TARANAKI.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1922, Page 5

TARANAKI.

SMITH’S NARROW MARGIN. LEADING BY 64. 368 ABSENT VOTES. The issue in the Taranaki electorate is doubtful. With all the booth returns in, Mr. S. G. Smith (Opposition) has a majority of 64 over Mr. C. E. Bellringer (Government), but there are 368 absentee votes to come. Keen interest was displayed throughout the Taranaki electorate, and the battle resolved itself into a contest between Mr. Smith and Mr. Bellringer. It was a heavy poll. Election day was taken quieter than usual, but between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. there was a steady flow of voters to the various polling-booths, especially during the •‘rush” period in the early afternoon. Motor-cars were whirling voters to and from the booths throughout the day, the arrangements of all the parties interested in the two issues appearing to have laeen well organised. After midday the shops, offices and public-houses closed, the town wearing a temporary holiday aspect.

There were several booths in the borough, the principal one being at the Courthouse, while heavy polls were recorded at the Workers’ Social Hall, the two Fitzroy booths, the Coronation Hall, West End, and the various suburban booths. The crowd collected early around the result board, the first result (that from Wallace Place) giving Mr. Bellringer an early lead. The crowd grew as time wore on, each result being keenly scanned as it was hoisted up. The polling at the main booth put Mr. Smith slightly in the lead on the aggregate votes recorded up till 7.30. The remaining results came steadily in, the voting being fairly evenly divided, and as one candidate and then the other resigstered a win in the country, various supporters in the waiting crowd showed their appreciation of the candidate they favored by raising a cheer. By a quarter to eight, the results in hand gave Mr. Smith a lead of between 50 and 60 votes.

Level-pegging characterised the next few returns, till Moturoa cast a decisive vote of just over 100 in favor of Mr. Smith, placing the Liberal-Labor candidate about 160 in the lead at this stage. Subsequent returns helped Mr. Bellringer to overhaul his opponent and to come within a hundred votes of him. With returns from Hillsborough, one of the two Albert Road booths, Sentry Hill, and Huirangi still to come, the crowd beguiled the waiting interval in speculative conversation as to the ultimate verdict of the electors. Before nine o’clock the crowd who had assembled to view the results had swollen to such an extent that Currie Street, from Powderham Street to Devon Street, was packed by a dense mass of election-fevered people. With two returns to come, Mr. Smith had a reduced lead of about 50. Before half-past nine, the final result on the unrevised figures, and with 368 absent voters’ permits outstanding,., gave Mr. Smith a majority of 64. The issue is therefore in doubt.

The returning officer for the electorate was Mir. J. M. Adam, and the expeditious manner in which the results in a very heavy poll were made known reflects great credit upon him and the well-organised band of assistant officers associated with him. Details:

When the final returns werS fcrt nouneed Mr. -Smith, accompanied by Mm W. Healy (chairman ‘of his cottttniii tee) appeared on the platform and wai given a splendid reception, though then were some interruptions. He was greet s ed by one opponent with the remark that he had turned the corner, to which he replied that he had turned the cor* nor but that he did not have to rely on poisonous gasaes, unfair Press? criticism, nor -secret propaganda. He had, he said, fought a good fight. His <ma« fcority at present was only 04, with hundreds of absentee vote* yet to come in and these would not be known until the next day. He thanked those who had worked so hard in his favor during the contest, of which he had no doubt as to the final result, and he also thanked those who cast their votes in his favor. He had no regrets to offer. If the result did go against him, he was a sport, and he would accept it like a sport. He had had vested interest against him and had had to fight against secret organisation and coercion, but he was still at the top of the poll. During the four years that he had been in Parliament he could honestly say that he had tried to do his heat. He may have made mistakes, though he did not admit them, but if ho had made mistakes, they were honest mistakes, and he hail not been actuated by self interest. Great issues had | been fought that day and he hoped as a result that they would get a strong and stable Government.' His committee worked hard and he wished to thank them for it. In concluding ho called for three cheers for Mr Bellringer, which were given, accompanied by seme counter demonstration. Mr. Bellringer, who was accompanied by Mr. Washer, the chairman of the local Reform Party, thanked all those who had supported him. Although the majority was 64 against him, there were 368 absent votes yet to bp counted, so that it was impossible to tell what the result would be. He. had, he said, fought a. fight of which he was not ashamed, and had been supported by a Government of which ho was not ashamed. His record was a good one, and the result of the election showed that the opinion here was very divided. A few weeks ago it was thought that the majority against him would bp large, but that night they realised it wax extremely small. He had to the best of his ability fought a clean fight and was not ashamed of any action he had taken in the matter. No doubt, he said, Mr. Smith had done what he considered right. Tn conclusion, he heartily thanked all those who had sup. ported him, and called for three cheers for Mr. Smith. In response to a call from the crowd, Mr. Geo. Tweedie, also appeared on the platform and briefly addressed the gathering.

Bellringer. Smith. Tweedie. Courthouse, New Plymouth 689 893 5 Coronation Hall .... 533 6G4 3 Fitsroy Public Hall 170 256 1 Fitzroy Old Ute Station 260 162 1 South Road School. 28!) 366 4 Moturoft 147 252 3 Wallace Place .... 168 135 1*3 124 I Vogeltown 207 97 3 Workers’ Social Hall 453 396 4 Carrington Road . . 44 37 — Frankleigh Park .. 64 27 1 Kent Road 40 47 — Frankley Road .... 45 22 1 Bell Block 110 85 — Brixton . . 90 49 •— Hillsborough ..... 54 28 — Huirangi 40 18 — Albert Road 26 25 — Korito 33 26 — Koru 33 29 — Lspporton 116 49 — Lower Mangorei t .. 33 55 — Oakura 52 38 — Okato 99 133 — Omata 66 75 — Puniho 30 33 1 Sentry Hill 38 21 — Tarurutangi 46 21 — Tataraimaka 67 46 • — Upper Mangorei .... 31 29 • — Burford Road 16 28 1 Totals 4192 4256 29 Informal .•xoaorubsmm #2 Majority for Smith 64 Absentee votes A wimei—