COMING ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26285, 17 October 1946, Page 6

COMING ELECTION

TWO-PARTY CONTEST CITY CANDIDATES’ PLANS THREE WEEKS’ CAMPAICN With the general election just under six weeks away and the first broadcast attack launched by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, the election committees of the Labour and National parties in Dunedin are busy preparing for what promises to be a comparatively short but intense campaign. Although visiting politicians will be giving electioneering addresses from next , Monday onwards, it is not expected that city candidates will commence their campaigns until about the first week in November. Unless a change takes place between now and the closing of nominations about the middle of November, it seems likely that the 1946 election will be a clear-cut contest between the two parties—Labour and National. Mr J. A. Lee announced some time ago that Democratic Labour would not be putting up candidates throughout the country, and an official of the Communist Party told a Daily Times reporter yesterday that his party would not be contesting any seats in Otago. He added that the Communist Party would be giving its support to Labour in what would be a contest, he said, between the “workers and capital interests.” Prime Minister’s Visit The Labour Party will open its Dunedin campaign next Monday night, when the Prime Minister will give an address in the Town Hall. Arrangements for a suitable welcome are t at present being made by the Campaign Committee, of which Mr F. Percy, is secretary-organiser. Other visiting speakers will be heard in Dunedin on behalf of the Labour campaign, but it is expected that the four city candidates will not commence their campaign until the first week in November. Apart from broadcast addresses by National members of Parliament, including the Leader of the Opposition. Mr S. G. Holland, on Monday night, the Dunedin campaign on behalf of the National Earty will probably be opened by Mr R. A. Algie M.P. for Remuera, who is set down to give an address in one of the city electorates on October 25. He will return to Dunedin later in the campaign to give several addresses. Other visiting speakers so far arranged are Mr W. S. Goosman, M.P. for Waikato, and Mrs W. J. Poison, a former member for Mid-Canterbury. ~ It is expected that the National candidates in the city will launch their campaigns after Mr Holland’s address in the Dunedin Town Hall on Wednesday, November 6. They feel tha«. their electorates are so compact that they can be covered comfortably m two to three weeks’ campaigning. Extensive Electorates The city candidates have a great advantage in their campaigning over country contestants, who are called upon to travel hundreds of miles m the course of their campaign and to deliver addresses at the fate of two and three a day for four or five weeks. Only by such vigorous campaigning can a country candidate cover his district adequately. . . , . Examples of this are furnished by Central Otago and Wallace, which are two of the largest electorates, geographically, in the Dominion, Central Otago’s approximate boundaries are from the coast at Brighton to as far inland as Wanaka and from the Pigroot in the north to Heriot in the south. Wallace stretches from Arrowtown to the coast at Riverton. According to the regulations, nominations must close not less than 19 days and not more than 17. days before the polling day. which is November 27. While the following nominatoins may not be final or complete, from the list are almost certain to come the men to represent Otago electorates in the new Parliament:— jfrunedin Central. —Mr P. G. Connolly, M.P. (Labour), and Mr T. K. S. Sidey (National). St. Kilda— Mr F. Jones, M.P. (Labour), and Mr L. J. Ireland (National). North Dunedin.— Mr R. Walls, M.P. (Labour), and Mr N. H. Jones (National). Mornington.— Mr W. A. Hudson (Labour) and Mr L. D. Mclver (National). Clutha. —Mr J. A. Roy, M.P. (National), and Mr J. P. Thompson (Labour). Central Otago— Mr W. A. Bodkin, M.P. (National), and Mr Claude Capell (Labour). Oamaru. —Mr A. H. Nordmeyer, M.P. (Labour), and Mr T. R. Beatty (National). Wallace.— Mr T. L. Macdonald, M.P. (National), and Mr D. J. Munro (Labour).