POLL TO-MORROW

Evening Star, Issue 22456, 29 September 1936, Page 8

POLL TO-MORROW

MANUKAU BY-ELECTION REDUCED MAJORITY FOR LABOUR EXPECTED [Special to thb ‘ Star;’] AUCKLAND, September 29 ; Voting in the Manukau by-election takes place to-morrow. The candidates —Mr F. W. Doidge (Nationalist) and Mr A. G. Osborne (Labour)—have conducted active campaigns since the fight for the vacancy caused by Mr W. J. Jordan’s promotion, to the High Commissionership commenced in earnest on September 8. _ , In view of the Labour Party s overwhelming majority at the General Election there does not .appear to be any hope of success by Mr Doidge, although the opinion is freely expressed that he will substantially reduce the 1935 majority. Last November 13,384 electors voted, Mr Jordan receiving 9,345 votes, Mr H. J. Wiley (National Government) 2,943, and Mr H. Thomley (Democrat) 1,020, informal votes being 76. , Mr Jordan’s clear majority over both opponents was thus 5,382. In the 1931 election Mr Jordan had a majority of 3,394 votes over Mr S. Rickards (Coalition, Reform), the total votes cast being 11,408. , , . Although it has not been stated in print, it is understood that the Labour Party does not expect its majority tomorrow to b© so great as in. November. There are two reason for this: (1) The total poll at a by-election is seldom, if ever, so big as at a General Election. For instance, 10 months ago 13,384 voted on Manukau’s 14,821 roll. (2) Mr Osborne cannot he expected to command so extensive a personal vote as Mr Jordan, who had represented the electorate continuously since defeating the Speaker, Sir Frederick Lang, in 1922. . ■