THE ELECTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2516, 9 December 1922, Page 2

THE ELECTION.

GOVERNMENT’S POSITION r DOUBTFUL. SOME SURPRISING DEFEATS. -j* ABSENTEE VOTERS MAY DECIDE. The General Election has left the political situation very doubtful and full of interesting' possibilities. The results indicate that ythe greatest interest was taken in the polling in all electorates, and some. .0 extremely keen contests are recorded. On a preliminary couht of the' > votes the state of the parties is:— REFORM 38 LIBERAL-LABOUR 19 INDEPENDENT LIBERAL .... ... 5 LABOUR 17 INDEPENDENT LABOUR “ I The results in sixteen seats remains doubtful and depends upon the counting of absentee votes and votes cast under seamen’s rights. The duals will not lie available for a few days yet. Included among.the “doubtfuls” are two Ministers —the Hon. E. P. Lee (Oamaru) and the Hon. D. H. Guthrie (Oroua). The Hon. Mr Lee has had a neek-and-neck race with Mr J. A. MaePherson. The first progress report gave Mr MaePherson a lead, the next put Mr Lee slightly in the lead. At the third both candidates had an equal score and in the final Mr Lee ended up with a lead of one and 270 votes to be counted. Mr Guthrie V has a majority of 28 over Mr Cobbe, and there are 208 absentee votes to be counted. The Speaker, Sir Frederick Lang, has been defeated.by an Independent Labour candidate, while the Chairman of' Committees, Mr A. S. Malcolm, is running behind Mr J. K. Edie for Clutha* The defeat of" Sir Frederick Lang was one of three surprises, the other two'being the'defeat of Dr. Thacker (Christchurch East) and of Mr G. Mitchell (Wellington South). Mr R. A. Wright’s close calMvith Mr A. W. Croskery in Wellington Suburbs is also occasioning surprise. The final result is still uncertain. STATEMENT BY THE PRIME MINISTER. “CANNOT PREDICT WjHAT MAY MAPPEN.” The Prime Minister, the Right Hon. W. F. Massey, lias made the following statement by way of comment on the available results: — “It is impossible for me to say that the results of the election have been satisfactory either to the Dominion or to the Government Party. The voting in several electorates has been very close, and we cannot say yet what the final results will be —in some instances majorities’ have been under fifty, while there are three or four hundred absent voters’ permits to come. It seems to me that the results of the election show the necessity for a reconstruction of parties. The three-party system cannot possibly be satisfactory in any case, and it is” simply folly for the Liberals and'Reformers to go on fighting each other when so far as policy is concerned, there is little or nothing between them. "I cannot predict what may happen when the House meets whether in the near future or in .June next. All I can say is that those who have worked with me in the past, and who have had the good fortune to.be returned, will continue io do our duty under any circumstances that may arise. There are also several members who are supposed to belong to the Liberal camp who are pledged to oppose any combination of Liberals and Socialistic Labour, but I cannot say whether the business of Parliament can be satisfactorily carried on under such conditions. It may he necessary again to appeal to the country, but there are many forms and ceremonies to he gone through before that can take place! In the meantime, we must patiently wait and see what the final figures reveal. Needless to sa\?*l regret the disappearance from the new Pax - - lianient of the Speaker and Chairman of Committees and others who have done splendid work for the Dominion during the last few ’years.”

THE MANAWATU.

