EDEN BYE-ELECTION

Southland Times, Issue 19830, 29 March 1926, Page 7

EDEN BYE-ELECTION

CANDIDATES HAVE TRYING TIME. ACCIDENTS WITH MOTORS. (Special to the Times.) Auckland, March 28. Good work with a long-handled shovel was done at Oratia by Sir James Gunson when, with members of his party, he laboured with vigour to extricate his motor car which had gone over the edge of the road on the detour. The Reform candidate was hastening to address a meeting of electors at Brigham’s Creek, and in passing along a narrow road at the back of Oratia was forced to the side of the road by another vehicle. Rains had rendered the road treacherous and heavy. The car partially over-turned in a deep depression. Heavy rain was falling but the party, which included the Reform organiser, Mr E. A. Davy, set to work to dig the car out. Fortunately another car came along and the candidate reached Brigham’s Creek meeting wet and muddy, but unperturbed. He delivered a vigorous address and was complimented by several speakers on not disappointing those who had journeyed through the rain to hear him. Ir. the evening again Sir James went out from the city to Hobsonville, driving through heavy rain over some particularly bad pieces of road. Here, too, appreciation was expressed at the candidate’s action in keeping his appointment under 'adverse circumstances. The Labour candidate, Mr H. L. S. R. Mason, also had a motor accident. The car which was travelling to his meeting at Henderson collided with the back of a Chinaman’s cart in a dark country road and suffered some damage to its radiator and lamps. Mr Mason arrived ten minutes late at the meeting and had to cut his address short in order to catch the last train back to town. The writs for the Eden bye-election were issued on Friday and the poll will be taken on Thursday, April 15. In conformity with the law the supplementary roll closed at 6 p.m. on Friday. Since the roll for the General Election closed, between 700 and 800 names have been added to the Eden roll and nearly 550 have been removed for various reasons such as death and removal from the district. The roll on Friday afternoon stood at 13,888. The supplementary roll, which will consist of less than 20 pages, should be available about Thursday next. Seamen will have to obtain electoral rights as heretofore, but it is doubtful if any voters of this class are resident in Eden. NOMINATIONS ON APRIL 6. (Special to the Times). Wellington, Mar. 28. Nominations for the Eden bye-election close on April 6. The roll closed on March 26, the date of the issue of the writ.