MARGIN OF TWO

Taranaki Daily News, 9 December 1922, Page 5

MARGIN OF TWO

REFORM 38, OTHERS 40 POSITION STILL UNCERTAIN TWO DOUBTFUL SEATS The relative strength of the parties, as disclosed by the results of Thursday’s elections, is still not at all clearly defined, but assuming that only two seats are doubtful (Waikato and Oam aru) the position, as analysed by our Wellington correspondent in a message last night, is as follows: Beform 38 Liberals ..... 18 Independent Liberals 4 Labor y 17 Independent .. 1 Doubtful 2 Total 80 The Government has 33 seats and the combined opposition parties 40, leaving the Government in a minority of two. In each of the two doubtful seats the Liberal candidate is leading.

REFORM<—3B. Franklin—Rt. Hon. W. F. Massyr Bay of Plenty—Mr. K. S. Williams. Wellington North—Sir J. P. Luke. Dunedin West—Hon. W. D. Stewart. Egmont—Mr. 0. Hawken. Palmerston North—Mr. J. A. Nash. Orona—Hon. D. H. Guthrie. Otaki—Mr. W. H. Field. Wellington Suburbs—Mr. R. A. Wright. Wairau—Mr. W. J. Girling. Wairarapa—Mr. A. D. McLeod. Manawa tn—Mr. J. Linklater. Gisborne—Mr. W. D. Lysnar. Maaterton—Mr. G. R. Sykes. Raglan—Mr. R, F. Bollard. Hamilton—Mr. J. A. Tousg. Waitomo—Mr. J. Roltaton. Timaru—Mr. F. J. Rolleston. Roakill—Mr. V. H. Potter. Tauranga—Sir W. H. Herries. Rangitikei—Mr. W. 8. Glenn. Waipawa—Sir G. Hunter. Rotorua—Mr. F. F. Hockly. Terauka—Mr. F. D. Burnett. Ellesmere—Sir R. H. Rhodes. Wait ema ta—Mr. A. Harris. Ashburton—Hon. W. Nosworthy. Mataura—Hon. G. J. Anderson. Parnell—Mr. J. S. Dickson. Thames—Mr. T. W. Rhodes. Waitaki—Mr. J. Bitchener. Chalmers—Mr. J. Me. Dickson. Motueka—Mr. R. P. Hudson. Eden —Hon. C. J. Parr. Kaipara—Hon. J. G. Coates. Northern Maori—Mr. Tan Henare. Southern Maori—Mr. W. H. Uru. Western Maori—Sir M. Pomare. LIBERALS—IB. Taranaki—Mr. S. G. Smith. Ohinemuri—Mr. H. Poland. Stratford—Mr. R. Masters. Patea—Mr. J. R. Corrigan. Hawke's Bay—Mr. G. McKay. Pahiatua —Mr. E. A. Ranson. Wanganui—Mr. W. A. Veiteh. Hutt—Mr. T. M. Wilford. Nelson—Mr. H. Atmore. Hurunui—Mr. G. W. Forbes. Kaiapoi—Hon. D. Buddo. Christchurch North—Mr. L. M. Isitt. Clutha—Mr. J. Edie. Wakatipu—Mr. J. Horn. Dunedin South—Mr. T. K. Sidey. lAwarua—Mr. P. de la Perelle. Wallace—Mr. J. C. Thoiwon. Eastern Maori—The Hon. A. T. Ngata. INDEPENDENT LIBERALS—4.

