A TEST OF STRENGTH

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 3, Issue 612, 17 August 1933, Page 4

A TEST OF STRENGTH

Neither the Government nor the Opposition is making any secret of the fact that both sides regard the Lyttelton byelection as a trial of strength. The electorate is partly urban and partly rural, and as it was never regarded as a safe seat, even for so strong a personality as the late Mr. McCombs, the contest would appear to be a very open one. The late member held the seat for twenty years, but on one occasion the reeount went to the Supreme Court before the issue was deqided, and at the last General Election his majority over Mr. Freeman, the present Coalition candidate, was only 52 votes. The Labour Party has already set its organisation in motion with the president of the party, Mr. F, Langstone, at the head of affairs, and it is expected that the whole of their oratorical forces will soon be concentrated in the electorate. The Coalition has not made any definite move yet, but it is expected that it too will soon have squadrons of speakers in the constituency. It is anticipated also that several Ministers of the Crown will visit Lyttelton before the campaign closes. In fact it has been stated in political circles that owing to the by-election the date for the opening of Parliament has been set back a couple of weeks. The Legislature will now assemble on September 21, three days after the arrival home of the Prime Minister, who will not be able to participate in the byelection. One of the important issues at Lyttelton will be the Labour Party's scheme of guaranteed prices. This was formulated at the last annual conference of the party, and the proposals are no doubt designed to appeal to the farmer. It is the Labour Party's* contention that prices can be fixed for commodities, irrespective of the prices for the same commodities on the overseas markets. This policy involves the control of overseas and internal marketing and the immediate control by the State of the entire banking system. For the mortgaged farmer Labour offers "conservation of present holders' interests in land and homes by readjustment of mortgages on a basis of the average prices for the past seven years." To the unemployed Labour offers "guaranteed wages and salaries in accord with national production." The Government's reply to this platform is that it is purely inflationary and that it would bring financial and commercial chaos to every section of the community. Several Ministers of the Crown have turned down the guaranteed prices scheme on the ground that it is impracticable owing' to the fact that the hulk of New Zealand's primary produce is disposed of overseas. No doubt both sides will quots facts and figures to support their contentions, and the poor elector will have plenty to bewilder him. The Government is definitely opposed to the State control of . banking, and has practically committed itself to a central reserve bank which will be run free from political control. The by-election, apart from party politics, will have another interest. The Labour Party's candidate is Mrs E. R. McCombs Widow .of the late member, and it is generally oonsidered that she will be making the strongest bid a woman has so f ar made to enter the New Zealand Parliament. Like Miss E. Melville, of Auckland, she is already an old but- so far unsuccessful campaigner. Both have already faced the electors at least three times, and both have lengthy

local body service to their credit. Miss Melville has stood for various seats in Auckland, both as a Reform nominee and as an Independent, while Mrs. McCombs has contested both Kaiapoi and Christchurch North itnder the auspices of the Labour Party. B.oth are graduates of the New "Zealand University— Miss Melville itt law and Mrs. j McCombs in* arts. Iri New Zealand women made fheir first appearance on the hustings in 1919, but unlike their English and Australian sisters they have i so far been unable to woo a rria- j jority of the electors. In Eng- 1 land one woman, Miss Margaret Bondfield, has achieved Cabiiiet rank and the President of the United States of America has included a woman, Miss Perkins, in his Cabinet. Strarigely enough in both cases the portfolio allotted has been that of Labour.