LYTTELTON BY-ELECTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXV, Issue 1183, 11 December 1913, Page 2

LYTTELTON BY-ELECTION.

MESSRS McCOMBS & MIDLER IN SECOND BALLOT. Christchurch, Dec, 9. The pulling at to-day’s election was comparatively light, less than 5000 votes being recorded. In 1908 6471 persons voted, and in 1911 6241 went to the poll. It may be of Interest to give the actual voting on these occasions, particularly in view of the heavy falling off in the “Liberal” vote.

Majority 20 79 On the present occasion, with 6ve candidates in the field, and three of them Liberals, it was expected that the combined votes of the three would exceed those of either of the other candidates. Such, however, did not prove to be the case, as both the LabourSocialist aud the Reform votes exceeded the grand total of the Liberal votes. In the earlv stages of the count it looked as if Mr McCombs was going to have a very big majority; but later on Mr Miller took the lead, only to lose it again, as the following figures, showing the progress reports, indicate :

The Labour-Socialist candidate, it will be seen, finished with a lead of 515 over the Reform candidate, and there are in round figures 1300 Liberal votes to scramble for at the second ballot. Roughly speaking, this means that Mr Miller will require to secure twothirds of the Liberal votes to win. He has to get 850 to his opponent’s 450. This is recognised to be a big task, but on the other hand it has to be borne in mind that the 1300 votes are mainly made up ot the votes of citizens who have nothing in common with the aspirations of the Red Federation. Some strong party voters may not vote at all, some of the extreme Radical tendencies may vote with Mr McCombs, but the majority may be expected to exercise a common sense vote, and now that their own particular candidate is out of the running, endeavour to secure the return of the man who stands for the Government which has least has shown its determination to protect citizens against the intimidation and violence of the Red Federation. At the moment it is impossible to accurately estimate the situation, but, generally speaking, a close finish is looked lorward to, THE FINAL FIGURES. J, McCombs (Social Demo-

A second ballot will be neces? sary between Messrs McCombs and Miller, The number on the roll is about 6000. Commenting on the result of the above the Wellington Post says : “Yesterday’s voting at Lyttelton rausthavegiven the Red Federation executive some pleasure amid the misery of a falling strike, for Mr J. McCombs, nominee of the Social Democratic Party, which is merely the political form of the one Red Federation, took the lead at the first ballot. It was generally anticipated in and out of Christchurch that the final struggle would be between the Socialists’ candidate and the Ministerialist, but the figures have a surprise for the Opposition. The late Mr Laurenson’s brother obtained,only 922 votes against the 2075 and 1560 of Messrs McCombs and Miller, and the combined Liberal tally was only 1307 in a poll of 4942 for a constituency represented by a Liberal during more than twenty years, Mr McCombs has the Red label, though his record does not show him to be a rabid Socialist, and no doubt the fact that he had not been personally associated with the leaders of the Socialist - Syndicalist movement gained him the support of moderate Labour. The United Labour Party has declared against the revolutionary policy of the Reds, but the evolutionary element among the workers of the Lyttelton district evidently preferred to be blind to the Red brand, in the belief that Mr M’Combs, if elected, would be more conscious of the Labour half than the Socialist part of his Labour-Socialist name. At a normal time Lyttelton would be entitled to a reasonable Labour representative, but this is an extraordinary occasion. The Reds are hoping for a victory at Lyttelton to help them in other districts, where the factors are not nearly so favourable for them as they are at the southern port, and they will finesse for aid from Liberals whom they have reviled ■ in the past. An article in to day’s issue of the Reds’ official organ states ‘The attempt to use the Liberal Party as a partner in any deep scheme of social reconstruction is bound to be a failure, for Liberalism in its essence is nothing but superficialities; it is merely a series of negations. The Socialist politician who attempts to run in double harness vyith..the galled jade of Liberalism is bound to be fouled.” The Socialists cannot succeed in this contest unless they have the aid of Liberals, as a|s Grey, where Mr Webb, a formejj

president of the Red Federation, was returned as a so called “Social Democrat.” The issue at Lyttelton turns on the 1,300 votes cast for Mr Lausenson, Dr. Thacker, and Mr. Radcliffe. Since the Liberals made their blunder at Grey,. New Zealand has been involved in a war with Revolutionary Socialism, ot which the nominee at Lyttelton is Mr M’Combs. Whether Mr Miller is termed a “Reformer” or a “Ministerialist,” a “Tory,” or any other name tbal Opposition critics may choose, the truth is he is uudoubtedly a candidate for the general public against the general public’s enemy, the Red Federation, The whole of New Zealand is keenly interested in this fight, because there is a possibility that a minority of Red Federals, with the aid of moderate Labour, backed by Liberals, for their own party purposes, may set the red seal, temporarily, on another constituency. The action of the Liberals will be closely watched and noted. It is clear from the • figures published to-day that, in the judgment of the New Zealand public, the responsibility, for a Red Federal Victory at Lyttelton next Tuesday, will be scored against the Liberals. The penalty for the brief joy of defeating Mr Miller might be very severe in the General Elections next year,

igo8. G. Laurenstm (Tib.) 3685 H. T. J. Thacker (lad. Tib.) 2789

Majority 893 - rgn. G. Laurenson (Lib.) 4x60 C. Cook (Mb.) 2081

McCombs 415 665 2075 Miller 297 7x9 1560 Laureuson 1S7 343 922 Thacker 34 94 273 Radcliffe 37 56 112

crat) 2075 J. Miller (Govesnment) 1560 J. Laurenson (Liberal) 922 Dr. Thacker (I. Liberal) 273 W. Radcliffe (Liberal) 1x2