PICKING THE CARD

Evening Post, Volume CXX, Issue 124, 21 November 1935, Page 10

PICKING THE CARD

CONTESTS IN NORTH I SOME CLOSE FIGHTS STRENUOUS CAMPAIGN (Special to the "Evening^Post.") AUCKLAND, This Day. The campaign in Auckland city and suburbs and country districts is now in full blast, and during the week electioneering brightened up considerably. Attendance at meetings is not always an indication of how the political wind is blowing, and the position has not become any clearer with the more intensive campaigning. As far as the Auckland city seats are concerned there are two electorates that are giving the "guessers" much food for thought and consideration—Parnell and Waitemata. Sir Alexander Herdman is putting up a game fight. There are occasions when he displays some of the fire of the past when he was fighting hard for Civil Service reform under the Massey regime. He has been charged with vote splitting and giving Labour a chance, but his. reply is to the effect that the vote splitting, if any, is attributable to the Government. With the controversy going along, merrily on these grounds the Labour candidate, Mr. A. G. Osborne, is entrenching himself behind a barrier of discontent at the actions of the Government. With thirty committees, each ten strong, he and his party are looking for a win, which if consummated will be pronounced as the greatest victory for Labour in the Dominion, seeing that the aristocratic suburb of Eemuera is included in the electorate. Odds are still slightly in favour of the National Government candidate, Mr. Endean. WAITEMATA CONTEST. The Waitemata contest is attracting unusual attention, and Mr. Alan Donald, the Democrat, has made considerable headway during the last few days, while the sitting member, Mr. Harris, is plodding away endeavouring to hold his supporters of past years. It is known, however, that he has definitely lost many of these owing to his withdrawal from the contest and re-entry; and his earlier coquetting with the Democrats is also held against him in certain quarters. In the meantime the Labour candidate, Mr. Lyon, is making headway, although it is not as steady in progression as formerly. Another contest that is being watched with interest is the fight for Eden. Mr. A. J. Stallworthy, who was a Minister in the United Cabinet, has had stormy meetings, and there is every indication that he has lost much of his former support, but he is sticking bravely to the fight, addressing meetings daily, and on every occasion justifying his actions of the past. The National Government Party candidate is making some headway, but insufficient to assure him of a majority. The Labour candidate, on the other hand, has improved his position in the electorate considerably since he fought the seat in 1931 and 1928, and it appears that the figures will be close as far as he and Mr. Stallworthy are concerned. There are many who predict a Labour victory this year for the constituency, but the fight will have to go a little further before an accurate summing-up can be given. SURPRISE CANDIDATE.

Auckland Central is providing a great deal of excitement, the young Democrat, Mr. C. R. Dodd, putting up one of the best fights in the district. He has been heckled and interrupted, but as a rule wins out and scores decisively with the electors for his gameness. The seat is held by Mr. W. E. Parry, but he is taking things lightly and has only addressed two meetings, the last occasion appearing on the platform and pleading "speaker's throat." He is able to visit other districts, however, and speak for candidates at a distance.- His attitude to the electorate is not understood even by many ardtrnt supporters of his party, and his absence from the platform is providing good ammunition for his opponents. In 1931 his majority was 3793.

The excitement has died down in the Kaipara electorate since Mr. Coates has left for wider fields. Both Mr. Grounds and Mr. Caughley are keeping up the fight and covering every nook and corner of the constituency. OTHER SEATS. The Manukau seat appears to be safe for Mr. W. J. Jordan, the sitting member, but there are distinct evidences that the Massey brothers will have to keep fighting if they desire to retain Franklin and Hauraki. Mr. J. N. Massey had a stormy meeting at Manurewa this week, which altered somewhat the complexion of things. Mr. C. R. Petrie, the Labour candidate, who is fighting Hauraki against Mr. W. W. Massey, is a much improved candidate, and he may be expected to add many more votes to his total of 1931 when he crossed swords with the Government member. He has since been promoted to the position of Mayor of Otahuhu, and is well thought of in the district. The Labour candidate for Thames, Mr. J. Thorn, is an experienced campaigner and is putting up a good tight, but it is still a little early to predict the result. Mr. .Samuel will have to fight every inch of the way to scrape home. The same applies to Raglan, where the sitting member, -Mr. D. S. Reid, is opposed by a Labour candidate, Mr. Lee Martin, who won the seat on a former occasion. Hamilton, Waikato, and Tauranga look safe for the Government, but with a "popular candidate in Mr. Caro (Democrat) splitting the non-Labour vote in Hamilton there is a chance of Labour slipping in.

