MANY CANDIDATES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 75, 19 November 1931, Page 6

MANY CANDIDATES

OVER TWO HUNDRED ARE ALREADY IN THE FIELD — VARIETY OF BANNERS * A feature of the general election 'campaign, which has now opened in real earnest throughout the country to-day, is the presence of a crop of political aspirants who will go to the polls under an almost unprecedented variety of designations. Apart from fhe 76 official Coalitionists and the 52 Labour candidates whose nominations have so. far been announced, there are to date 81 others who will seek olection as the supporters of no fewer than 13 supposedly distinct policies. The nominations will not close un--til to-morrow at noon, and there may yet be a number of additional candidates named. Up. to the beginning of the week the total definitely announced was 209. These included 76 official Government candidates, inciuding 42 Reform Coalitionists, 33 United Coalitionists, and Mr. W. J. Polson, the Stratford Independent who has received the Government's endorsement for that seat. Official Labour candidates announced to date 'number 52, and there are already 23 straight-out Independents seeking election. Candidates in 1928 numbered 212. 0 Many Shades of Opinion For the rest there is a strange collection of political banne.rs, although tit appears that in many instances the .shades of oninion differ very slightly. Fifteen Independent Reformers have 'definitely announced that they will „ stand, and to these are added 13 Independent United candidates. In . many instances these candidates are ;opposing the official Government nominees, and will split the voting to the detriment of the Coalition candidates' ;chanees. Nearly all these Indepen- - dent Reform and United supporters will vote for the Government.