The Lyttelton Seat.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXVII, Issue 91, 17 December 1913, Page 5

The Lyttelton Seat.

J. McCOOMBS ELECTED.

BY A MAJORITY OF 226.

[Per Press Association.]

Christchurch, December 16

The second ballot in the Lyttelton by-election, which was rendered necessary by the death of Mr George Laurenson, was held to-day. The polling was a little heavier than at the first ballot, 5130 votes being cast to-day, against 4914 at the first ballot.

The poll resulted in the return of Hr McCombs, the Social-Democrat candidate, by a majority of 226 over the votes recorded for the Government candidate, Mr J. .Miller. Mr McCombs received 071 votes more than were cast for him at the first ballot, while Mr Miller received 842 more votes than he did a week ago. The totals of the votes recorded today are as follow :

J. McCombs (Social-Democrat) 2623 J. Miller (Government) ... 2402 Majority for McCombs ... 226 TWO PRECEDING ELECTIONS. The voting at the election of 1911 was as follows: G. Laurenson (Liberal) ... 4160 C. Cook (Liberal) ... 2081 Majority for Laurenson 2079 Following was the voting in 1908: G. Laurenson ... ... 3682 H. T. J. Thacker ...’ 2789 Total ... ... ... 6471

CAXDIDATES’ CAREERS

Mr James McCombs, the Social-De-mocratic candidate, was making his third bid for Parliamentary honors. In 190 S he unsuccessfully contested Christchurch East -against Mr T. H. Davey, and was defeated in the second ballot for the Avon seat at the general* election in 1911 by Mr G. W. Russell. Mr McCombs was elected to a seat on the City Council, -representing the Linwood »Ward, at the last municipal elections.

Mr M. J. Miller was born in Invercargill on April 4th, 1864, and after residing for a few years in Wanganui and Greymouth, he came to Lyttelton with his parents in November, 1874. For over twenty years, up till the commencement of this year, he was in business at Lyttelton as a shipwright, first of all with his father, and afterwards on his own account. Mr Miller has already served the public in various capacities. For the past eight years he has been a member, off the Lyttelton Borough Council, and for three years, up till the last election, he was Mayor of Lyttelton. He has served on the Lyttelton Harbor Board for the past seven years, and is at present the Board’s deputy-chair-man. He has always been a keen supporter of local sports and amusements, and is chairman of the Lyttelton district committee of Bov Scouts.

Writing on Monday on the election, the Waverley Tribune remarked : “On paper,” the result of the second ballot to-morrow for Lyttelton looks like a “moral” for Mr McCombs. This not alone on political grounds—though it may be so regarded for that reason—but on a domestic question. He is a Prohibitionist, and is being warmly supported by that Party. In 1911 the Lyttelton vote in favor of National Prohibition was 3.203, as compared with 2856 against the proposition. It is true that on the local option vote continuance was supported by 3216 electors as against 2961 for no-license. The probabilities are that the ''abolitionists” will support Mr McCombs solidlv.