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Hokitika Guardian, 14 September 1933, Page 4

Congatulations to Mrs 'McCombs on being the first lady to enter the New Zealand Parliament, and likewise -on the - hand-some majority with which the record was made. The figures •are eloquently in favour of the victor. The Labour candidate polled 62 votes to her main opponent’s 35 out of every 100 votes. Her total excelled that- of her husband in the 1931 election when Mr McCombs recorded 5404 votes. (>a that o'caxion Mr Freeman polled 5372. Yesterday his total reached only 3480. His showing after the heavy backing ■he had in the contest will come as a great surprise. Three Ministers and several of rhe Government rank and file supported Mr Freemanls candidature. Mrs McComb s - had the support •of the Labour party very wholeheartedly, and the- political Labour camp will (deservedly) feel greatly elated at the result. Mr 'Freeman h'd |the local Newspapers with him, -and .strong advocacy was given to his candidature in the editorial columns. Lyttelton has been first a Liberal and of later years, , a Labour seat for -a very long time, and the predisposition of the electors was naturally to Labour, &\ t- the present time also, there would be a svmnathetie vo A e for Mrs 'McCombs which fact was all to the credit of the constituency. But with all that advantage, the sound defeat .of the Coo- 1 i.lon wind'-dato L not wholly explained. Mr Freeman’s loss of prestige in the electorate compared with his standing less than two years ago is quite remarkable. Tfc must ‘be realised th~t the unpopular things the Government has hr-cl to do. *re soeclHlv unpopular in the Lyttelton or Labour nmrters. Yet those very unpopular things wove ' for- the country’s benefit, and have enabled Lyttelton with the rest of +he Domi"ion to stand up to the .adverse conditions, and rise superior to what- atone stage to be overwhelming conditions. The man in the street has vot .come to recognise how the country has escaped from the financial imp.-sse in which it became en tan vied. But there has been a .substantial -recovery, and the oui’ook is more nromising than at any stage i.n the last eighteen months. There is a. revival apparent as witness the loosening up of o-sh for the buildiner scheme and for wb’c-h the Government pdiev rendered the revival possible. Produce prices are rifting—the most material factor in this country’s advancement. Through the times of difficulty we have had a sane Government with one aim in view and results are gratifying its poliev. That fact, however, was not realised Lyttelton yesterday.