Day of Islands—Mr. A. Bell. Marsden—Mr. A. J. Murdoch. Invercargill—Hon. J. A. Hanan. Riccarton —Mr. G. Witty. LABOR—I 7. Wellington Central—Mr. P. Fraser. Wellington East —Mr. A. L. Monteath. Wellington South—Mr. R. MeKeen. Christchurch East—Mr. H. T. Armstrong. Christchurch South—Mr. E. J. Howard. Avon —Mr. D. G. Suilivan. Dunedin North—Mr. J. W. Munro. Auckland Central—Mr. W. E. Parry. Napier—Mr. L. Mollvride. Grey Lynn—Mr. F. N. Bartram. Auckland Eaat—Mr. J. A. Lee. Lyttelton—Mr. J. McCombs. Manukau —Mr. W. J. Jordan. Buller —Mr. H. E. Holland. Westland—Mr. J. O’Brien. Waimarino—Mr. F. Langstone. Auckland West—Mr. M. J. Savage. INDEPENDENT—I. Dunedin Central—Mr. C. E. Statham. DOUBTFUL—2. Waikato (a Liberal leading). Oamarfi (a Liberal leading). THE LABOR GAINS. CONGRATULATIONS FROM SEAMEN. Wellington, Dec. 8. A mass meeting of the Seamen’s Federation held this morning heartily cheered the Labor election victories and passed a -esn’or -T congratulating the Labor Party in ih splendid poetion at the polls which had resulted in an increase in Parliamentary representatives of eight, without the oss of a single seat, which augured well for the. future of the democracy of the Dominion and the well-being of working men and women.

TARANAKI SEAT. ABSENTEE VOTES. 245 TO BE COUNTED. It is understood that only 245 absen- ! tee voters’ permits were issued in conI nection with the Taranaki electorate. ’ They are scattered all over the Dominion, and as they have to be posted to the returning officer here, nothing definite will be known until Monday night, at the earliest. No absentee votes will be counted Imtil all the papers come to hand. TOWN AND COUNTRY VOTE. A feature of the Taranaki seat was the way in which the Government candidate brought down Mr. Smith’s overwhelming majority of 10'23 in 1919 to 04. Had the country stuck to the Government as in the past Mr. Bellringer would have had a good win. It only gave him a majority of 262, the country vote being: Bellringer 1173, Smith 911. The town, however, treated Mr. Bellringer very well. Of the 0364 votes cast at the town and suburban booths, Bellringer secured 3019 and Smith 3345, the latter’s majority being but 326. Most people expected Mr. Bellringer to have been behind by 500 in town. It is suggested that Mr. Smith’s comparatively good polling .n the country was due to the antagonism to the Dairy Pool Bill, also to the returned soldiers’ vote, but whatever the cause its declension, so far as the Government is concerned, was a decisive factor in the election. The absent votes may alter the position in favour of Mr. Bellringer, but the leeway to be made up is fairly considerable, and a majority can hardly be anticipated from the operation of the law of average. /

WAITOMO SEAT. A CLOSE CONTEST. THE LATEST FIGURES. (By Wire—Special to News.) Te Kuiti, Last Nignt. The official recount, or rather checking, of the returns for the Waitomo electorate were posted to-day, and the position is that Mr. J. Rolleston (Government) is now leading by 83 votes over Air. W. T. Jennings (Opposition), the latter having gained eleven votes. There are still about 25 declaration votes to be counted, and fully 200 absent voters’ permits have to be audited. It will probably be a weer oetore tnis is finished.

THE STRATFORD SEAT. It will probably be a day or two before the absentee vote*, numbering 186. will be received in the Stratford electorate, but in any case they cannot affect Mr. Masters’ return, his majority being 320.

AN INDEPENDENT LIBERAL.

NELSON MEMBER’S VIEWS. NOT BEYOND SOLUTION. Nelson, Last Night. Interviewed bv a reporter, Mr. H. Atmore (Independent Liberal-Labor) said: “The present postion is somewhat complicated, but I believe there is nothing too complex about it but what can be solved if the members of the House will consider the people’s interests instead of those of parties.” Mr. Atmore added tliat some wellknown figures had disappeared from the political arena, but from what he knew of the personnel of the new Parliament he believed that a good working Parliament would result. Some of the Liberals had lost their seats, •notably Mr. T. Seddon. through two Reform candidates standing, and thus taking the seat from one who was an upholder of constitutional methods. It was perfectly clear that Mr. Massey and his party unaided could not carry on, even if they had 40 members, as they would have to appoint a Sneaker’ from their partv, unless they adopted the recent expedient from iNew South Wes. where in an evenlybalanced House the Speaker had been chosen from the ranks of the Opposi•tiM