GENERAL ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 282, 23 November 1908, Page 4

GENERAL ELECTIONS.

THE SECOND BALLOTS. |r< MR. JIASSEY ON THE STOMP. By Telegraph.—Press Association. s Wanganui, Last Night. a Mr. llassey, Leader of the Opposition, k addressed an overflowing audience at t the Brill Hall on Saturday night, fr e v was accorded an enthusiastic reception, ]i and was loudly cheered at the couclu- f sion of a speech much on the lines of a those delivered at other centres, j I Speaking of the elections, he said the I < result of the first ballot and the an- J1 ticipated result of the second showed ! that the country appreciated the good,' I hard work done by the Opposition during the past three years, lie urged that there had never been a time warn it was more necessary that the Opposition should be strong, lie strongly defended himself and party from newspaper attacks, and showed by reference to Hansard that the Opposition bid played a leading part in the introduction and passing into law of all legislation that had proved beneficial to .1 Dominion. He had consistently supported John Ballancc's policy of nonborrowing and self-reliance. He protested against Sir Joseph Ward's references to the wages paid during relief works between 1887 and 18!)0, and point-, ' ed out that Sir Harry Atkinson hail had to do the best he could with tlie legaey which the previous l'eckU-ss Ijovornmont lmd left. He pointed out that the late , Mr. Scadon endorsed the relief works' wages. Mr. Massey dealt seriatim with the planks of the Opposition platfo-ni j on the lines already published.

THE OTAKI SEAT. I Wellington, Last Night. The Otaki final results are as follows: —Field 2024, Brown 1931. THE EGIIONT CONTEST. Eltham, November 21. The final count for Egmont, with ten permits to come, gives Dive l(iI8, Wake 1385, Wilkinson 1013, and Astbury 679. THE GISBORNE ELECTION.

Gisborne, November 21. I Owing to the wide area oi tile electorate the official count cannot be complete before Tuesday, and it cannot be determined whether a second ballot is necessary. The returning officer has given notice that a second ballot will'be held and made all arrangements. | Both candidates, Mr. Carroll and Mr. Darton, have decided to do no active I electioneering. It is feared through t lack of interest and uncertainty many electors will not take the trouble to go to the polls. MANAWATU SECOND BALLOT. Feihliug, Saturday. In the second ballot campaign Mr. Newman, Opposition candidate for the Manawatu electorate, had a goood meet- | ing at Taonui last night. His supporters are confident of his election. A NEW MEMBER BANQUETTED. Feilding, Saturday. The Colyton supporters of Mr. Guthrie, the new 31.1'. for Oroua. are arranging to give him a complimentary banquet. RESIGNING FOR MR. McNAB. Dwu-din. Saturday. "According to the lnvercnrgill correspondent of the Btar, persistent rumors are in circulation to the effect that Mr. Hanan may decline election in order that efforts may be made to induce Mr. McNab to stand for Tnvercargill in the Government interests. THE KG MONT SECOND BALLOT.

At Opnnakc, Kaponga, Rahotu ami Eltham on Saturday, the main topic of conversation ivas tomorrow's second ballot to select the first representative for the new Eginont electorate. Hy mutual consent the candidates, Bradsbaw Dive (Opposition) and Mr. G. P. Wake (Government) have 101 addressed any meetings since the 17th inst., but this fact seems but to have increased the interest and spurred the prominent advocates of each side to. greater activity. It is generally considered that the fight will he a close one, and that though on figures the Opposition should win, the greater portion of the no-license vote that went to Mr. Wilkinson at the first ballot will now go to Mr. Wake. Npither party is over-confident, so a very close contest may be anticipated. THE SECOND BALLOTS LIST OF.THE CONTESTANTS. Not all of. the twenty-three second ballots certainly rendered necessary by the ineffective foiling at the first ballot \vi!l be held 'en Tuesday next. The voting will not take place until Tuesday week in the case of Bay of Plenty. Following i ■ a. revised list of tile candidates ffv the various second ballots, with the votes obtained by them on Tuesday last:— WELLINGTON SOUTH— ! W. 11. Barber (0) 2588 R. A. Wright (1.0.) .... 2340 | WELLINGTON SUBURBS—.I. P. Luke (G) 2176 .T. E.Fitzgerald (G) .... 1889 WELLINGTON NORTH— A. L. Herdma-a (0) .. .. 2813 V. A.Bolton (G) 1858 WELLINGTON EAST— A. R. Atkinson (1.0.) .. 241G D. McLaren (Lab) .. -.. 1747 WAITEMATA— L. R. Phillips (0). ■ « -.. 2917 TV. J. Napier (G) .. .. 2050 BAY OF PLENTY— W. D. S. McDonald (F)«- 2408 J. Gow (0) 1964 GISBORNE— Hon. J. Carroll (G) .» .. 3437 G. Darton (I) .... .. r . 2030 OHINEMURTII. Poland (G) ..--.-.--.. ■.-■- 2125 ■P. H. Haseldeu (0) ..-..- 1280 WANOANUI—.I. Hogan (G) -.-.- .. -.-.- .. 3014 G. Hutchison (0).. .. ~ 1850 PALMERSTON— D. Buick (0) .... .. v, 2075 W. T. Wood (G) , 2020 HAWKE'S BAY— Sir W. Russell (0) .. .. 1050 A. Dillon (G) , 1518 PAHIATUA— R. B. Ross (G) 1830 J. C. Cooper (0) 1230 EGMONT— B. Dive (01 1002 fi. P.Wake (G) 1409 MANAWATIJ— E. Newman (O) .. -.. .. 2100 -I. Stevens (C) 1704 NELSON—.I. Graham (fi) 2871 11. Atmore (G) 2658 HURUNTJIG. Forbes (G) ...... .. 2049 O. F. Clothie r (0).. .... 1399 AVON— G. W.Russell (G) 21S0 W. W. Tanner (G) .... 2102 ASHBURTON— F. Fbitman (G) .. -.,- ■,-, 2279 W. Nosworthv (O) ~ .. 1339 GERALDINE— W. Jeffries (0) .. .. .. 1901 T. Buxton (G).. .. -.-. .. 1903 TIMARU— J. Craigic (G) .. .. -..- 2573 W. D. Campbell (0) .... 2157 CHALMERS— E. G. Allen (G) .. .-. .. 2552 E. 11. Clark (G) .. ~ .. 2403 DUXEDIN NORTH— • A. R. Barclay {(',) .. -.. 3250 G. M. Thomson (O) .... TUAPEKA—.I. A. Maephersoa (G) .. 1541 It. Scott (0) .. ... •.-, .. Ui\ GOVERNMENT MEMBERS DEFEATED. The following members on the Government side of the last Parliament were rejected at Tuesday's poll: A. Kidd, Auckland Central. A. L. D. Fraser, Napier. .1. T. M. Hornsby, Wairai'apa. ('. E. Major, Patca. W. Svmes. Stratford. C. ll.' Izard. Wellington North. C. M. Gray, Cluistchuvch North. Dr. Chappie, Tuapeka.

