CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH SEAT

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 9 May 1939, Page 6

CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH SEAT

POSSIBLE INDEPENDENT LABOI'K CANDIDATE (United Press Association) CHRISTCHURCH, Bth May. Miss Mable Howard, daughter of the late Mr E. J. Howard, has announced that she is considering standing for Christchurch South seat as an Independent Labour candidate. Miss Howard is a member of the Christchurch City Council, chairman of its reserves committee, and secretary of the General Labourers’ Union. A DIFFICULT POSITION EXPLANATION BY MISS HOWARD CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. A definite denial that she had given any consideration to the suggestion that she should contest the Christchurch South by-election as an Independent Labour candidate in opposition to the official candidate Mr R. M. Macfarlan, was mflde by Miss Mabel Howard to-day. Miss Howard said she had taken the pledge of loyalty to the candidate chosen by the national executive of the party and that was where the question rested at the moment. This pledge had been given before the executive announced its decision and she would have to consider her position very seriously before she decided on an independent course of action. Miss Howard added that she had received many messages by letter and by telephone informing her that her claims to nomination would have been more strongly supported had it been realised that there was a possibility of the executive’s choice falling on ar.v

other person. There had also been a number of requests that she should seek election as an an Independent. These placed her in a most difficult position, for she had to take info consideration her loyalty to the | %ty as well as loyalty to the wishes of her supporters. So far she had given the question of breaking away from the party not the slightest consideration. There was no question that the requests she had received were most pressing, but her only reply was that she had not considered acceding to them.