PARTIES GET BUSY IN EDEN ELECTORATE.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17780, 25 February 1926, Page 12

PARTIES GET BUSY IN EDEN ELECTORATE.

LABOUR SANGUINE OF RESULT OF POLL,

(Special to the “Star.”) AUCKLAND, February 24. The announcement of Sir James Parr’s appointment to London has come as no surprise to the Reform and Labour Party organisations in Auckland, and both have their preparations for the by-election in a forward state. It is no secret that Labour intends to spare no effort to capture Eden, and they are planning a very vigorous campaign. They confidently anticipated that Mr H. G. R. Mason would defeat Sir James Parr at the general election, and the size of the majority of Sir James came as a shock to them, as it was a surprise to everyone else. But it is practically certain that they will nominate Mr Masoti again, holding that in Eden, as elsewhere in the Dominion, Labour did not run true to form last November. Labour considers that Eden is a 44 Labour seat,” and the party hope to make it so. No doubt Labour will attempt to cloud the land policy issue which Sir James Parr kept to the fore so effectively and persistently at the general election. No doubt, also, the size of the Reform majority in the House will be used as an argument for strengthening the Opposition, therefore Sir James Parr’s majority of over two thousand cannot confidently be expected to be voted to the new Reform candidate. Much will depend, of course, on who the candidate is. The Reform organiser, Mr A. E. Davy, is at present conducting party meetings throughout Eden. These meetings are to elect delegates to a committee which will finally select the Reform candidate. Selection will not be an easy matter, as there are several candidates. It is understood that Sir James Gunson will stand if he gets the official imprimatur of the party. Miss Ellen Melville seeks the same endorsement, being confident that she can hold the seat. It does not seem certain at this stage whether she will accept the decision of the representative selection committee, but it is very probable that she will do so. She had experience in 1922 of the fate of the independent Reformer, when standing for Roskill. It is generally accepted that the real choice of the Reformers will be between these two, with the odds on Sir James Gunson, if the party chiefs are supported by the district delegates. The ability of Sir James Gunson is, of course, unquestioned, but it may be doubted whether his prestige in the city extends to the outer suburbs and rural districts that Eden includes. Moreover, he has never been a political platform, and has yet to prove, as Miss Melville has certainly that he can handle a rowdy meeting.

There are other names mentioned, such as Mr C. F. Gardner, chairman of the New Lynn Town Board, and Mr W. J. Tait, Mayor of Avondale, but not much weight need be given their claims.

The Liberal Party executive will probably meet toward the end of this week. They were late in the field at the general election, and their candidate withdrew from the contest. Liberalism polled fairly well in Eden three years ago, but that vote was given to other parties at the last election. However, there is a disposition in Liberal circles to test the strength of the Liberal vote in the electorate, and it is understood that aspirants for the party “ticket” are not lacking. It will be a week or so before the position with regard to the Reform and Liberal candidates is defined, so that Labour may be credited with some slight initial advantage in their possession of a candidate who is known in the electorate and has twice contested the Eden seat.