REFORM TRIUMPHS

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2376, 4 February 1915, Page 6

REFORM TRIUMPHS

IN DUNEDIN CENTRAL MR. STATHAM WINS BY A NARROW MARGIN VERY HEAVY POLLING. C. E. Statham (R.) 3843 J. W. Munro (Lab.) 3825 Majority for Statham ... is Absent votes to come 224 Seamen's votes 35 A great deal of interest was taken in the Duiiediu Central election to-day. The weather was fine until lato in the afternoon, when raiu fell for a time. Tho total number of names on the roll was 9415, and 7668 valid votes were cast, as against 7399 at tho general election in December. Large crowds congregated in front of the newspaper offices awaiting the results. The number of absent votes to come is 224 and seamen's votes 35. Absent yoters are scattered all over the Dominion, aud probably the result will be indefinite for a few.days.—Press Association.

All tho news available about the Duncdin Central by-election is contained in the foregoing. The interest taken in the contest may bo judged by comparison of them with the figures for- the election on December 10. Tho preliminary count on election night giving the figures which ought to furnish tho fairest comparison with those printed above were: — J. W. Munro (Lab.) .'. 3653 C. E. Statham (H.) 3fio2 Majority for Muuro ... 1 The official count >by tho returning officer, which would include absent votes, seamen's votes, aud soldiers' votes was as follows: — Muuro >... 3799 Statham 3791 Informal 78 Majority for Munro ... 8 Subsequently there was a recount by a Magistrate, and the Magistrate disallowed certain votes. His declaration was: — Statham 3744 Munro 3732 Informal 199

Majority forStatham ... 12 ■ As everyone knows, Mr. Statham refused to sit in Parliament after haviug been returned owing to the fault of a deputy-returning officer or poll. clerk, and ho resigned his seat, to contest it again. "Don't halloo till you are out of the wood" is a very old proverb, and it is still open to his opponents to say that Mr. Statham is liot yet out of the wood. All that can be said safely is that he is 18 steps nearer the edge of the wood than the other competitor. The general opinion in Dn'nodiu, however, was that a large majority of the abseut votes would go to him, and if the tipsters are right Mr. Statham's final majority may yet provo to bo a decisive one. There are rumours, too, that certain seamen, to the number of about 30, have been wrongly entered upon the roll, and their votes may be challenged and may be disallowed. Nothing very definite can be said about the state of parties in the House until it is certain that Mr. Statham is returned, and until it is certain also that certain other members against whose return petitions have been lodged •■will, or will not, hold their seats. If none of the election 1 petitions succeed, and if Mr. Statham wins out in the end, Mr. Massey will lead a party of , 41 in the new House, and Sir Joseph Ward vill lead a conglomerate party of '.'Liberals" and Labour-Socialists of 3 combined strength of 39.