The result of subsequent representations was- the announcement, by Mr. I<\ E. Martin, secretary of the Auckland Labour Beprcsentation Committee, that "owing to a certain informality" the Grey Lynn ballot would.be taken again. . Mr. Martin also stated that only those who had nominated before were eligible for consideration, but that some of those were likely to withdraw their names from the selection.