TARANAKI SEAT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1889, 12 October 1918, Page 3

TARANAKI SEAT.

mi. S. G. SMITH ELECTED,

BY A MAJORITY OF 100 VOTES. New Plymouth. Oct. 10. The Taranaki by-election held today evoked considerable interest. The result was as under: — Sydney 0. Smith (Democratic Labour) 2840 J. B. Connett (National Government) 1680 In 1011 the majority of the late Air Okey (lieform) was 754, and in 1014 1,134. At the last general election in 1914 the voting was as under: — H. J. H. Okey (Reform) .... 3632 I). J. Hughes (Liberal) ..... 2408 Mr Smith is a son of the late Mr E. M. Smith, who represented Taranaki in the House of Representatives for a considerable number of years, and who laboured hard, but not with the success he deserved, to develop the Taranaki ironsand deposits. IVhen the late Air Smith died, about eleven years ago, there was some talk of Mr Sydney Smith contesting the vacancy thus caused in Hie Parliamentary representation, but he eventually decided not to do so, and the seal was lost to the Liberal Party, Mr Okey being elected. The new member was.in the Bailway service for 22 years; he resigned in order to contest the election. While he was in the Railways he took a prominent part in the work of the Taranaki branch of the Amalgamated Society of Railway Servants, and was for* a long time its secretary. For some years he has been chairman of the Central School Committee at New Plymouth, also a member of the Taranaki Education B. >ard, and one of the Board of Governors of the New Plymouth High School. He has been a keen student of polities, and is a lineup speaker’. Air Smith, in his election addresses, said he was not a candidate of organised Labour. “During the course of the contest they would no doubt be told all kinds of things concerning him; that he was a dangerous Labour agitator; organiser of trades unions in New Plymouth, and so on. All these things were untrue. He was not a Labour agitator - , he was not a Labour organiser, and was not an official Labour candidate in this contest. Among those who had asked him to stand were many who did not belong to trades unions at all. His committee was representative of all classes of the community, small farmers included. He was not contesting the election in the interests of organised Labour, but in the interests of the people as a whole. If Air Connett was elected lie would go to Parliament as the representative of (he National Government, and when the whip cracked he would respond, whereas if he (the speaker) was returned, the party whip would have no terror or meaning for him.” Air Smith criticised the administration of the National Government, particularly on account of its failure to keep down the cost of living, and condemned the profiteering which, he alleged, merchants had been carrying on. The Reform Parly, he argued, was “a spent force,” ami the Liberal Parly had been “snowed up” by the Reformers, while the National Government had outlived its usefulness and lost the confidence of the country. Sir Joseph Ward, with all his gifts, lacked some essential qualities as a leader. Air Smith advocated an early general election, and predicted that after it there would be greater changes in the personnel of the House than after any previous election in New Zealand's history. From the election would emerge a vigorous democratic party, composed chiefly of young New Zealanders, who would adopt a progress -

sive policy. Mr “Jack’-’ Connett, the defeated candidate, is a farmer, and is at present chairman of the Taranaki County Council. He graduated through school committee, road hoard, and dairy company directorate circles, until he_ is one of the best known public men in the northern part of the province. He was responsible for a well-organised compaign which resulted in the resuscitation of the Taranaki Agricultural Society. Tie is a member of the New Plymouth Harbour Board, of which his father, Mr J. B. Connett, was for some years chairman.