COMING ELECTIONS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 22934, 12 January 1938, Page 13

COMING ELECTIONS

LABOUR PARTY ACTIVE SUBURBAN MAYORALTIES COMPREHENSIVE CONTEST A comprehensive contest for the city and suburban mayoralties, in addition to the respective council seats, is being planned by the Labour Party in Auckland for this year's elections. Already a large number of nominations have been received for the various offices and steps are now being taken to select the candidates.

It was announced some time ago that either the Hon. Bernard Martin, or Mr. J. Sayegh, a councillor, would be sent forward to contest the city mayoralty. The official candidate will be chosen by a ballot to be taken at the Town Hall on January 27, when a selection will also be made from those nominated for seats on the council. Other Candidates Of the suburban mayoralty nominees, Mr. A. Garside has been chosen to contest Onehunga, and the candidates for other districts will probably be as follows, since they are the only nominees:—Takapuna, Mr. C. M. Wills; Northcote, Mr. N. S. Davidson; Birkenhead, Mr. J. Macdonald; New Lynn, Mr. J. Perry; Mount Eden, Mr. W. J. Gatenby; Devonport, Mr. M. O'Leary. It is extremely unlikely that any opposition will be offered at One Tree Hill against the sitting Mayor, Mr. I. J. Goldstine, who has been firmly entrenched there for many years. For the Mount Albert mayoralty two nominations have been made, those of Mr. F. E. Martin and Mr. L. Holt. Many Women Nominated

Other local bodies are also receiving the attention of the party. For the Auckland Hospital Board seats there are 32 nominees, of whom no fewer than 13 are women. The remarkable number of women nominees has also been made noticeable in the nominations for the City Council, where seven of the 51 nominees arc womgu. A woman has also been nominated for the Auckland Harbour Board election, together with 27 men, and of the 64 nominees for the Auckland Electric-Power Board seats about six are women.

Of those Labour Party members who have been prominently associated with local body affairs for some years past, the only important withdrawal has been made by the Hon. F. E. Lark, M.L.C., at present deputy-chairman of the Auckland Transport Board and a member of the City Council. He has advised the Labour Representation Committee that he has not the necessary time to to his other duties and serve on the City Council as well. As a result his name will not go forward to the ballot to be held on January 27 for the City Council candidates.