WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 November 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

GENERAL ELECTION. THE FINAL KIGUREES. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, November 2!. The complete (inures for the general election are available loi the fust Lime to-day. They show that the total number of valid votes polled was 1571..970. as against did.9o7 in 1911. d 12,740 in 1919 and 014,07(5 in 1922. The total of 1922 showed an increase of 71,Tib on the total of 1919, and the total of ]92d shows an increase of •57.900 on the total of 1922. It would appear from tlie.se figures that compulsory registration has not led to the increase in voting that was geneially expected. Of the (iil.Oil) votes polled at the recent election. 1117,587 were cast for Reformers and Independent Reformers, 184.020 for Labourites. 157,1015 for Nationalists and Liberals, including Sir •Joseph Ward mill .Mr 11. Atmore. and 12.(500 for Independents, including Mr C. E. -tatham. the Speaker, and -cveral mem hers who stood as representatives |j„. Country Party. From the tigudealt with in this way, it appear.-, that the Reform total has in- • •rcased bv dii.olH during the last three year-, and the Labour total by |,i|„ the Natioualist-Libornl vote hadecreased bv 27.5112 and the Independents by 111,0915. At »>*>t!i elections Hr IC. K. Williams was returned unopposed for the Ray of Plenty seat and no returns from that roiisl itticncy are included in the above figures. VOTING AND REPRESENTATION. Though tin* Reformers are clearly the strongest party in the country, as they probably will continue to he so long as the National-Liberals and the Labourites wage war on one another, i.hov still remain in a minority of some .50.1)00 in the constituencies. With fewer than 17 per cent of the votes polled at the recent election they have more than (58 per cent of the representation. while Labour with more than 27 per cent of the votes has only a shade more than 1-1 per cent of the representation ; Nationalist-Liberals with slightly moc than 215 per cent of the votes have less than If! per cent ol the representation. The Independents coming in at the end me the onl v group to obtain approximately their dues, they nitli l.s, pc,, cent of the votes obtaining 1.151 pel- cent of the representation. All tliis, of course, points afresh to the crying need for electoral retorm, but the party in power never cares to abandon the horse that has carried it safely over the stream, and Mr Coates with his huge majority is not likely to lie more anxious than his predecessors in office in similar circumstances have been to proclaim that the system which has given him office and opportunity is not tlie very Lost in the world.