EGMONT BYE-ELECTION.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIV, Issue 22, 18 September 1912, Page 5

EGMONT BYE-ELECTION.

A DOUBLE SOMERSAULT. SPLENDID MAJORITY FOR THE REFORM CANDIDATE. C. A. WILKINSON, M.P. (By Our Special Reporter.) Even the most sanguine supporter of the Government in the Egmont electorate hardly anticipate©, such a splendid victory for Mr. Wilkinson as too figures of yesterday's poll declared when all tlie returns were in. U ,»as felt as the day advanced that tne icpresontative of the Reform x'arty was lairly safe for tiie seat, alcaoi.g.i l.ir,n aides relaxed not one iota in the struggle do bring their supporters to tne poll. The total Jigu res yesterday were AS'So, compared to 5(563 at tne 1911 general election. As will he seen <>y the table below, the victor polled ZiOS votes to 'his opponent's naving a majority of orfU. rue iignu was a keen one, wherein the pale tuue and white of Mi:. Wiikinsoh\ claimed pride of place with the amber, blue and black of Mr. Astbury, but good uatured banter and chaff full of wit were the prevailing chords, am! harmony wastne ascendant note. Canines even carried tne respective colours, and two liltham brutes came to quarrelling ~vei tiie matter, but the result was anything but a true omen of tiie result, as the Astbury champion was top-dog m this contest! , When the final result was made known in EJtham about eight o'clock, victor ami vanquished snook hands with each other on the balcony of cno Central Hotel lief ore addressing a few words to tne large assemblage en tne streets below. Immense encoring aim hooting greeted the candidates, and it was sometime before .Mr. Wilkinson could make himself heard above the din. "Ladies and gentlemen,", he said three times, without getting: further. "Ladies and gentlemen, —J. desire to thank you." lint it was no use, and not until Mr. Astbury roared out, "Boys, please give Mr,. Wilkinson a hearing," that the M.P.-elect could proceed after the .cheering subsided. Mr. Wilkinson: "Are you ready?" (More cheering and hooting). "Well, 1 thank you for the proud position yon have put. me in." (Cheers.) Tn*=n no, said something about the Reform Party—(renewed applause)—'•and, of course, something to myself. J thank you heartily for your votes, and especially the townspeople of Eltliam, for the majority of to-day. (Applause.) They had been led to believe in different parts of the doctorate that 1 could not got a majority here, hut that has been proved to bo wrong. (Cheers and hooting.) I regard the victory as a tribute to the Reform Party, and in connection with that Party 1 would like to deliver a message to you which 1 have just received from the Premier. He sends this message:—"C. A. Wilkinson, M.P.—I send you ray very sincere congratulations on your victory. Please convey my sincere thanks to the electors of Egmont for the confidence which they have placed in the Reform Party, which 1 can assure them and yourself we appreciate exceedingly, and which we shall endeavour to prove worthy of.—W. F. Massey." (Loud applause.) Continuing, Mr. Wilkinson said he thanked his supporters for what they had done, especially those who had worked so hard. (Cheers and hooting.) Also, he thanked the- newspapers for their fairness to him in the contest, especially mentioning the Eltliani "Argus" for its treatment of him.

[The fact that Mr. Wilkinson spake of the "Argus" as the local Government paper when he meant Opposition paper was only brought home to the speaker by the loud laughter of the crowd.] "I also wish to say," the speaker went on, "in regard to my opponent, that Mr. Astbury has proved himself a good foeman. and has fought a good contest (applause) clean righl throughout, and although' he was no I successful, I have to congratulate him upon the fight he has made. (Renewed cfioers.) I thank everyone who has helped me in the town, and now 1 will again shako hands with my opponent." Mr. Wilkinson then shook hands with Mr. Astbury, and bespoke for him a. good hearing. (Loud applause.)

