THE LYTTELTON SEAT.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 91, 17 December 1913, Page 4

THE LYTTELTON SEAT.

The second ballot in the Lyttelton bye-election resulted in the return of Mr J. McCombs, who defeated Mr J,. Miller by two hundred and twenty-six votes. The majority for the so-called “Social-Democrat” candidate is not a large one, and we cannot help but regret that the people of the electorate did not sufficiently cast behind them party feeling to enable them to unite to the extent of making it most emphatically clear that they did not want any alliance with the Red Federation. Mr McCombs is, we believe, a man o:l exceptionally high character, and has to his credit much honest work as a social reformer, but he has undoubtedly allied Mmsbif to a section of the community’which 1 nas'for its objective the upsetting aim'disorganisation of commerce and industry witnout reasonable ‘cause‘or any possible ultimate benefit to itself!' So 1 fat 1 as'Did GbVVrnmcnt is corieerhed 'it' docs nbt really' that'-' ter (that Mr McCombs should have defeated Mr. Miller, because the jjeat has long been recognised as a Liberal stronghold, and certainly, so far as the Government’s majority is concerned, it is not affected. \Ve fear, however, that the result of the electior will be .loudly proclaimed as a great victory by the discredited Red Fed era ffioo. i, That, in itself, would not mat !-1 i|VC ; tin pit; of- it is .iffivt so ;i . thorp., are who will, bo foolish enougl to Imjievo the statement. ,