PARNELL BY-ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20528, 1 April 1930, Page 12

PARNELL BY-ELECTION.

SELECTING CANDIDATES. :MR. JENKINS AND REFORM. - FIRST UNITED ASPIRANT. LABOUR NOMINATIONS CLOSE. Tho first official announcement of a party candidate for the Parnell ser,t, Tendered vacant by the resignation of Mr. 11. R. Jenkins, will como from Labour, unless unexpected developments occur. The Labour nominations closed at 4 p.m. yesterday and the names were immediately transmitted to Wellington, where the national executive of the Labour Party is to make tho selection. It is expected that nil announcement of tho choice may be made to morrow.

Considerations apart from an e;irly commencement of tho actual election campaign appear to be weighing more with tho other two parties. The official Reform candidate may not. bo selected before next week, and the United organisation does not expect to make a declaration of its choice earlier than the latter part of this week.

Mr. 11. R. Jenkins, in accordance with his intention announced Inst week, has taken tho formal steps involved in placing his nomination at tho disposal of the Reform Party organisation. He has signed the form binding him to abide by the decision of tho delegates' conference, and his nomination for selection as tho candidate was received at tho party headquarters yesterday. Tho delegates who will select tho candidate are to bo appointed at meetings of members of the Reform Party to be held in various pnrts of the- electorate oil Thursday evening. The date on which the delegates will ineet has been fixed, but will not bo announced until the preliminary mcct:ngs have taken place. It was stated yesterday that the name of tho candidate is not likely to be announced before the beginning of next. week. Other Reform Aspirants. Tho position in the Reform camp, therefore, is that the nominations of Mr. Jenkins and Mr. R. Glover-Clark have been received at the party headquarters. Mr. A. J. Burrows has been accredited to the party, but his nomination paper has not yet' been handed in. No other aspirants for the party's nomination have been announced, except Mr. J. S. Dickson, who has not yet decided whether he will submit his name to tho delegates and agree to bo bound by their decision. Tho first announcement of a definite aspirant for the United Party nomination occurred yesterday, when it was made known that Mr. W. C. Hewitt had agreed to submit his name for selection and, failing the choice resting on him, to stand aside from tho election. Mr. Hewitt, who contested Auckland Central as a United candidate in 1928, announced early last .week that he would contest the by-elec-tion as a Liberal Labour candidate. Conferences woro subsequently held between him and United Party representatives. The United Party. The choice of the United candidate lias been further delayed. Mr. J. Trovethick, chairman of the ' provincial executive, stated last evening that a meeting of the executive would be called soire time this week. Tho meeting previously announced for to-day had been cancelled, as matters with which it was expected to deal had since been settled, one of these being tho question of Mr. Hewitt's candidature.

Secrecy is being observed as to the number of aspirants for the Labour nomination whoso names have been sent forward for selection. Mr. T. Bloodworth and Mrs. M. M. Dreaver are known to bo included, but no indication lias been given whether mere than the two nominations have been submitted to tho national executive. ' It was stated at the party headquarters yesterday that several possible candidates had decided to withdraw before tho nominations closed, believing that others had hotter claims to consideration. It was also slated that no time would bo lost in opening tho campaign when the candidato had been chosen. PREPARING FOR POLL. ENROLMENT OF ELECTORS. THE DATE NOT YET FIXED, Until tlio writ is issued the date of polling in the Parncll by-election will not bo known. It is expected that tho writ may come to hand by the end of this week and that the election will take place about threo weeks later. In tho meantime tho party organisations are busy in connection with tho enrolment of those who are entitled to vote. A total of 14,067 electors was on the Parncll main and supplementary rolls at the time, of tlio last general election in 1928. Since then 2890 names have bom deleted and 1059 new enrolments liavo been mule. It appears, therefore, that ii considerable number of residents of the district who are qualified to vote have jet to enroll. No change in the boundaries has occurred since tho general election. Jn 1925 (hero were 13,882 electors on the roll and in 1922 the number was 11,697. Tho compulsory enrolment of electors which is in forco carries an obligation, to advise, tlio registrar of any change of address within the electorate. Enrolment can only bo claimed in a district wherein an elector has his usual place of abode, not in a district wherein he lias only property or business interests. '•Particular care in tho lilling-in and signing of enrolment application forms is necessary, as mistakes may lead to their rejection as informal. Substantial penalties may be imposed for wilful inaccuracies or defaults. A person who makes a false declaration is liable to a fine of £2O, or imprisonment for three months. A person who signs an enrolment form for another may be fined £SO. The responsibility resting on those who undertake to attend (o enrolment formalities for others is indicated in a provision that a person who fails to deliver a claim for enrolment to the registrar is liable to a line of £2O, or three months in gaol.