BIG VICTORY FOR MR LINKLATER. ' 1 i The weather for polling day is this electorate, though overcast, , kept line and was responsible for the large polling. About 90 per ceiit. 1 of those on the roll exercised the franchise, put of a roll number of i ,437 over 0,050] recorded their votes. The largest number of votes at any single booth was recorded at Levin, where over 1,100 effective voles were polled as against Foxton’s 900 odd. The candidates visited the various polling places during the day. The uo-license and continu-' mice parties were well organised and saw to it that their respective supporters were brought to the polls. The total number of electors wlio ' rcorded their votes was a record for the constituency. A special word .*., of praise is«due to Mr Delauy and his stall of officers for the excellent 5 arrangements made for the convenience of electors and the capable'* and prompt manner in which the returns were recorded. The supporters of the Reform and Labour candidates'looked forward to the result of* . the poll with confidence while the Liberal candidate’s chances of success were not taken seriously, but his total result was a surprise. Mr Linklater’s (the Reform candidate) majority is a record for this constituency: The Reform vote in 1914 was 3,024; in 1919, 3,021, and on this occasion the total was 3,50(1 (incomplete). The Labour vote in 1,914 was 2,384; in 1919, 2, 158, and on this occasion 2,096 (incomplete) w hile the Liberal vote accounted tor 951. Mr Linklater had a over both Labour and Libei’al of 500 odd votes. The only centre in which Labour obtained an absolute majority was at Mangahao. In Foxton the combined Liberal and Reform votes were ahead of Labour by a small majority. A

j A large crowd assembled in front of the Herald office to watch the | results. At about (i. 20 p.m. the first returns came in from the smalelr i Polling places and before 7.30' it was apparent that Air Linklater’s | return was assured. At a- later hour the candidates spoke briefly and returned thanks and were all well received by the crowd. Air Linklater in returning thanks said lie Imped to justify the confidence reposed in him. The contest had been a clean light without indulging in personalities. While, thanking those who supported him he could assure them that he would** 7 work in the interests of all. In conclusion he called for cheers for the unsuccessful candidates, which was heartily reponded to. Mr Whibley said although be was defeated lie was not disgraced. The present defeat, was only a temporary set-back and Labour would fight on until it had a majority in Parliament. It had come to stay. So far as be was concerned there had not been any personal feeling and he took the first opportunity to congratulate Air Linklater on his success. His only regret was oil behalf of those who had stood behind him and who had worked so hard on his behalf. Te election had been fought fairly and iliere had not been the bitterness exibited as in some of the other electorates. He called for cheers for Air Linklater, which were heartily given. ' Mr I ( lyger endorsed the remarks of Mr Whibley and said lie could' shake hands with both his opponents. He then referred to the Liberal Party and its efforts to govern for the good of all parties. Mr Taylor also spoke on behalf of the Labour Party. the following are (he results, which with a few absent voters permits to come and subject to the official recount, were announced:—

State - 1 Booth. Flyger Linklater Whiblev Gout. Purcli. 10 Prohib. 71 I A WAHL El 5 99 43 68 1 KAUWHATA* 4 88 12 48 5 I AW'AHFJil ROAD 55 134 32 96 5 118 V" BAINES,SE ...... 0 34 11 2o BELLS 51 314 .185 299 21 BENNYTHOEl'E 229 >•' 34 .14 480 1(> 18 73 35 39 383 5 5 449 22 46 389 0 ' 2 20 CARNARVON FOXTON GLEN OK QUA ... 14 75 21 72 4 UEEATEORD 30 38 18 2 r* 3i, ' 81 KAIRANGA 11 124 7 50 4 KOBETAROA LEVIN l) 200 67 639 28 278 49 544 8 32 45 LINTON 546 12 59 IS 36 2 MAKAREA 17 16 25 ALYKOWHAi 18 8 9 19 1 .2 ' 3 t . 614 37 54 24'' ' 52-A 42 34 2o 27 44 12 98“ 12 57 ' 24 77 23 64 ALYNGAIIAO .... ALVROTIRI ...... iMOUTOA NEWBURY 16 85 7 67 ‘1 OROUA DOWNS 28 87 91 91 4 61 P ARAAVAN UI KANGIOTU 6 13 50; ' 93 J 9 33 33 79 1 31 58 ■ ; 1 RANGITANE .... 8 14) 15 25 0 13 RONGOTEA ..... 33 293 73 205 6 188' SANSON .... ; . 47 171 82 145 6 149 SHANNON 151 ■ ! 257 1 47 353 7 432 48 18 1 TAIKOREA 34 TAONUI 22 \ 28 43 1 TTAKITAHUNA .. 21 68 31 52 1 \65^ f [ OKOMARU 12 98 121 123 ' * 5 TOTALS 951 3566) 2096 3361 -183 /309 1