ELECTION DATE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23145, 17 September 1938, Page 14

ELECTION DATE

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 15 J RADIO IN CAMPAIGN GOVERNMENT'S CONDITIONS EIGHT OF INTERVENTION [nr TELEGRAPH —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday The general election will bo held this year on Saturday, October 15, allowing for an election campaign of only four weeks. An announcement on these lines was made in the House of Representatives to-day by the Prime Minister. Mr. Savage, who also gave an outline of tho arrangements made for political broadcasting during the campaign. "As honourable members will recall," said Mr. Savage, "I promised [ would inform them before tho House rose of the date of the general election. I now desire to state that polling day has been fixed for Saturday, October 15. Parliament will be dissolved on Tuesday, September 20, and the writs will be issued on Thursday, September 22. Nominations will close on Monday, October 3. Tho supplementary rolls will therefore close at six o'clock on the evening of September 22, tho date of Iho issue of the writs." The Maori ElectionsWith regard to the Maori elections, Mr. Savage said the writs would be issued on September 22. nominations would close on October 3, and polling day would be on Friday, October 14, one day before tho European elections. The arrangements proposed for the use of broadcasting facilities during the campaign were also referred to by the Prime -Minister. "It is considered," ho said, "that a fair basis, or, may I say, a more than liberal basis so far as the Opposition party is concerned, on which tho proportion of speakers from each party and Independents may be formed, is six Government, four Nationalist and two independent. "The first broadcast will be made by myself in tho Wellington Town Hall next Thursday night, when I propose to deal with the policy of the Government and the Labour Party," Mr. Savage continued. "Tho next night a Nationalist candidate would broadcast and the following night an Independent candidate, and so on in that order, with an adjustment a little later on .to conform to the proportion of speakers already referred to. Prime Minister's Reservation "The broadcasts will continue until the day preceding tho day before polling day. On the day before polling day it is suggested that the Leader of the Opposition and myself should speak over the air, thus concluding the broadcasting arrangements. "That is tho general scheme," Mr. Savage added, "but I may say 'that I reserve to myself the right at any tinio to intervene and speak over the radio if there is any suggestion of hitting below the belt." Mr. S. G. Holland (Opposition— Christehureh North): Does that apply to both sides? Mr. Savage: I hope there will be no necessitv for me to intervene.

The Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates (Opposition—Kaipara): You are making a very one-sided arrangement. Mr. Savage: I am in charge of tho country even during an election campaign. Mr. W. J. Poison (Opposition— I Stratford): If the Government hits below tho belt we cannot reply.' The Minister of Internal Affairs, the Hon. W. E. Parry: You have got your newspapers. Independents Not Included Iu answer to a point raised concerning broadcasts by Independents tho Prime Minister said he recognised only four members of the House as Independents. They were Mr. D. McDougall (Mataura), Mr. H. Atmore (Nelson), Mr. A. C. A. Sexton (Franklin), Mr. H. M. Ruslifvorth (Bay of Islands). Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Independent —Egmont) protested that he had been elected as an Independent and he proposed to contest the coming election in the same way. His remarks were greeted with raucous laughter from the Government benches. Mr. Hamilton's Comment Mr. R. A. Wright (Independent— Wellington Suburbs), who was also omitted from the Prime Minister's list, was not in the House at the time. The Leader of the Opposition, the Hon. A. Hamilton, said the holding of the election on a Saturday might be objectionable to certain religious bodies. As for the broadcasting arrangements, it was all right to have a proportionate basis for speakers in PaHiament, but it the radio was to be used in an election campaign there should be equal treatment for all parties. Retort to Opposition "I am offering the Leader of the Opposition exactly what he offered mo when I was Leader of the Opposition," said Mr. Savage. "The broadcasts, of course, will be confined to members of Parliament, it is considered that they at least have a sense of responsibility." Mr. Hamilton said that before tho last election the then Govcrtment had taken the Labour Party completely into its confidence when arrangements were being made. The same consideration had not been extended b.y the Government on this occasion. A list of candidates for tho coming election, so far announced, appears on page 18. WORTHY TACTICS MR, HAMILTON'S HOPE [BY TET/EGRArn —SPECIAL REPORTER] WELLINGTON, Friday Tho hope, echoed on all sides of the House, that tho coming election campaign would be conducted in a manner that would not bo unworthy of New Zealand's tradition of democracy, was expressed by the Leader of the Opposition, tho Hon. A. Hamilton, during the valedictory speeches in tiie Houso of Representatives to-day. "May I express to Government members my hopes for a pleasant and interesting campaign," said Mr. Hamilton. "I hope it will bo conducted in a way that will bo worthy of our great tradition of democracy, and that nothing that is in any way unworthy .will occur."-