VOTING STRENGTHS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 May 1931, Page 2

VOTING STRENGTHS

, UNITED AND REFORM. , FIGURES OF 1928 ELECTION. With a fusion between the Reform nlid United parties under consideration, analysis cif the 192 S general (‘lection returns throws into illuminating relief tin? combined potential Voting strength of these political units (writes ‘‘Damocles” in the Auckland ‘‘Star".

Dealing with the 76 European constituencies only, and using round figures,, it is found that 68 straightout Reform candidates polled 251.300 .votes, and 55 United candidates 216,200 votes,- representing a combined total ..of 467.500. The Labour Party, which had 55 nominees in the field, received 196,000 votes., Other votes were distributed as followl ndependents (11 candidates), 31,500; Independent Reform ,(,7). 16.200; Country Party (51. 12,000; Liberal-Labour (2), 3800, Independent Liberal-Labour (.1), 2600; Independent Labour (!), 2300; Independent United (1). 2100; Christian Socialist (1), 200; Liberal (]), 130. The outcome was the election of 2G Re'-orm candidates. 25 United, 19 Labour, 5 Independents, and one Country party member. Subsequent, by-elections and rarty defections and transfers have altered the totals. As a result of the factors mentioned, Reform gained 11,500 votes, the Independents 7730/ and the Country party 570. Independent Reform lost 12,569, United 8570, rr.deuendent' UnitefK2l2o,- and Labour 470. With ilie appropriate adjustments made the totals'to date would be :

"Reform . 262.800 United 207.600 Labour 105 600 Independents 39.200 .Country 12.600 Other Candidates— Tnd. Reform 3.700 Liberal-Labour 3.800 Tnd. Liberal-Labour ... 2.600 Tnd. Labour 2.300 Christian Socialist ... 200 Liberal 130 Total 12,730 At the 1928 general election 40 of the European seats were contested by United, Reform and Labour candidates. The aggregate United vot> polled was 147.220, the Re'orm, 188.330, and the Labour 121,890. Sixteen of the seats were won by Reform. 13 by United, and 9 by Labour. In five ei the seats won by Labour the candidates polled less than the combined total of the votes cast for the United and Reform nominees. The result of the two triangular byelections—TTutt and Parnell—travel a seat each to Reform and Labour, whose aggregate votes were respectively 7422 and 7169. United’s aggregate was 8065. but no candidate was returned. The successful Labour contestant was a “minority - ’ candidate.