FATE OF GOVERNMENT

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 513, 16 November 1928, Page 1

FATE OF GOVERNMENT

Greater facilities were accorded this year for the recording of absentee votes, and whereas in the past the position would not be affected in the great majority of electorates, this year these votes may very easily reverse the position in many instances. Seamen’s votes, it can fairly safely be assumed, will largely increase Labour totals, but the big majority of absentee votes, particularly in the rural areas, constitutes an important element of doubt which only the final count will remove. IN WELLINGTON NORTH

The most interesting development since election night has been the reversal of the position at Wellington North. Through the discovery of an error in crediting votes Sir John Luke, the Government candidate, now leads by eight votes, but 1,138 absentee votes have yet to determine the position. There will be very few seamen’s votes for Wellington North, and the bulk of the absent votes will probably come from commercial men. According to the provisional returns the position of the parties is now as follows, the relative numbers before the election being shown in parentheses: Government 29 (53) United 26 (11) Labour 19 (14) Independent _ .. .: .. 5 (2) Country 1 (—)

In seven of the 15 seats where absentee votes can be regarded as a disturbing factor. Government candidates hold the present advantage and United in six. In the other two seats Labour leads by a small majority in one and a Country Party candidate in the other... The -seats are set out as follow. Government candidates being indicated by G'.,' United by U., Labour bv L., and -Country by C.: — Votes Leading. Major- to ity Come Grey-Lynn . .- Fletcher (U.) 101 652 Auckland- East. Donald <XJ.) 236 816 Waitemata Harris (G.) 276 1,096 Bay of Islds. . . Rushworth (C.) 82 350 Franklin. .. Massey (G.) 89 505 Waikato... , . .. Lye.CU.) 39 563 Rotorua., . . . Olinfcard (U.) 184 150 Patea . . Dickie (G.) 100 550 Welllrigt'o'n N. . Luke (G.) 8 1,138 Kaiapoi . . ; .‘ Hawke (U.) 93 570 Riccarton . . : McLachlan (U.) 11 569 Mffi-Carrterbury Jones (G.) 69 650 Temuka . ... Burnett CG.) 79 220 Dunedin South. Hall (L.) 8 828 Mataura .... Anderson (G.) 33 381 AUCKLAND’S DOUBTFULS Three Auckland seats, Grey Lynn, Auckland East and Waitemata, are included in the list. In Grey Lynn, Mr. J. S. Fletcher (United) Is 101 votes in the lead from Mr, F. N. Bart.ram (Labour), with 652 votes yet to come. Greater possibilities, however, are revealed in the Waitemata electorate, where there are still 1,096 votes to be apportioned between Mr. A. Harris (Government) who has a lead of 276, and Mr. R. H. Grev'dle (United). The absent votes include 176 seamen and about 300 naval men. The element of doubt is also present, although not to the same extent, in the Auckland East seat, where the counting of 816 additional votes mav affect the 236 lead held by Mr. J. B. Donald (United), over the late member, Mr. J. A. Lee (Labour). IN THE COUNTRY In the Bay of Islands, Mr. Rushworth (Country Party) has a margin of 82 over Mr. Allen Bell (Reform). Although there are over 350 votes to come in. the latter will have to poll well to reverse tjie position. In the meantime, Mr. Rushworth has added to his election night majori+y of 66. Franklin is also similarly affected. There, Mr. J. N. Massey (Government) has a lead of 89, with the possi--bllity of 505 absentee vot» affecting the result. In the Waikato electorate the position is still more precarious, Mr. F. Lye (United) possessing the slender majority of 39 over Mr. D S. Reid (Government), with 563 votes yet uncounted. Rotorua still has 450 votes to come in, and the United candidate, Mr. C. H. Clinkard, has a lead of IS4 over the retiring member, Mr. F. F. Hocklv. Perhaps the closest contest will be in Dunedin South, where Mr. R. W. Hall (Labour) has the small majority of eight over Mr. W. B. Taverner (United). The 828 votes to come will doubtless Include a number of seamen, but nevertheless the position is extremely Indefinite. In Riccarton, also, the position is also very uncertain. Mr. A. A. McLachlan (United) is now leading by 11 votes from Mr. H. S. S. Kyle (Reform), but 569 outstanding votes, as in other electorates, might mean anything. RETURNING THE WRITS DUE IN THIRTEEN DAYS The writs issued in connection with the General Election must be returned to the clerk of the writs in Wellington by Wednesday, November 28 This j will be 40 days since the writs were ■ issued on October 19, the day on which the supplementary rolls closed, thus fulfilling the requirements of the I

Factor of Absentee Votes FIFTEEN DOUBTFUL SEATS Sir John Luke Now Leads ACCENTUATING the dramatic turn of events which is to give the General Election of 1928 a prominent place in the political history of New Zealand, and further emphasisingthe considerable element of dcubt attached to the issue, is the all-important factor of absentee votes. At present the Government has a majority of three seats over the United Party and ten over Labour, but until the absentee votes are counted 15 of the seats included must be classed, in varying degrees, as doubtful.

I Electoral Act of last year, which dej mauds that every writ shall be rei turnable in 40 days. POSITION ALTERED SIR JOHN LUKE NOW LEADS MANY ABSENTEE VOTES Press Association WELLINGTON, Thursday. An amended return has altered the position in Wellington North, and now places the Government candidate, Sir John Luke, in the lead. Details now are as follow: Sir John Luke (G.) .. .. 5,070 C. H. Chapman (L.) .. .. 5^062 Majority for Luke .. 8 On the night of the poll Mr. Chapman was credited with a majority of 60. This was due to a package of 34 votes being credited to the Labour candidate instead of to Sir John Luke. There are 1,138 absentee votes to come. OFFICIAL COUNT TO FINISH ON TUESDAY ROLLS BEING CHECKED It is expected the official count of the votes recorded on Wednesday will be completed next Tuesday. Any slight alteration the official count may make in the totals will not affect the majority of seats, but in some cases the pendulum may swing either way, and the final result will be impatiently awaited. The official count takes so long because of the necessity for scrutinising the rolls at the commencement. A checking-up is made of all names which have been crossed off the rolls, as indicating that the electors have voted, and by comparing roll with roll from the different polling booths duplicate voting can be detected. AU ballot papers proved to have been filled in illegally are classed informal. The scrutiny of the rolls will be competed this evening, when a start will be made with the count. The first thing done by the returning o;cers will be to count the ballotpapers already opened and to reexamine the papers that were originally put aside as informal. Then the absentee and the postal voting papers j and the seamen’s votes are opened and I counted, the figures being added to ; those already obtained. The account ' as far as the General Election is concerned is then completed. The writs must be returned to Wellington by Wednesday, November 28. The absentee votes are numerous this year, owing to postal voting. In five Auckland electorates, Roskill. Eden, Manukau, Auckland East and Auckland W’est, the total votes still to come in total over 800, in Parnell over 900, and in Waitemata 1,096, while in two electorates, Waitemata and Auckland Central seamen’s rights total over 170. After the election count the licensing referendum will be dealt with. Representatives of the parties interested will be invited to act as scrutineers, and the official count will be conducted along similar lines to the election issue.