A REFORM VICTORY

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2483, 9 June 1915, Page 5

A REFORM VICTORY

BAY OF ISLANDS SEAT A CONVINCING MAJORITY THE STATE OF PARTIES The result of the polling yesterday iu tho Bay of Islands by-election was as under:— W. Stewart (R.) 3196 G. Menzies (0. 2210 Majority for Stewart 986 There is still one small return to oome, which cannot, affect the result. At the general elections in December three candidates stood for tho seat, and the voting was as under:— V. H. Reed (R.) 2328 P. Buck (0.) 2220 C. Wilkinson (R.) 1576 Majority for Reedloß The circumstances which made a byelection in this seat necessary are so recent that they need not bo recapitulated. Mr. Reed was found by an Election Court to have broken the law governing the conduct of elections, and he_ was unseated, and disqualified from sitting again in Parliament for • one year. Ab soon a's the seat was so rendered vacant, the Leader of the Opposition (Sir Joseph Ward) went to the electorate to conduct a campaign there, and he has been' fighting the election for his candidate ever since. .Ho has also been aided by a force of his followers, but the result of their combined efforts lias' been that their candidate is beaten by nearly 1000 votes. Tho Hon. A. L. Herdman went north' when Sir Joseph Ward had already set out oil his speech-making tour, and he also delivered speeches, replying to the. Leader of tho Opposition.- Within the last few days of the' fight he was assisted by Sir. Yerrion Reed and , the members, for the adjoining constituencies, Sir. F. Slander ana Mr. J. G. Coates. The importance of the' contest to the Dominion was that on the result of it might have depended the fate of_ the Government. An adverse 1 decision would not inevitably have sealed the fate of the Ministry, however. There would stilly have been the Taumarunui election on Tuesday next,_ and even' if thev had been defea'ted in both elections t-liey would have had a strength of 40 in a House of 80 members. Now the strength of parties is:— Government 41 ■ Combined opponents .' 38 One seat —Taumarunui—is still at issue. Polling in the By-election there Mill take place nest Tuesday. If the Reform nominee' (Mr. C. K. Wjlson) wins, the Government strength will be 42, which will give them a majority of 3 after the Speaker is appointed. If Mr. Wilson does not win they will still have a majority of one after the Speaker is in the Chair. SIR J. C. WARD ON THE RESULT. (By T^leirici.—Fresi Association.) . Auckland, June 8. Sir Joseph Ward arrived here to-night from Whaneared and the Bay of. Islands. Referring to the result, of the by-election, he said he accepted the verdict of the electors philosophically. .His party had fought a .hard, fair'fight, and Sir. Menzies had done the best he could in a huge electorate irr the limited time at his disposal. Sir Joseph Ward declined to make' any statement on tho political, situation, until aitar Taumarunui by-election had been Hecided.