WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 December 1922, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

AN ASTONISHED COUNTRY. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, Dec 8. Readers of this column will not have been wholly unprepared for the result of yesterday’s election. Welting ton, however, is astonished by the large opposition vote, and judging from the reports that are coming in from outside tho country shares the capital city’s surprise. Tho figures are subject to some revision, and on© or two seats may be affected, by the re-count or by tho inclusion of tho absent voters’ papers, hut the changes, if any, are as likely to affect one party as they are to affect another. Tho probabilities, indeed, appear to he rather against the Government than otherwise. In the case of Oamaru seat, for instance, there is only one vote between the Hon E. P. Lee. the Minister of Justice, and Mr J. . MaePhersou, the Liberal-La-bour candidate; but there are 267 absent voters’ papers still to be counted, and people who profess to know the constituency well, say a majority of these are likely to go to Mr MacPherson. There are also other very close contests. THE PARTIES.

Tro local morning papers do not agree ns to the disposition of the apparently elected members, the “Dominion” giving Reform 39 seats. Liberals 20, Labour 17 and Independent 3, while the “New Zealand Times” awards Reform 39, Literal 24. and Labour 17. The Prime Minister’s count is Reform 40. Liberals 22, Labour 17. and Independent 1. But whichever of these estimates is correct, it i.s obvious that the Government ha« suffered a very severe rebuff and that it can hold office after the meeting of Parliament only by detaching some members from the other side or bv reselling ati arrangement with tho Liberal Opposition. Labour is very jubilant at having doubled its strength in the House and Mr Wilford is quietly gratified at the success his party has achieved. Mr Stntha.ni, the member for Dunedin Central, is the Independent indicated by the Prime Minister, hut as the founder of the Progressive Literal and Moderate Labour party hitherto has been co-operating with the Liberal-La-bour party lie is not- likely to revert to Independent Reform in the new circumstances. The “Dominion” makes Independents of Mr Murdoch, tho gentleman who has won the Marsden seat from Reform. Air George Witty, the Rieeartoii stalwart, and Air La Perellc Sir Joseph Ward’s avenger in Awarua., hut their independence is not expected to bo of milch assistance to the Government. REFORM REGRETS.

Thci “Dominion” editorially regrets the vote splitting that marked the election all over the country. “Tt is already manifest,” it says, “that the Wilford party bus played a purely wrecking part. To appearance it lias added little to its own strength, and the beginning and end of its aebievenunit lias been to weaken the Government candidates. The country obviously lias no reason to be grateful for the futile diversion of moderate forces, for which the Wilford Party is primarily and chiefly responsible. It is obvious that but for tho vote-splitting of this third party, the Government would have swept the country, and the extreme Labour Party would have failed to capture a number of tho seats it now holds or i.s likely to.” The answer to all this is. of course, that tho sane system of election for which the Liberal and Labour parties stand would have prevented my vote-split-ting at all. Aforeover. while only sonic 257.000 votes were cast for Government candidates. 319,000 were cast for Opposition eandidatis. These figures suggest that tho Government got by no means tin worst of the votesplitting. ,

A HINT. The "Xew Zealand ’I lines” which supported the Liberals very half-heart-edly in the campaign and denounced the Labourites roundly oil every possible occasion is in the field early with a hint. “An alternative way out.” it says, after dismissing the idea of the Opposition forming a Government, “may he found by a move across the floor of the House of enough Liberals to make the Government strong enough for practical purposes. Another alternative would he a coalition of Liberals with the Reform Party to form a strong Govorninent, Reform Kiibmtting to a certain amount of Liberal dictation.” These are, of course, familiar ways of settling such difficulties, hut it is doubtful if Air \\ ilforcl and his associates fresh from the constituencies will fil'd disposed to adopt either of them.