GENERAL ELECTION.

Otago Witness, Issue 3886, 4 September 1928, Page 33

GENERAL ELECTION.

REFORM CANDIDATE FOR ROSKILL. MISS MELVILLE SECURES NOMINATION. . AUCKLAND, August 28. J.he Prime Minister announced tiiis evening that he had been advised that an agreement had been arrived at in respect of the three candidates standing in the Reform interests for the Roskill seat at the forthconiing election, and that Miss ■"J,. 1 Melville had been selected as the official candidate. The agreement is embodied in the following terms:— “We, the undersigned, being candidates in the Reform interests for the Roskill electorate, realising that the winning of the seat in Parliament for the Reform Party is of the first importance, have’ agreed to submit our respective claims to the party’s official nomination to arbitration, and with a view to preventing votesplitting at the elections, and strengthening the chances of a Reform victory we pledge ourselves to give loyal support to Miss Melville, who lias been chosen to contest the electorate; and to use our best endeavours, with our respective supporters, to secure the return to Parliament of the official Reform candidate. an c We re 9 ues t the Prime Minister to confirm the foregoing nomination.”— (Signed) R. M‘K. Morrison, Ellen Melville, E. H. Potter. “The fact,” added Mr Coates, "that the three candidates have come together and succeeded in finding a solution of their differences is a real source of satisfaction. and forms a striking example of their desire for unity in the ranks of the Reform Party in the Roskill electorate, lhe agreement now arrived at will preve?t v °te-splitting and consequently will enhance the official candidate’s chances of success at the general election. I heartily congratulate Miss Melville upon her selection, and with the loyal assistance and co-operation of the other candidates and their supporters, I feel sure that we can look forward with confidence to thg result.”

IMPORTANCE OP UNITY. THE DANGER OF VOTE-SPLITTING. AUCKLAND, August 28. Commenting on the selection of Miss Melville, the New Zealand Herald says, in an editorial:—“A happy augurv for the continued success of the Reform Party is the amicable way in which agreement is being reached concerning the candidates to be nominated for the general election. The experience in and near Auckland proves that this agreement is possible. First in a suburbs electorate, then in Hauraki, and now in Roskill there has been found unanimity as to who is to be entrusted with the party banner. It would be well if elsewhere an equal readiness were shown to subject personal and rigidly local aspirations to the good of the party as a whole. It should be obvious that the winning of seats is an end that ought to be kept in view by all aspirants to the party’s support. In what is likely to be the case in most electorates—a three-cornered contest among candidates representing the prevailing parties—it would be suicidal to have two Reform candidates making appeals for votes. Unity at this stage of the contest is therefore all-important.” THE KAIAPOI SEAT. CHRISTCHURCH, August 28. Mr J. W. Beanland, a member of the Christchurch C ty Council, has consented to nomination as Reform candidate for Kaiapoi. APPROXIMATE DATE PENCILLED. WELLINGTON, August 30. Although the date for the coming general elections has been tentatively pencilled the Prime Minister (Mr J. G. Coates) is not prepared to make a public announcement on the subject at the present time. That was the only information which a question by the Leader of the Opposition (Mr H. E. Holland) drew from Mr Coates in the House of Representatives to-day. Mr Holland asked the Prime Minister whether he had seen the cabled announcement that the Commonwealth Prime Minister (Mr S. M. Bruce) had fixed November 17 as the date for the Federal elections, and whether he would follow the sensible example set by Mr Bruce, and give ample notice as to when the Dominion elections would take place? “I think it is fair,” he said, “ to ask the Prime Minister whether it is not a fact that our elections will not be held later than this date. The Prime Minister might agree at once to take the country into his confidence and let everybody know’ the date—whether it is to be November 7, November 14, or November 21?”

“ The Leader of the Opposition might have gone a couple of weeks further and still been within range,” replied the Prime Minister with a smile. “ The difference between Australia and New Zealand is that our Parliament is sitting and it is very much more difficult to fix a date so far ahead while the House is still in session.” *

Mr W. E. Parry (Auckland Central) : Have you got anything arranged yet? The Prime Minister: We are in a very difficult position. The Leader of the Opposition: Do you mean you have not yet fixed the date?

The Prime Minister: An approximate date has been fixed, but I do not propose to make it public until we know that we can comply with it. Our first duty is to attend to the business of the country. The election comes afterwards.—(“ Hear, hear.”) The general elections, I can assure the House, will not interfere with the Christmas trade.

THE HURUNUI SEAT. CHRISTCHURCH, August 30. Mr L. R. C. MacFarlane, a sheep farmer, of Culverden, has been selected as the official Reform candidate for the Hurunui seat. THE KAIAPOI SEAT. . CHRISTCHURCH, August 31. An interesting development has taken place in connection with the selection of a Reform candidate for the Kaianoi seat It now seems likelj’ that Mr J. W. Beanland will secure the nomination. i .tLi Hornell, who was chairman of both the conferences of Reform supporters in the Kaiapoi electorate that have been held for the purpose of discussing the nomination of a candidate, has received a letter from Mr L. B. Evans, of Kaiapoi, requesting that his name should be withdrawn from the contest. It has now Cl ded to hold a further conference or Reform supporters on Wednesday next, when the altered situation will be discussed. the united party. CONFERENCE IN WELLINGTON. AUCKLAND, August 30. The United New Zealand Political Organisation announces that a conference of 50 or more candidates of the United Party will be held in Wellington, commencing on Friday, September 14, when the party's final policy will be decided upon and the leader chosen. A conference of the party's organisers will be held on September 13. Mr C. H. Wing (provincial organiser for the United Party) states that he has received definite instructions to contest every seat in Dunedin, and he is at present engaged on the question of the selection of a candidate for Dunedin West. It is anticipated that within a week following the forthcoming conference in Wellington the party will have 70 candidates in the field. The Auckland province, out of 23 seats, has now only three seats left in which to place candidates. Mr Wing hopes to have the full quota for the southern district.