LABOUR FAVOURED

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 66, 15 September 1943, Page 4

LABOUR FAVOURED

CANTERBURY-WESTLAND

O.C. CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. Labour's prospects are again good for the General Election in the Can-terbury-Westland area. It is expected that the Government will hold all its Christchurch city electorates, in some cases with increased majorities. Christchurch has long been a Labour stronghold, and although there is vigorous opposition in some quarters it is practically certain that the city will remain solidly behind the Government.

Interest in the election is extremely keen among political enthusiasts, but the general public has so far been giving far more attention to events overseas. Candidates more often than not have found themselves addressing moderately-attended meetings, composed chiefly of electors sympathetic towards their particular parties. Ministers who have addressed city meetings have been well received, and so, also, have visiting National Party speakers.

The Democratic Soldier-Labour Party is taking a lively part in the campaigning, but is unlikely to take a prominent place on polling-day. Votesplitting among Labour supporters will certainly occur in some electorates, but it may not be sufficient to unseat any of the Government .candidates. Many of the Democratic Soldier-Labour candidates, moreover, are out upon the hustings for the first time, and are comparatively unknown to electors. There has been plenty of good will offered them in Labour centres, but good will does not always carry votes. The National Party will, as always, find better support in the country areas. The only city seat held for the party is Christchurch North, whose representative is Mr. S. G. Holland, Leader of the Opposition. Labour in recent elections has made a strong bid for the north seat, but Mr. Holland is more strongly established, and a defeat this time would be a major surprise for all parties. His Labour opponent is Mr. George Manning, W.E.A. organiser and prominent city councillor.

While Mr. Holland has been absent from his electorate on his national tour he has been represented at home by

visiting speakers from the north, including Mr. F. W. Doidge (Tauranga) and Mr. Will Appleton (Wellington), both of whom have been focusing attention on two or three principal issues. Mr. Doidge had a ready response from his audience to his vigorous complaints about the Internal Marketing Division, the Price Tribunal, the cost of foodstuffs, and direct and indirect tax burdens. Labour Ministers, on the other hand, have been enthusiastically received, and plenty of attention has been given to their reviews of Government achievements in the1 interest of the war effort, social services, and price control.

THREE INTERESTING CONTESTS.

Party followers have their eyes on three electorates in particular—Hurunui, Riccarton, and Mid-Canterbury. All three were won for National at the last election, but the fate of none is certain at this poll. Hurunui was held by the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, who has retired after retaining the seat through many elections. The Labour Party has made considerable progress in Hurunui at the last two polls, and may make more this year, with Lieutenant J. Morgan as candidate. Rural support for Labour may, however, not be so keen this time, and the National candidate, Mr. W. M. H. Gillespie, may well take the seat.

Riccarton is held by Mr. H. S. S. Kyle, veteran National Party Whip, who recently broke with the party, and stands this time as an Independent. Mr. Kyle at each of the last two polls retained his seat with only a slender majority. His prospect had he remained within the party at this election would have been good, for the Democratic Soldier Labour Partymight have split the Labour vote to his advantage; but now Mr. Kyle may have to be content in watching the Labour nominee (Mr. H. E. Denton) and the young National candidate, Mr. J. T. Watts, fighting out the poll while he remains in third place. Mr. Kyle's personal following in the electorate, however, is strong, and he will no doubt again poll well. Mid-Canterbury was held for National at the last election by Mr. A. N. Grigg, and at the by-election after his death it was retained by his widow, now Mrs. W. J. Poison. With the retirement of Mrs. Poison from politics the party has chosen Mr. R. G. Gerard to contest the seat, and he will be opposed for Labour by Mr. David Barnes, former Labour member for Waitaki. Labour held Mid-Canterbury from 1935 to 1938, and will make a strong bid again, with a strong candidate. The issue is more uncertain here than in any other Canterbury electorate. ,

Nowhere, however, in the whole Canterbury-Westland area is any major change in party polling anticipated, nor are the many Independents likely to have any great effect, upon the results.