FIFTEEN CANDIDATES.

Chronicle (Levin), 5 November 1946, Page 6

FIFTEEN CANDIDATES.

With 15 candidates now in the field, the campaign for the four Maori seats is gaining rapidly in tempo. As in past elections, personalities are counting as much as policies, and marae addresses and discussions have often suggested a clasli between voters' political views and the loyalty and aft'ection they feel individually or tribally toward particular candidates.

It is generally recognised among the Maori people that the National Party makes, perhaps, its most elfective approach in the qualitv of the candidates it has selected. All possess a wide mana and influc-nce, a qualification that lends wcight to their assurances that the party, if elccted to ollice, will maintain the prcsent levels of- wages, social security beneflts and pcnsions. They are also emphasisiug that the primarv need for thc Maori people is compctent and respccted leadership in the House, irrespective of the party in power. Cousins as Candidates. Two candidates of Ihe samo family contost thc Western Maori scat in Mr. ! M. Pataua (Labour), thc sitting mcmj bor, and Mr. II. Marumaru (National). i The fact that thev are cousins is an

I added political complication for Maori | voters, and observers predict a much I closer contcst tlian in 1913 wlicn, j assisted'by thc block Vo'te of the Pataua j elemcnt, ihe Labour Party :gahtfsd a i 8(iuo majority ' The Western Ma.Ori electoratc extends •to Ihe southern tipundurica of greater j Auckland, and both Mr. Pataua and Mr. ■ Marumaru have been actlve in Bouth Auckland and the Waikato. No exlcnsive campaigning has been undertaken by thc two Indepeudeut candidates, Mr, P. Kauhou aud Mr. P. M. Amohanga. The latter, who was proposed

from Ihe Te Kuiii arca, claims to be tlio only descendaut of the famous warrior, Povvi Mauiapoto. In thc Eastern Maori cleetorate, the ehauces bf 8ir Apiraua Ngata (Natioual) capturing the seat from Mr. T. Omana (Labour; are rated liighly, Sir Apirana begau his campaign long before thc dissolution of Parliament and, e'ven in distriets wliere the (jovernment was rcgarded as having outstanding supporl, marae discussions have suggested that respect for a uotcd leader may outweiglit party considerations.