lion. 11. MeNab, Jlataura. No Opposition members of the last Parliament who oll'ereil themselves for re-election were defeated. PltliSS VIEWS. The Wellington Times (Ministerial) states: —Tlie Opposition apologists bear a strange resemblance to the yokel who kept up his courage while walking through a cemetery late at uightr by whistling comic songs. One of them has been saying that in congratulating Sir Joseph Ward on getting more than an absolute majority of supporters rcr i turned 011 the first ballots the friends lof Liberalism were ignorant of the fact J that " the vote against the Government had been extraordinarily augmented." It is quite correct that Liberals were . unaware of this, for the reason that . tile " fact" is the invention of people 1 who are casting about for something to ■ say. Allowance must, of course, be made for the* joy that stirs an attenuated party of reaction when by devious means it gets three recruits and finds itself nearly (half as strong as the other side. Every goose then looks a swan, and every jay a peacock. The truth, however, about the position of the Government and Opposition in Parliament and in the country does not warrant the latter feeling any elation.

Both in personnel and in adherents they are far in the rear, a position their reactionary creed inevitably imposes up-

on theiii. We have shown that the Liberal candidates polled 113,000 more votes than Opposition candidates, the excess almost approaching the total registered by the whole Opposition. Out of a 405,23G votes cast on Tuesday the Opposition got 120,733. They are entitled to enjoy all the fun they can extract from that circumstance. The excuses they make are ludicrous, of course. With unconscious, and, therefore, the most exquisite humour, they say the Government has been censured! Yes, by less than a third of the voters! The day is far distant in New Zealand when a party which has served. the people faitliiully and well will be censured by one which even now is prepared to hold a clearing sale of the education and old age pension endowments. At each succeeding election for eighteen years Liberalism has emerged triumphant from the hurly-burly of elections with the confidence of increased numbers of the people. this veal 1 17,000 more votes were recorded than ill 1005. The increase in the votes for (iovernment candidates was 14.000, anil this does not include votes given to many Independents and Labour candidate's, who would naturally vote with ■ the Government on all crucial issues. IThe Opposition may possibly pretend to find consolation in this, but it furnishes a telling commentary upon some l of the nonsense that is 'being talked just now. The following table shows the number of votes cast for parties at the elections this week and in 1905: 1905 1«08 Government 21(1,508 230,074 Opposition 124,452 120,733 Independent 44.121 33,580 labour 4,418 14,051 ' Socialists . • 2,401 ' I Prohibitionists 1 ,(500 797

391,187 408,230 If the Masseyites are able to see anything to comfort them in their dying hours in these figures no one will seek to deprive them of the consolation. To people who are able to see the way the political wind blows the figures will tell a different story than they seem to do to those who are now groping about for catch-cries and epithets.

Messrs. Izard and Bolton have poined forces for the fight with Mr. Ucrdnuui. We are certain that the newly-elected member for Wairarapa, Mr. Buchanan, would be a far better and safer leader of the Opposition than Mr. Massev.— '• Wairarapa News." Mr. Massev has a pretty wit (says the "News"). Tie declares that the Opposition having won five seats, the country has declared overwhelmingly in favour of freehold! A back-blocks dairyman might as well say: "Our old poley gave half a pint of milk this morning—an overwhelming proof that the moon is made of green cheese!" The returns upon which Mr. Massev spoke give the Government thirty-seven members and the Opposition -sixteen. If there is anything overwhelming in the returns, it is certainly in favour of the Government.

Dr. Chappie, who was one of the candidates for the Tuapeka seat, enlivened his political meetings with stories. Here is one: A farmer returned home to discover, to his inextinguishable delight, that his wife had presented him with triplets, lie hastened to spread the news amongst his friends, among whom was the local vet. and dog fancier, and this friend he brought to view the mewking, puking, palpitating cherubs iji |,heir cot. embowered in white. Critically examining them, the vel. put. his linger on the chubbiest and said: " Keep this one." "Of the three Parliamentary cherubs bciore yoAi," slyly remarked the doctor, pointing to himself, "keep this one."