Keen Competition For Labour Party Offices

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 March 1948, Page 4

Keen Competition For Labour Party Offices

[SPECIAL TO STAR] WELLINGTON, This Day. Members of Parliament including two Cabinet Ministers, figure prominently in the list of nominations for the election of the chief office bearers of the New Zealand Labour Party, which will be held at the annual conference commencing at Dunedin on May 3. The retiring president, Mr J. Roberts, is opposed by the Minister of Industries and Commerce, Mr Nordmeyer, who is the present vice-presi-dent, Mr Clyde Carr M.P., for Timaru and Mr J. Mathison, M.P. for Avon.

Eight nominations have been received to compete against Mr Nordmeyer for the post of vice-president. They are the Minister of Health (Miss Howard), Messrs R. F. Barter (president of the Auckland Labour Representation Committee), A. C. Baxter (M.P. for Raglan), P. G. Connolly (Junior Government whip and member for Dunedin Central), Dr A. M. Finlay (M.P. North Shore), A. B. Grant (secretary of the Canterbury branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants),- J. B. Kent (the newly-elected M.P. for Westland), J. Mathison. The national secretary-treasurer, Mr A. J. McDonald, who was elected last year, will be opposed by Mr K. Boland (Auckland). A total of 46 nominations has been received for the five seats on the central executive. The sitting members, who are all seeking re-election, are: Mr H. E. Combs, under-secretary to the Minister for Finance- and M.P., for Onslow; Mr M. Moohan, Parliamentary under-secretary to the Prime Minister and member for Petone, Mr R. Eddy M.L.C., Mr P. Dowse and Mr J. O. Johnson.

Nominations received for the post of divisional area representative, Greymouth, rendered vacant by the decision of Mr Kent to stand for vicepresident are: Messrs W. J. Butler, H. Caldwell, R. Evans, S. Gladstone, Leo Hamlin, E. W. Heenan, A. E. Mayell, and C. H. Thomas.

About 600 delegates are expected to attend the Dunedin conference, which will last from May 3 to May 7.