THE BRUCE BY-ELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 16 April 1920, Page 5

THE BRUCE BY-ELECTION.

OPPOSITION MAJORITY OP 152. STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. The Wellington Times gives the majority for Mr. ,T. Edie (Liberal) in the Bruce by-election as 15-2 votes. The Press Association telegram from D'.medin gave Mr- Edie a majority of 130, but the figures given in the Times were obtained from the chief doctoral officer at Wellington, to whom the returning officer at Bruce forwarded the detailed voting. • ,Asked by a Times representative as to whether he would like to express any opinion as to the result of the voting of the Bruce by-election, the Prime Minister (the Hon. Mr. Massoy) said:

"Naturally, I accept tlic decision of the electors of Bruce in the same spirit as if the election had resulted in the return of the Government candidate. Remembering at. the general election Sir James Allen secured only a small majority, it is not surprising Mr. Edie should have defeated Mr. Begg, ft new candidate, who, under the circumstances, has put np a splendid fight, and who will in the future, I am confident, find liis way into the councils of the nation. "It is to be regretted that at byelections the full voting strength in any constituency is seldom exercised owing to the absence of party and other interests existent at a general election. The question now is, as it was at the general election in December last, whether a sound and stable Government shall guide and control the destinies of the Dominion during the difficult period of reconstruction upon which we have entered, and which for several years will have to be dealt with, and, I hope, successfully, by those in authority."