THE NOMINATIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2324, 4 December 1914, Page 6

THE NOMINATIONS

: * SOME INTERESTING FIGURES. The "New Zealand Herald" publianca the following interesting .partioukrß concerning the nominations for tie general election:— • ■ The total number of candidates for the 76 European seats is 178, as against 220 at the Fast general elections, which ie equal to.a reduction of over 20 per cent. This reduction, no doubt, is largely due to'the repeal.of the Second Ballot Act, and .the consequent thinning, out of a number of the 1 weaker-candi-dates, and to the efforta of the'LiboralLabour Alliance to avoid the splitting of votes. In no fewer than 56 of the ,76 Beats there are only two candidates. In 48.0f these straight-out contests the. •battle is between a .Reform and an Opposition candidate, the remaining eight single-handed fights being between Government supporters and Labour candidates, variously designated : In 1911 there ;were only 28 seats for which there were only two candidates, or.exactly half the number of cases in which the issue has been narrowed down _ to two men on the present occasion. • The multiplicity of'.candidates three years ago resulted in 30 second ballots. In 19 cases this year there are three candidates, as against 28 instances three years ago. In 1911 there were four candidates in 16 cases; this year there is only one quartet, viz., in Palmerston, where two Reformers, an Opposition, and a. Social Democrat are facing the starter. There were, three fields of five at the last election; but none this time. There are'no "walk-overs" this year, whereas in 1911 there was one, Sir James Carroll then having no opponent for Gisborne.

• _An analysis of. the nominations shows that there are 79 Reform candidates, 67 Oppositionists, 24 Labour candidates, two Independents, .atfd one classed as "Prohibitionist." "The Reform Party has a candidate in every electorate, whilst the Opposition Party ia contesting 66, and the various Labour parties 28 electorates. The 42 seats in the North Island are being contested by 97 candidates, whilst there are 76 aspirants for the 34 seats in the South Island.