CHRISTCHURCH EAST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 January 1943, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH EAST

BY-ELECTION CANDIDATES. — It FIVE IN THE FIELD. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, January 18. The Christchurch East electoral roll closed today with 14,939 names. There are now five candidates:—M. E. Lyons, National; Miss Mabel Howard, Labour; Horace E. Herring, Democratic Labour; O. J. F.- McKee, Independent, and L. A. Efford “Peace” candidate. Nominations close next Friday. In 1938, the roll number was 15,205, and in 1935 it was 12,947. Special arrangements have been made for soldiers, sailors and airmen to vote. Piquancy has been added to the Christchurch East by-election, campaigning for which has now begun, by the entering in the lists .of a new candidate—an industrial Labour man, Mr O. J. F. McKee, avowedly only in the fight to air a union dispute. He will oppose the official Labour nominee, Miss Mabel Howard, and any votes he may get will assuredly come from, the Labour side. The same applies, and in much greater measure, to those votes which will come the way of the former Labour member for Mid-Canter-bury, Mr H. E. Herring, now fighting Labour as a follower of Mr J. A. Lee in the Democratic Labour group. The chance, almost a certainty, of the big Labour vote in Christchurch East being split three ways is one that will be exploited to the full by the National Party candidate, Mr M. E. Lyons, city councillor and veteran of numerous political fights.