LABOUR WINS FOUR MAORI SEATS EASILY

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 14, Issue 70, 30 November 1949, Page 4

LABOUR WINS FOUR MAORI SEATS EASILY

By a substantial majority in each case Labour again won all four seats at the Maori election held throughout New Zealand yesterday. In the northern, eastern and southern electorates sitting Labour members were returned, while the candidate for western Maori, Mrs Ratana, was returned with a majority of 5871 votes.

Despite a strong bid for the eastern seat by the National candidate, Mr T. Carroll, the sitting Labour member, Mr J. Omana, again carried the day and polled 8005 votes, a majority of 2911 over his opponent. Mr Carroll clc.'med 5094 votes. The majority won ! v Labour in the 1946 election was 1C 17. For the northern : eat the Labour candidate, Mr T. P. Paikea, polled 5721 votes, Mr J. C. Henare, National, 3709, and Mr Otene, Independent, 94. Mr Tuwhare, Kauhanganui Independent Labour, claimed 30 votes. This gave Labour a majority of 2012 compared with 2555 in 1946.

Perhaps the surprise of the election was the convincing success experienced by the Labour candidate for the western Maori, Mrs Ratana, widow of the winning candidate in 1946. Mrs Ratana won the seat after polling 8518 votes. In 1946 the Labour majority was 6491. The National candidate, Mr H. Marumaru, was expected to do better. He could only claim 2647 votes. The other eight contestants for the western seat polled 1384 votes between them.

The southern Maori seat was also a clear cut victory for Labour, the sitting member, Mr E. T. Tirikatene, winning by a majority of 589 over his National opponent, Mr Bates, who took 265 votes.