The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1814. THE ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2330, 11 December 1914, Page 4

The Dominion. FRIDAY, DECEMBER 11, 1814. THE ELECTIONS

The General Elections yesterday resulted in a good many surprises, and the final result has yet to N be learned. There are some 12,000 votes cast by members of the Expeditionary Forces yet to be taken into account a3 well as the votes of 6eamen and absent voters, and as the majorities of the leading candidates are in many cases small the final result is yet in doubt. The actual returns aa -disclosed indicate that the Government has lost several seats, but some .ofv them, such as Dunedin Central where Mr. Statham is' one vote to the bad; Wairarapa ; where Sir Walter Buchanan is 22 votes behind his opponent; and Wellington East, where Dr. Newman is in . arrears to the extent of 34 votes, may be saved by the votes of the Expeditionary Forces. . The strength 01 parties so far is:

Government 38 Wardists 29 Labour 8 The Government have thus won half of the 76 seats, and are in suspense respecting two or three others. 'The Maori elections for the four Native seats take place to-day, and it. is quite possible that they may decide the question of whether either party will have a working majority. The Wardists, it will be seen, havo only won 29 seats put of the 76, but with tho assistance of the LaboilrSocialists may be equal in voting strength to the Government Party. Should the Expeditionary Force vote alter the position in their favour, which is considered unlikely, and should the Maori vote also go in favour of the Wardists, then tho position would 'be that tho Labour-Socialists would hold tho balance of power in New Zealand. These 'of course are at present only possibilities.. . "Tho • probability seems to be that tho Government will -at least secure 40 votes in a Houfeo of 80 members—an unsatisfactory position for. all parties v ' A fact which cannot be ignored is tho success of the Labour-Social-ists. No fewer than eight of those who have contested seats under the banners .'of the Social Democratic Party and tho Labour Representation Committee have been elected. Presumably this can only be taken, as an indication that the public are indifferent to the consequences of encouraging tho methods of these extremists. The fullest warning was given as to the danger of'placing the Labour-Socialists in tho position of dominating a weak Ward Party, but the oounsek of prudence were ignored, and it is quite possible that the country may have to pay the penalty in a period of unsettled government and disturbed conditions. The situation in this respect is a far from 'pleasant one. Probably the greatest surprise of the election has been the defeat of Mr. Fisher for the Central seat bv so large a majority. It is essentially a Labour constituency, and Mr. FishEr has been sacrificed by Labour for his action as a member of the Masse? Government in upholding law and order and in assisting to protect' the _ interests of the com- [ munity during the strike of last I year., _ His loss > to the party and to Parliament will be. a serious one. Happily, he is a young man, and it is safe to predict, that his absence from the House of Representatives will not be of long duration.— The ease of Sir Walter Buchanan is yet in abeyance, and he may still be returned once more to represent his old constituency. It is somewhat astonishing to those outside the electorate, who know of his services to the Wairarapa and to the Dominion, that he should be so hard pressed by a oandidate who by contrast' has so little to. commend him. The defeat of tho Hon. R. M'Kenzie was not * unexpected. He has lost ground for some time past, both in and out of Parliament.

Until the final results, are known it will be impossible to form any correct judgment as to the prospects for the Government in the new Parliament. ■ On present appearances it may have a narrow majority. The Ward Party as was' anticipated is again in a hopeless minority. ; In a Housg of 76 European members it at present has only 29 seats, and at tho best can only secure 30. It is completely in the hands of the Labour-Socialists for any advantage it may hope to gain from the situation. ' With the Bay of Plenty seat still undecided and Wellington East. Wairarapa, _ and Dunedin Central still trembling in the balance, the situation favours the prospects of the Government, but no one can predict with any confidence what the final outcome will be. Wo must wait for the count of tho votes of tho Expeditionary Forces and for the Maori ballots.