THE ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2335, 17 December 1914, Page 6

THE ELECTIONS

THE HAWKE'S BAY SEAT ERROR IN THE COUNT BR. M'NAB WINS BY 9 VOTES News came from Hastings last night that the position of the candidates for the Hawko's Bay seat had been changed. The preliminary count gave Mr.' H. M. Campbell a majority, of 217, but when the absent votes and! Expeditionary Forco votes were counted this lead was reduced to 196 —a fairly 6afe margin, as it appeared. The official count by ■ the Returning Officer» die-r closed the fact that 100 votes for Dr. M'Nab had boon wrongly' credited to Mr. Campbell, and the final figuree now give Dr. M'Nab a majority of 9 votes. The count for Taumarunui election, was not completed last night, but it is understood that; so far ae-it has gone it has not altered the position of tho candidates. ■ ' The return for Patea, for which sanRuine Oppositionists have been looking with eagerness' for a couple of days, came to hand yesterday. The official count, and the addition of absent votes and soldiers' votes, has increased Mr. . Pearce's majority from 104 to 118. Following are the figures:—. G. V. Pcarce (R.) 3388 W. Morrison (0.) L 3270 Reform majority .118 , Northern Maori Seat, A statement has been published to the effect that Mr. Tau Henare, the member returned for Northern Maori, is not a supporter'of tho Reform Party, but of the Opposition. Mr. ' Henare has always been announced- as a Reformer, both before and after the elections, and he has always been considered by the Prirno Minister as a sup- ' porter of his party. When asked about Mr. Henare's position yesterday, Mr. Massey would say no more than this: "Mr. Tau Henare, -with whom I am .well acquainted, is, I believe, a perfectly straight, and perfectly honourable man, and there is nothing more to be said on the subject." Statement by Mr. Parr. The Opposition journal at Auckland, seeking to hearten the rank and file of the 'Wardiat party in. that city, remarked, when analysing the results of' the elections, that the Eden election 'might- be subject to revision. The reference was, of course, to the allegation that Mr. Parr's 'secretary had made a certain offer to the Social Democratic candidate for the Eden seat. ' Here is Mr. Parr's reply, published an a letter, in the next-issue of the same journal:— "I regret that a passage in your leading columns last night attotnpts to throw doubt on- the validity of the Eden election. I desire to say that 1 am of opinion , that the poll cannot be upset, and I am strongly advised to that effect. I shall welcome, however, any opportunity to go into the witness-box and there make public some ex- ■'■ traordinary facts which ' have just come to my knowledge, and which throw a lurid light on how this ignoble attempt to injure my candi- ' dature and the Reform' Party was engineered and carried through."

HAWSE'S BAY RECOUNT' DR. M'NAB WINS'BY NINE VOTES. .': (By Meeraph.—Press Association. , ■ i ' Hastings, December 16. It is understood that the: recount places Dr. M'Nab in the lead with a majority of 17 votes. When interviewed the Returning Officer declined to make any official statement, merely replying "Where there's smoke, there's fire." ..' ' Later.. The result,of the recount is that Dr. M'Nab heads the poll. i . ' The Returning Officer s official figures "DiVM'Nab (0.) .................. 4225 H. M. Campbell (R.) .......... 4216 Majority for Dr. M'Nab... ■ 9 _ The announcement was loudly cheered by Dr. M'Nab's supporters. BRUCE. Dunedin, December 15, The following are the official, figures for the Bruce'election:— ''• • . Hon. J. Allen (R.) ....'..;........... 3084 C. R. Smith (0.) ..................;.. 2391