GENERAL ELECTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 December 1922, Page 3

GENERAL ELECTION.

|_l) C TELF.GUAJ'a —CEP. ‘'aESS ASSOCIATION] WAITOMO SEAT. SENSATIONAL DEVELOP!!ENT. TEKUITI, Dec. II A sensational development in connection with the Waitomo seat is occasioning much local excitement. On t]m night of the election, Mr J. C. Rolleston’s majority was given as 121, with 200 absentee and 30 declaration. votes still to come. I'll is was amended next day, through a mistake in the count, to 83. The electorate is a. very large one, and traverses a good deal of sparsely populated country. Thus the returns are slow coining to hand from tho outlying districts. The official re-count commenced at Te Kuiti on Monday and last night Mr Rolleston’s lead was reduced to 33, Mr Jennings securing a two to one majority of the absentee votes. To-night an official re-count has reduced Mr Rolleston’s lead to five, with still three small booths to bo recounted. There is a dispute regarding the honia fides of from 20 to 30 votes by declaration. It is understood that many votes have been lost to Mr Rolleston through informalities. The Registrar states that owing to the scattered nature of the district, the final result may not he known before Monday next. The present figures are as follows: Rolleston, J. C. (R.) 3-150 Jennings, W. T. (Lib) 3! 15 Majoritv for Rollesfcftn 5 .WESTPORT, Dec. If The official count for the duller election gives the following figures:— Holland, M. E. (Lab.) 4413 Men/ies. J. (Jnd.) 2872 Wairau. final, official— Continuance .3791, State Control 401. Prohibition 3531. Knipnra final.—Coates 5001. Hornblow 2,537. Informal 102. Licensing returns not complete. Christchurch South final—Howard. 3323; Lane, 2183; Ell. 1028; Thomson 77; informal 107. Total 9378.