THE COUNTRY PARTY

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16612, 30 March 1928, Page 7

THE COUNTRY PARTY

NOTHING DEFINITE NO CANDIDATES ANNOUNCED (Special to the Herald..’ AUCKLAND, this day. The part, to bo played by the Country Party in the coming elections appears very uncertain. No candidates have been announced, and it is not likely that a movement in that direction will be made lor some months. The sponsors of the movement claim that it is not a party in the accepted sense, and that the party itself might disappear if the Government could be induced to adopt and carry into execution some of its cardinal planks, such as the establishment,of an agricultural bank and the gradual elimination of protective duties. The selection of candidates is a. matter for district executives. It is known that -overtures were recently 'made to Mr. W. Grounds, chairman of tho Dairy Produce Control Board, to accept”, the Country Party nomination for the Bav of Islands seat at present held by Mr. Allen Bell, a Government supporter, but although. Mr. A. E. Robinsou, secretary of the organisaiou, said that ho had no further information on the matter it -is understood to be extremely unlikely that Mr.' Grounds will be a candidate. “We want tho movomont to be a spontaneous one,” said Mr. Robinson, in emphasising that it was for tho local.,selection committees, to put forward candidates wherever feeling in favor of tho.party?s: platform .was considered th be sufficiently strong. It was certain the party would be represented by some candidates at the elections, but the number could not yet be estimated. ’ The Country Party entered the active political field in the 1925 elections, but its five candidates, all or whom contested seats in the Auckland province did not meet with conspicuous success. Its candidates were at the bottom of tho poll in three instances, and third in a field of fbur in another contest. Tho greatest support was won in the Bay of Lslands election, where the Country Party candidate was. second in a fight which five candidates contested, but Mr. Bell won by a handsome margin. The Raglan by-election last September was also contested by,,a nominee of the Country Party, but tho result was scarcely encouraging, the candidate polling fourth in a list of five, - 1