NATIONAL POLITICS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18760, 17 July 1935, Page 6

NATIONAL POLITICS

BAY OF PLENTY SEAT

NOMINATION ASPIRANTS

POSITION NOT SETTLED A considerable amount of interest has developed in connection with the nomination of the National Politioa,l Federation in tin' Bay of Plenty electorate, where a stiff' fight to retain tho scat for tlic National Federation is anticipated. There are at least threo announced aspirants for the Government nomination, and others are reported to hi' ready to oiler their services should they he' called upon, prior to the actual selection of a Covernment nominee for the seat in succession to Mr. K. S. Williams. M.P.

The agitation felt in Opotiki regarding the failure of the federation immediately to accept the. nomination of Mr. .!. T.'Merry, who was one of the first in the field alter the announcement of the impending retirement of Mr. K. S. Williams', has had its retleetion in that portion of the Bay of Plenty_ electorate lying on til.' south-eastern side of the ranges. It is admitted that the elector-

ate is a difficult one to represent, in that it cover-, a great area and is sparsely settled, like most of the farming electorates, and moreover the mountain range separating Opotiki and Whakalane from Poverty Bay is a physical barrier to the development of community interests. In the circumstances, ii. is not an easy matter lo select a candidate who,can be expected to command wholehearted support from both sides of the range, except where a personality such as Mr. K. S." Williams emerges in the political field. MR. MERRY'S CLAIMS Having voluntarily withdrawn from the campaign at the last election in order to avoid a splitting of the noil Labor interests in the electorate, Mr. Merry can claim consideration in respect of the general election this year. He is well known in the Opotiki district, where he has occupied a public office for some years, and has old associations with the Liberal interests, latterly represented in national politics by the t'mteds. Whether Mr. Merry can command the all round support necessary to retain the seat, when he is not known personally to the great- majority of the settlers in his electorate on this side of the ranges is, of course, the main question affecting his chances of securing the Government nomination. Lu the early stages of negotiations respecting the nomination it was understood that Mr. O'Sullivan, Mayor of Whakatane, was an aspirant for the honor, but Mr. .O'Sullivan has since intimated that- he is not seeking nomination. Mr. John Jackson, of Gisborne, until recently Mayor of the town, has complicated his position by a public statement at Patutahi lo tho effect thai he felt that ho must retain independence of action, should he seek national political honors. It is evident that, with other candidates offering who would give pledges of support for the Government, the selection committee appointed by the, district organisation of the National Federation will require some solid pledge from -Mr. Jackson before taking his name into consider;* t ion. AN EAST COAST CANDIDATE The East Coast candidate,, Mr. W. F. Metcalfe, has a good record in public office, having been one of the early chairmen of the Matakaoa County Conn cil and an active pioneer of settlement in tho top end of the Coast district. His was one of the first names to come into prominence this year in connection with the Coalition -nomination/ and he must command support' from' the more conservative of the farming electors ol the constituency.' '.'.'". '.. A now aspirant for, the honor has emerged recently in Mr. J. E. Benson;. president of the Poverty Bay "Farmers' Union, who has an extensive connection mainly among-the small farmers of th' electorate. While not ambitious to enter politics, Mr. Benson has, be,en ".persuaded that his position with the small farmer? might have ;> decisive effect upon the matter of retaining the seat for lh' Coalition, and is now.prepared to enter his name as a candidate for the nomination.

The task which will confront Ihe selection committee, at a meeting to be held late this month at Matawai, is one of great difficulty and delicacy. Not only the names mentioned above, but also others, perhaps, will ..have to be weighed in the balance of personal appeal and political weight, and on the decision of the committee, to a large extent, will rest the chances of retainin;; the Bay of Plenty seat against a sliong Labor candidate.