NEW LEADER

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23619, 1 April 1940, Page 8

NEW LEADER

NEXT PRIME MINISTER ELECTION BY CAUCUS CABINET MEETING TO-DAY [BY TELEGRAPH —OWN CORRESPONDENT] "WELLINGTON, Sunday With the Labour Party to elect a Prime Minister and the selection of a Cabinet to be made, tho coming week promises to be .the most interesting politically since the Government was first elected in 1935. Caucuses of both the Labour Party and the National Party Will be held. Ministers will return to-morrow to Wellington from attending Mr. Savage's funeral at "Auckland and a meeting of the Cabinet has been fixed for 10 a.m. From it the Hon. P. Fraser, as senior Minister, and also actingPrime Minister, will probably be called to Government House by the GovernorGeneral, Viscount Gal way, and invited to form a Cabinet. The indications are that pending the caucus on either Wednesday or Thursday the present Ministry will be confirmed in office. Notices calling the caucus have not been issued yet. Although adherents of the Left Wing believe that a strong swing to the left will be disclosed at the caucus, the general opinion is that Mr. 1' raser will become New Zealand's 39th Prime Minister. That Mr. Fraser. will be opposed for the Prime Ministership is certain. The Left Wing is confident that its voting strength, estimated by some at 20, will compel Mr. Fraser to concede them a seat or two in the Cabinet. SEAT IN THE HOUSE FILLING THE VACANCY EARLY, ACTON NECESSARY In accordance with the electoral laws, tfteps will have to be taken at an early date in the Auckland West electorate to fill the vacancy in Parliament caused by the death of Mr. Savage. The Labour Party is certain to select a candidate for the seat, but whether there will be a by-election depends on the decision of the National Party and possibly of other political groups. The Electoral Act provides that when a member of Parliament dies in office the Registrar of Births and Deaths by whom the death is registered must notify the fact within 12 hours to the Speaker of the House of Representatives. The Speaker must then "issue his warrant to the Clerk of the Writs forthwith, directing him to isstfe a writ to supply the vacancy." The writ states the latest day for the nomination of candidates and a day for polling if a poll is required, the former date to be not less than 10 nor more than 17 days before the latter. The writ itself is returnable in 40 days from the date of issue. The position as far as the Auckland West seat is concerned is that the writ for a by-election will probably be issued within the next day or so. If the election is contested, the . poll will have to be held before the middle of May. Since the Labour Government assumed office at the end of 1935 there have been only two by-elections, both of them contested. The first was in 1936, when the Manukau (now Onehunga) seat was rendered, vacant by the appointment of Mr. W. J. Jordan as High Commissioner in London, and the second was last year, necessitated by the death of Mr. E. J. Howard, M.P. for Christchurch South. In both cases the seats Avere held by the Government, the successful candidates being Mr. A. G. Osborne in Manukau and Mr. R. M. Macfarlane in Christchurch South.