THE VICTORY FOR REFORM

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2379, 8 February 1915, Page 4

THE VICTORY FOR REFORM

It seems now beyond 'all question that Mr.'Stathah has won the Dunedin Central seat. Witu a margin of over 100 votes to spare, and only a dozen absentee votes to come, it may be regarded as certain that the Reform victory is'assured. The fact that by winning this seat the Massey Government secures a majority of two votes in the'new Parliament as at present constituted clears the air of the political situation somewhat, and the possibilities of that majority being still further increased by Afresh elections at Hawke's Bay and Taumarunui _ cannot bo ignored. The most satisfactory feature of the situation, however, from the point of view of the Reform Party should be the insight into the public mind which the Dunedin Central election may be reasonably regarded as _ affording. At the General Elections the issue as between parties was necessarily shrouded in doubt, as well as being obscured in a number of instances by personal, considerations.- After the elections the ,issue became clear-cut. An additional vote one way or the other would mean the continuance in office of the Reform Government or the possibilities of a dissolution. No elector who could cast his vote at the Dunedin Central election could ignore the fact that in doing- so he was deciding something more than the fate of the individual candidates engaged. Mr. Stat jam's victory meant the continuance' in office of the Reform' Government; ,Me. _ Mtjnro's triumph meant the probability of a dissolution, and another chance for the WABD-Labour Socialist parties. The electors of Dunedin Central, even had they failed to recognise this for themselves, were not permitted to remain in ignorance, for Sir Joseph Ward himself, in his anxiety to further his party interests, made the position quite clear.' So much, indeed, depended on, the result that the Leader of the Opposition could not restrain himself and play the part of an onlooker only, but must participate in the fray, and throw the weight of his personal and party influence on the side of the LabourSocialist' candidate. He has now received their answer to bis pleadings. With a clean-cut issue of Reform versus a combination of Wardism and Labour-Socialism, the verdict has been given for Reform. The lesson of the Dunedin Central election is plain enough At the General Elections, with the party issue obscured and uncertain, the polling between Mr. Statham and Me. Muneo, ignoring informalities, was slightly in tho , latter's favour. At the by-election, when the position of parties was known, the electors have seized the opportunity to pronounce for a continuance of Reform. Sir Joseph Ward an-1 his friends now recognise, no doubt, that they were fortunate at the General Elections in polling as well as they did, and they probably _ appreciate the fact that a dissolution and another General Election would almost certainly strengthen the hands of the Government still _ further. The conditions under which the'Dunedin Central election was fought afford a rery fair test of public opinion 6hroughout New Zealand. The whole weight and -influence of the Leader of the Opposition and his rjarty were thrown into the scale in favour of the Labour-Socialist candidate, in the hope of defeating the Government, and the electors, with the political situation clearly before their eyes, returned the Government nominee. The . fact that _ Me. Statham fought the election singlehanded accentuates the Reform victory and emphasises the failure of Sir Joseph Ward.