COMING ELECTIONS

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 55, 27 October 1931, Page 3

COMING ELECTIONS

("Post" Speeial Conimissioner)

THORNY PROBLEMS COALITXONf PARTIES PREPARE ACTIVELY FOR CAMPAIGN SELECTION OF CANDIDATES

WELLINGTON, Monday. No time will be lost by the political organisations of the two parties associated in the Coalition Government in coming to an agreement for the selection of eandidates to carry the Coalition banner at the coming general elections. So many eandidates have already been declared in the interests of the Reform and United Parties respectively that it is plain that the task of reducing the number of aspirants for seats with a view to avoiding votesplitting will present some difficulty and complications. It is understood that it has already been agreed that sitting Reform and United members shall stand as the official Government eandidates, excluding Mr. Vincent Ward, the United member for Invercargill, who has intimated that he will not contest his seat. This accounts for 51 Government eandidates, leaving 29 selections to he made for contests in other electorates. Altogether 116 Reform and United eandidates, including sitting members, had been announced up to the time of the Government's announcement of the Coalition appeal, so that the saerifice will have to be made of 36 aspirants for political honours in the process of fining down the surplus. Willing to Stand Down It is reported that some of the eandidates have already been approaehed and have expressed their willingness to stand down. There are indications in some electorates, however, that difficulty. will arise in clearing the path and there is reason for believing that there will be a number of independent Reform and independent United eandidates in the lists. The 29 selections for the balance of the Government nominees will be made as early as possible on a fifty-fifty basis. An interesting position arises in electorates where the seats are held by Labour or independent members and where both Reform and United eandidates have been announced. It is understood that in these cases the leaders will eonsult with the local organisations and executives in an endeavour to secure a decision as to which of the rival eandidates has the better chance of success in a strajghtout contest. If loeal agreement is impossible, then the leaders will, in the light of the information available to them concerning the m;erits of the respective eandidates, make a decision. Maisy Adjustments A glance at the list of eandidates already declared shows that adjustments will require to be made in 40 electorates, over half the total of the European constituencies. Sitting Government members are opposed hy United eandidates in 23 electorates and by Reform aspirants in 12 constituencies and dual candidature further complicates the position in five other districts not held by the Government. In that total 14 United supporters are announced against sitting Reform memhers in electorates where Labour and other eandidates are in the field, and eight Reform standard-bearers are similarly arrayed against sitting United members. In straight-out contests, there are nine Reform eandidates declared against sitting United memhers and there are also four instances of United eandidates opposing sitting Reform members. The Labour Party has 47 candiates in the field so far, and it is expected that in view of the alliance between the Reform and United Parties an endeavour will be made to contest as many seats as possible. An unusually large number of independent eandidates, either straightout Independents or with leanings to one party or another. is appearing in lists. Of a total of 24, no less than 16 have declared themselves as independents without qualification. In addition, there are six Country Party eandidates.