EGMONT ELECTION.

Patea Mail, 12 October 1881, Page 3

EGMONT ELECTION.

Major Atkinson’s address appears in this issue of the Mail. He purposes addressing the electors “in a few days.”

Mr. Hutchison has addressed meetings at Patea, Hawera, Manaia, Normanby ; and this evening ho. is to speak at Manntahi, on Thursday at Kakaramea, and Friday at Woodville. It is beyond question that lie has received considerable encouragement in his political tour.

December is almost certainly the time for the general election. The-roll for Egmont district is now made up in accordance with the Representation Act, which required the roll to be completed within 30 days. Wo have not seen it, but learn that the electors on the Egmont roll are 1,258, being an increase of 298 on the old roll. It is certain that dozens of new claims have been sent in within the last fortnight; and when the supplementary roll comes to be made up, as it must be immediately on the writ for election being issued Yafter which no name can be added to the roll), there may be at least 100 names added to those on the roll since it was made up September 24th, that being the day on which the new Act became law.

It should be observed that the increase of 298 on the roll is not the whole increase within the old boundaries ; for by cutting off the northern end of the electorate, that being previously the most populous end, wc now find that the greatly-reduced area of Egmont contains 298 more registered voters than the larger area before the north end was thrown into Grey and Bell. The increase on this side of the Mountain is therefore very large. We

are practically a new constituency, ninetenths of tlio voters being south of Stratford, whereas three-fourths were previously north of S trot fold. We used to be the tail-end of Taranaki; now we are the Patea head of the Egmont district.