WELLINGTON NORTH BYELECTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1796, 2 March 1918, Page 3

WELLINGTON NORTH BYELECTION.

NATIONAL GOVERNMENT VICTORY, MR. LUKE ELECTED. The following is the x’esult uf the election for the Wellington North seat: — LUKE (National Governm’t) 2,086 HOLLAND (Labour) 2,566 BRANDON (National Gov.) 816 POLSON , 720 Majority for Luke 420 At the General Election in 1014 there wei’e 0,036 names on the roll, and the result of the poll was as follows: — Herdman (Reform) 4,550 Turnbull (Liberal) 1,805 Holland (Labour) ■ 1,688 Informal 164 , Total vote 8,237 On this occasion 1,667 names have been removed from the main roll, of 6,565 names, arid the supplementary roll contains 6,227 names, leaving a total enrolment of 11,125, or 1,180 more than in 1014. Two seamen’s rights have been issued, and ten absentee voter's’ permits. Quite a number of persons who anticipated being away from Wellington on polling day neglected to apply for absentee permits until too late, but some of these travelled long distances —so keen was their interest —in order to exercise their votes, Mr A. N. Poison will forfeit tiro deposit he had to lodge .with'his nomination, having polled less than one-fourth of the number of votes east for the winning candidate. Mr Poison’s total was 720, and Mr Luke won with 2,986. “The position of Mr Brandon on the poll confirms our (Dominion) previously expressed opinion that he was misled by his professing friends, and it is equally clear that in trusting to the support of the Liquor Trade be placed his reliance on a rotten reed. Either “the trade” vote was diverted to Mr Holland, which is (he view generally held, or “the Trade” has so discounted itself that its influence with (he public is a quite negligible quantity. In any case, the position of the Licensed Victuallers’ Association is not ono which should give it any grounds .for satisfaction.”