AVON POLL TODAY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22341, 28 May 1947, Page 6

AVON POLL TODAY

MANY SPEAKERS UNEVENTFUL CAMPAIGN ADDITIONAL 500 VOTERS (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH. M?.v 23. Two weeks’ intensive campaigning in the Avon by-election concluded with election eve addresses last night and today the electors of Avon will choose a successor to the late Mr. D. G. Sullivan as their representative in Parliament. The campaign has been generally uneventful and chiefly remarkable for the number of visiting speakers who have flocked to the support of the candidates. Speeches By Ministers The Labour candidate, J. Mathison, has had the assistance of the Prime Minister, Mr. P. Fraser, and four other Ministers of the Crown, wnile yet another Minister, Mr A. II Norrimeyer, wound up the Government's campaign with an address last night. The leader of the National Party. Mr S. G. Holland, did not enter tnc fcav until Monday night, but the party s candidate. Dr. R. A. McDowell, did not lack earlier assistance. Four other Opposition members of Parliament entered the lists on his behalf, and he was r'so to have been supported by Mr. R. M Algie (Renineru), who has had to cancel an address he was to have given in the St. Albans electorate last night fs he is still suffering from laryngitis, which prevented his participation in tne by-election. The Independent Labour candidate. Mr. .1. R. Robertson, entered the campaign a week later loan the other candidates and has lacked tile assistance available to his opponents. Total Roll 15,437 A total of 15,437 electors will be eligible to vote in today's poll, that being t.-,e total ( f the main and two supple-m-ntary roils after deletions have been made. Tnc roll total at the general election in November was 14.936. approximately 500 fewer than the present figure. , r Tany organisations arc ready lor a Strong effort today. An interesting point in the arrangements is that an t vtra stair will be made available at the Lyttelton past o.Tice, where absentee voting is expected to be heavy. Under the boundary changes made ]-ui vear Avon absorbed a small but t ensely populated, area in V* ooiston. which was formerly in the Lytteilon electorate. This has meant that tnc number cf waterside workers now resident in Avon is much higher tnan formerly, and with the inclusion of Harbour board employees and other nonresident workers at the port the absentee vote at Lyttelton may be as high as 200.