THE COMING ELECTIONS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17610, 28 October 1931, Page 7

THE COMING ELECTIONS

COALITION ACTIVITIES AVOIDING VOTE-SPLITTING (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, last night. United Party representatives from Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, 7 and Dunedin met at Wellington today, "when the question of candidates at the coming election was fully discussed. An assurance was given that everything would be d.ono to avoid vote splitting and conflicts at the polls. Both party leaders, says the Dominion, have informed candidates throughout the country that they are expected to enter the spirit of the Coalition campaign. It is understood that all sitting members will receive the Coalition nomination, including Mr. "Vincent Ward, Government member for Invercargill, who previously announced that he would not reeontest the seat. “SPIRIT OP THE COALITION” TIMARU REFORMERS (Per Press Association.) TIM ABIT, this day. Tliere was a good attendance of Reform supporters at a meeting held last night, when it was decided .to enter into the spirit of the Coalition Government and call themselves Coalitionists. . • The following resolution was earned unanimously: “That this meeting of Coalition Government supporters is prepared to abide by the choice of the Coalition Cabinet in the selection of a candidate to contest the 1 imam seat.” THE.EGMONT SEAT MR. MASTERS NOT STANDING (Per Press Association.) HAWERA, this day. A rumor that the Hon. R. Masters will be nominated as the Coalition candidate to oppose Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, member for Egmont, is discounted by a letter from the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates to Mr. F. Gawith, the official Reform candidate, in which Mr. Gawith is informed that he is the Coalition nominee. Mr. Coates further states that where both a United and Reform candidate have been nominated to oppose a sitting member, the Government will choose between the two. A list of selected candidates for such electorates will be published shortly. HAWKE’S BAY SEAT MR. ROACH WITHDRAWS (Per Press Association.) HASTINGS, this day. Mr*. G. F. Roach, Mayor of Hastings, the United candidate chosen to contest the Hawke’s Bay seat against Mr. H. M. Campbell, the Reform member, has withdrawn his candidature. The committee supporting Mr. Roach met yesterday to consider a telegram from the Hon. R. Masters : and decided to recommend Mr. Roach to accede to the Prime Minister’s re- 1 quest that ho withdraw. The Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes has been ' advised of Mr. Roach’s decision.

AUCKLAND SEATS COMPROMISES REACHED (Per Press Association.) /AUCKLAND, last night. Tho selection of the Coalition can didates to contest the Auckland Metropolitan seats was advanced to-day when the situation la three constituencies was clarified. ' 'The developments include the endorsement of Mr. J. A. C. Allum and Mr. R. H. Marryatt as the Coalition candidates for Auckland West and Auckland Suburbs respectively and a decision ,of Sir George Richardson, Reform candidate for Auckland East, to retire in favor of the sitting member, Mr. J. B. Donald. “RIGHT POLITICS” THE SUPERFLUOUS CANDIDATES The Dunedin Star says: “To hold an election at a moment of. stress for the sake of giving Labor 28 seats, or at tho best 83, as its own predictions have been made, in a House of 80 might seem quaint to immortals or to business men, but it is , right politics, and-certainly the best party politics from the Coalition viewpoint. Its appeal will be best made to the country while the country feels the need of a Coalition Government and before it -has forgotten it. The decision against postponement, which we assume is pleasing Labor to-day, may soon be its chief regret. It is expected that Labor will facilitate in every way tho business of the House so that the emergency programme of the GovernmOnt can bo put through in time for the elections to be held, probably ,on December 9, though in a statement which he makes assailing Ins opponents on tho old assumption that no abnormal situation has ever arisen, Mr. Holland does not pledge himself to so much. The date forecasted would allow three weeks for the session and •three weeks for the election campaign. Both will be a rush. Three weeks suffices for the British electoral campaign, but the electorates are 'more concentrated in Great Britain than, except in the cities, they are here. The main difficulty for the Coalition will be in persuading the surplus involved in. 116 candidates already appointed by the separate parties to stand down in the interests of unity, but the appeals made by both the party leaders, joined with the obvious necessity of the times, should convince most of those superfluous ones flow they can best serve the State.” NO VOTE SPLITTING COALITION RESPONSIBILITY That the country is burdened with a bafl electoral law makes it all the more necessary that the strength of the Coalition vote should be concentrated on one candidate in each contest, states the Auckland Star. It has been contended , that occupation of a seat should not by v itself confer a right to Coalition nomination; that, in the public interest, a sitting member should give way to a Utter map. In principle this is per-j

fectly sound, and no one would suggest that every present member of our House is the best man available. In practice, however, it is extremely difficult—indeed, well-nigh impossible—to displace a sitting member as a party nominee if he insists on standing. He is the man in possession, and is not at all disposed to admit that he could he improved upon. He can argue that he won tho sent, and ask if there is any certainty that j another candidate would do as well. Tjiero was a conspicuous instance in the Reform Party in the Auckland province a few years ago. A sitting member went to the party ballot against a man immeasurably his superior, but he was not displaced. Of course, in an ideal society the sitting member would come forward and admit- his defects and beg the party organisation to consider only the good of the country in making a selection, but if our society were ideal there would not be parties. As it is, the party organisation. weaker here than in England, is not strong enough to insist on a member who is a poor stick effacing himself. The main task of the Coalition organisations will be to sec that there is no vote-splitting in trving to hold seats or to win them from Labor.