WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 June 1931, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS

HAURAKI ELECTION. REFORM SUCCESS. (Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, May 28. Though Mr W. W. Massey just failed to secure a majority of the votes polled at the Hauraki hv-election yesterday lie and his political friends have good reason to he gratified by his near anproacli to that achievement in a four candidate contest, Mr Massey’s noil of 3876 votes exceeds that of the late Mr A. W. Hall, the previous occupa of the seat, by just fifty votes., and shows plainly, so far as the Hauraki tfeat is concerned, that the Reform Party is in the ascendent. There still are some fifty absent votes to be counted, but a majority of such of these as are brought to account are expected to go to the Labour candidate, who polled 2514 and stands 1362 votes behind Mr Massey’s figures. Of course Mr Massey owes a great deal of his success to the local' memories of his father, the Right Hon. W. F, Massey, but he has qualities of his own which will make him a popular and useful member of the House,

• Premier and Parties. . / The Prime Minister expresses himsel 1 ' as in no way perturbed by' the result of the H nn-.du election. It has left the parties just as they were before so far as the House is concerned, Mr Forbes wont on to say, but no doubt both our Reform friends and our Labour friends will he pluming themselves upon the advances they have made. The Reform Party, it seems, lias gathered up fifty additional votes and the Labour Party two or three over a hundred more while some two thousand people who should have voted seem to have neglected either to register or to vote. That, however, is the way of many people at election time. The overwhelming defeat of the United Party on this occasion, is obvious and there is nothing to gain by attempting to hide the fact. A drop from 2,935 to 973 in the United polling is too big a figure to he ignored. Still the Prim* Minister remains unperturbed and conveys his congratulations to Mr Massey.

Reform Rejoicing. Reform naturally and quite legitimately is miaking capital of its victory in the Hauraki constituency. “The verdict of Hauraki/’ the ‘Dominion’ says on its own account, “i s not only a victory for the good, decent man who a il| not palter with glittering promises or deceive with half-truths; it is also a vindication for democracy which has shown that, when its interest is really engaged, it can keep both feet on the ground. Electors have decisively declared their view of the narrow outlook of the Country Party and of the equally partisan and specious appeal of official Labour; even more unmistakably they have voted no-confidence in the changing policies of the United Government and turned with a relieved .sense of security to the Reform Party, with whom electors feel that they know where they stand.” The only objection than can be reasonably offered to this jubilant outbreak is that the writer has left room for 'the suggestion that Mr Massey, whose worth is unchallenged, was the' sole decent man contesting the Hauraki seat,