GENERAL ELECTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1922, Page 2

GENERAL ELECTION.

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION] OFFICIAL COUNT. AUCKLAND, Dec 13. Waitcmata.—Harris 4386, Burdush 3,315, Way 2047. Grey Lynn.—Bartrain 0,G48, Iloldsworth 4,241. Eden.—Parr 3,893, -Mason 3,226, Morton 1,390. Auckland Conti'al— P.arry 4. ,Bb, Glover 3;763.

NO ALTERATION. DUNEDIN, Dec. 13. The following final counts are ail-] nouneed: — • ~ ~ j Dunedin North —M unroe (Lab) oOIM, 1 Clark (R) 4940 I Dunedin South—Sidey (.Lib) oISU, MacManus (Lab) 3750. i Chalmers —Dickson (R) 3644, Stephens (Lab) 2965. 1 Chitlin—Edie (.Lib) 3770, Malsolm (R Wah-au— Girling 3991, McCallum 3805. 1 ‘ Dunedin Central—Statham (I»d.) 5081, Gilchrist (Lab) 4364, Mashn (Lib) 370. Informal 15. ' FEILDING, Dec. 13. Oroun—Guthrie (R) 3634, Cobbc (Lib) 3091. aijoK | AND Dec. 13. Auckland—Potter (R) 4833, ’Skelton (Lib-Lab) 2831, Melville (J.R.) 161,, Pm tell (Lab) 1481. Auckland East—Lee (Lab) 5226, Mackenzie (R) 4511. Auckland West—Savage (Lab) 0694, Farrell (IP 4345. T Manukau—Jordan (Lab) 4620, Lang Cl?) 4411, Adams 301. Mr Adams forfeited his deposit. CHRISTCHURCH, Dec. 13. Riccarton— Witty (Lib) 3240, Kyle ill) 3005, McCullough (Lab) 2341. Informal 71. THE LABOR LEADER. ! ANALYSES THE POSITIONWESTPORT, December 13. | Speaking this evening at the Labour function here to celebrate the Labour j victories in Buller, Westland and throughout the Dominion Mr H. E. Holland (Leader of the Parliamentary I Labour Party) said that the outstand--1 mg feature of the elections just held was the great advance made by the Laboui Party in the constituencies contested, and the fact that no sitting Labour member had suffered defeat. Seventeen of the candidates endorsed by and pledged to the New Zealand •Labour Party has secured election, representing more than 100 per cent of an increase over Labour’s 1919 results.

The present position, he said, was one of uncertainty, and another election within the next six months was quite within the hounds of possibility, although he personally did not think this probable. He anticipated that sufficient of the Liberals would go over to Mr Massey to give him a comfortable working majority. This, said Mr Holland. they could safely do, in view of their individual election pledges to support Mr Massey as against the Labor Party. Further, the Leader of the Liberal party had made emphatic pronouncements, on behalf of liis party that they would never give a vote with the Labor Party to turn the Massey Government out, and further would never take office with the support of the Labor Party. Hence, assuming that Mr Wilford and his supporters meant to live up to their election pronouncements, there didn’t seem anything for it, hut, on the one hand, a Coalition between either the whole or a section of the Liberals and the Government Party, or, on the other hand a fresh election. _

. . ’ H In his opinion, a Reform-Liberal Coalition would represent the logic of political development, for there was no line of demarcation between these two parties, which must coalesce ultimately. and another election under the present electoral system could only result unsatisfactorily.

Between the two of the other parties and the Labour Movement there was a dividing line recognised by all. The most sensible, way of all out of the difficulty would he for Parliament to meet, put through supply, enact Proportional Representation and then dissolve. With the electoral system shorn of the “first past the post” defects, there would he a certainty that in the new Parliament, both the majority and minority would have adequate representation, and the anomaly of a Minority .Government would lie obviated. He hoped that, if it should come to another election, the Labour Party would recognise the wisdom of placing n candidate ill the field in every electorate.

LABOUR POLICY. CHRISTCHURCH, Deo. 13. •Mr E. J. Howard, (Labour M.P.) referred to Bishop Liston’s speech on the matter of State aid for denominational schools. Hr Howard said that free, secular, and compulsory education was a plank in the Labour platform, that had been there nearly 25 years. In the election one organisation sent questions to candidates re State aid, for denominational schools. He was not aware the Roman Catholic community had taken any step to .get the opinion of Labottr candidates on anything.