GENERAL ELECTION

Otago Daily Times, Issue 27196, 27 September 1949, Page 4

GENERAL ELECTION

NINE WEEKS TO-DAY PRELIMINARY ACTIVITY Nine weeks from to-day—Wednes-day, November 30—the general .election will be held. It is likely that voting in. the four Maori electorates, at present all held by Labour, will take place a day or so earlier. This has been the practice in recent years. As well as voting for the 76 European representatives in Parliament, the Sle will vote on November 30 for nuance, State control of the liquor industry, dr prohibition. The main parliamentary rolls of those entitled to vote have already closed, and registrars of electors axe now accepting applications from electors for inclusion of their names on the supplementary rolls. ■ , In this respect the two mam political parties—Labour and National —are now active. They invite, electors to visit their offices to ensure that. their names are on the main rolls; if the names are not there, then every assistance is given the elector .with his application for inclusion in the supplementary roll. No date has yet been fixed for the closing of the. supplementary rolls. While no one is forced to vote, the law demands that every eligible elector must be enrolled. The National Party has its Dunedin office and headquarters in High street; the Labour Party has reopened its office and rooms in Rattray street. One of the main activities of both parties at present is the raising of funds to finance the election campaign. Both parties have selected their candidates, but the closing date for the official nominations has not yet been announced. Another party activity at present is the booking of public halls for the election campaign. This is taken seriously by both parties, and it has even been suggested that the Labour Party “beat the gun” before the date of the general election was officially announced by booking the main halls in some centres for their final rallies on Tuesday night, November 29. Arrangements are being made at present for the use of hoardings for advertising, and already some National Party hoardings have appeared. Party canvassers are busy in the various electorates, and some candidates are »also meeting the electors. When the present session of Parliament ends the election dampaign will begin in earnest While neither party is “giving anything away” at the moment, ,Y the curtain will be going up ” within the next few months.