Mr. Astbury was received with mixed feelings from the crowd similar to the previous speaker, and Mr. Wilkinson was again compelled to say : "Mr. Asfcbury is entitled to a good hearing, and I ask those who have .sueported mo not to raise their voices." Comparative* silence followed, and Mr. Astbury gave a short speech. Ho said when he had,submitted himself to the Liberals of Egmont he knew he was up against a stiff proposition, bul he felt he was doing his duty to the Liberal Party in New Zealand. (Hear, hear.) lie had striven to uphold the record of liberalism. (Renewed apnlaiisO lie had advocated what lie earnestly hnlieved to he in the interests of tlu l people of the Dominion, and though ii was a fair Fight, he believed he was right in saying that the dav would come when— (internintion')

—the Democracy would recognise its own duties and "lace him at some future lime at the head of the noil. (Applause and dissent.) He said again that they must recognise t'mt wealMi iiad concentrated itself in hmmont to win the seal, and it had -von the seat. ("No."' and applause.") "Yer\" he siirl, "every time." They had had disinterested workers on their side: they had

clone Llio best they could, and ho thanked his committees right throughout the electorate for the support thoy lincl given to him, and for the e.ariiosl work given to this contest. (Applause.) He had set a standard for tiimsoli in til* 1 contest, to deal with politics without personalities, and ho believed, and so did his peoplo, that no had followed it- out right through the piece. (Applause.) He had done Unit, ami had lost, hut it was not an ignoble defeat, and sooner or later

fiov would turn that defeat into vicory. (Cheers and dissent). He thank-

"i Mr. Wilkinson for his kindly reniarks concerning himself, and again repressed his thanks to tho supporters and the committees throughout the electorate. (Loud applau.se.) The candidates then adjourned to the Town Hall, winch was densely, crowded. Mr. Wilkinson spoke first,j much in the same terms as his balcony speech, adding that the Reform Party would prove efficient to govern tho! country. Ho regarded the vote as a message to tho whole of New Zealand.! The will of the electors of Egmont would ho echoed far and wide, and do. good to the country. | Mr. Asthury said the electors had soon lit to consider him not a fit person to represent them, and be" had to! abide by their decision. He accepted, tho inevitable, and felt satisfied that he had given the best that was ill him. to the cause of Liberalism, and he ac-i copted tho next best thing to victory—' an honourable defeat. He would noWj retire to his farm content in a measure that the work of his farm would not; be disorganised. The arrangements made by Mr. W.' -I. Tristram, returning officer, must have been good, for the returns came in promptly, and all were in heroic half-past eight, and a few minutes later were published in detail hv the "Stratford Post" in Mr. Newton King's machinery window on Broadu'iiv, which had been very kindly specially prepared by Mr," H. Ash ton, who is in charge of this department. !

.. COMPLETE RESULTS. The. detailed results were as follows:

Asl 'W\ 1 limn ibury. Wi Ikimxm. va main Moeroa Omoana . 10 . 15 5/6 11 19 Maugamingi . 2;s 21 Ravi'liitiroa . 28 ■iu Maiigafcoki . 78 j2-i Kaponga ... . 176 130 liiverlea . 39 61 Awatuna ... . 25 02 To Kin ... . 39 58 Matigahurne 3 49 Opunake . 196 1-18 O.ioiuii . 52 56 Opua . 14 15 Kalnii . 10 28 Rahotu . 65 105 Piingarehu . 30 ■12 Warea ... .. . 40 46 Nowall Road Pnnilio Pihania . 6 • . 6 . 91 25 14 66 Ofcakoho • 9 2 115 A ui'oa Kapuni 59 . 76 85 74 Matapu . 45 in Mannia . 271 *2!6 Inahn 27 64 Okaiawa ! 52 ] 02 To Roti . 25 8! Frasor Road . 9 81 Ara rata .... .. . 9 •10 Meremere . 3 ••'is Mata . 16 25 Totals ... 2128 ; : •2708- : Majority for Wilk in so n £80 '