ix caxterbi;ry LABOUR CONFIDENT (Special to the "Evening Post."') CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. Christchurch is not likely to recover, as far as the electoral campaign is concerned, from the double setback of atrocious weather and Cup Week. With finer weather in the last couple of days, there has been some heckling at the meetings of those opposed to strong Labour candidates, but the absence o£ any rowdyism indicates the confidence of Labour supporters in the result of the election, for experience shows that strong hostility, of which the city has had more than its share, is aroused against the stronger opponents of Labour. It must be said, however, thai this last rule does not hold good with the candidature of Mr. S. G. Holland for Christchurch North. Here is a candidate who is likely to be near the head of the poll, and yet Labour supporters are not paying much attention to him.

In the present campaign ardent Labour supporters appear to be so sure of themselves that they treat the opposition with studied indifference. On the other hand, it may be that the election meeting as an entertainment is a washout.

As far as the candidates themselves arc concerned, Mr. Armstrong has had leave of absence for propaganda work in southern electorates, and Mr. I\ C. Webb, of Duller, has been campaign-

ing in Kaiapoi and Riccarton. On the other hand, Mr. D. G. Sullivan is taking his opponent far too Seriously in Avon.

SOUTH CANTERBURY

Particularly interesting contests are assured for the three South Canterbury seats, Temuka, Timaru, and Waitaki. Labour won the Timaru seat in 1928, not on a Labour but on an anti-Coates vote, when the Rev. Clyde Carr succeeded in a straight-out fight with Mr. F. J. Rolleston, Minister of Defence in the Coates Government In 1931 Mr. Carr had a majority of 820 in a triangular contest against two Government candidates, but his total vole fell-short of ,an absolute majority by 345.

This year Mr. Carr is opposed by Mr W. Thomas, who retired a few years ago from the rectorship of the Timaru Boys' High School. Mr. Thomas is an extremely popular man in the Timaru district, and will poll heavily, but it goes much against him that he is not only superannuated but holds several remunerative positions in Timaru. Mr. Carr is an eloquent speaker and with the tide in his favour it is expected that he will hold the seat. In the Temuka electorate two old rivals, Messrs. T. D. Burnett and T. H. Langford, find a third candidate in the field in Mr. J. Cartwright, a retired schoolmaster, who is standing as a Democrat with very slender hopes of success.

Mr. Burnett, one of the staunchest Conservatives in the House, has represented Temuka since 1919, but in 1922 and 1928 Mr. Langford, standing as a Liberal, got within a few votes of him. Four years ago Mr. Langford stood as an Independent Liberal and was beaten by over 1200 votes, but he has now joined the Labour Party, and with the Democrat vote cutting into his opponent his chances are considered to be very bright.

Mr. Burnett is handicapped by the fact that recently he announced his retirement from the electorate for health reasons and has been talked into standing in the hope of saving a seat for his party.

At. Waitaki the Minister, of Public Works, Mr. Bitchener, has a hard fight againsl; Mr. D. Barnes (Labour), with Mr. N. L. Knell, a popular Waimate solicitor, standing as a Democrat. Mr. Bitchener has held this seat since 1919, against fairly strong opposition, but in 1931 his. majority was only 88S. The result this year may depend on the amount of support given to the Democrat. Mr. Bitchener's popularity, however, should carry him through with a'slender majority. Summing up in these three seats, it would appear that Labour is certain to win Temuka, that the odds are in favour of Labour at Timaru, and slightly against Labour at Waitaki.