NATIONAL CANDIDATES IN CONFERENCE

Chronicle (Levin), 16 September 1946, Page 8

NATIONAL CANDIDATES IN CONFERENCE

WELLINGTON, Sept. 35. The National Party on Saturday helft a cont'erenee of eandidates in Wellington which \vi 11 be continued tomorrow. Up to the present, the Partv lias selected 71 of its 80 eandidates. Tvvo more electorates will select tlieir eandidates this week. The purpose of the conference is principally to famiharise eandidates with the draf't policy of the Party and obtain their endorsement of it before they start their campaigns. There was practieally a full attendanee of M.P. 's and eandidates. A welcome was extended to the visitors by the president of the Party, Mr. A. J. Sim, K.G., who presided. Most of Saturday 's programme was oceupied with discussion of policy which was conducted by the leader of the Party, Mr. S. G. Holland. He said he had been partieularlv impressed by the quality of the eandidates ehosen by National Party members to represent them in the various electorates. A large number were returned soldiers of the recent war. he had been particularly gratilied thar

! | there were active memhers of workers' j unioms who had been attraeted by tne 1 National Party \s policy and personnel. !A spirit of optimism prevailed but | there was no over confidence althougn ! reports from everv electorate, ineluding ; ; the Maori electorates, indicated that ' the swing in political opinion refleeted ! at all the by-elections since 1943, was j continuing.