THE ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1922, Page 5

THE ELECTIONS.

REFORM LOSE OAMARU.

MINISTER OF JUSTICE OUT, BATTLE FOR WAITOMO. An important development in the political situation yesterday was the final result for Oamaru, previously a doubtful seat, involving the defeat of the Minister of Justice (the Hon. E. P. Lee) by the Opposition candidate. Other final returns do not change the state of parties. Figures for Awarua make the revenge of the Liberals definite. The keen fight for Waitomo goes on. Mr. J. Rolleston is now leading Mr. W. T. Jennings by 23 votes, with a small number of absent votes to come. A message from Te Kuiti reports that certain ballot papers are missing. Classing Waikato as the only douotful seat, the strength of the parties is as follows, their relative numbers at the dissolution being -shown by the figures in parentheses:

Government 38 (49) Opposition 19 (16) Labor ... x 17 (9) Independent 5 (6) Doubtful 1 FINAL RESULTS. OAMARU. J. A. McPherson (O) 4072 Hon. E. P.‘ Lee (G) 4047 Majority for McPherson .. 25 AWARUA. The latest figures give P. A. de la Perrelle (O) a lead of 55. There are some absent votes uncounted, but they will not affect the result. W AIRAU. W. J. Girling (G) 3991 R. McCallum (0) 3805 Majority for Girling 186 DUNEDIN CENTRAL. C. E. Statham (I) 5081 J Gilchrist (L) 4364 W. I. Maslin (O) 370 Majority for Statham .... 717 DUNEDIN SOUTH. T. K. Sidey (O) 5480 J. E. MacManus (L) 3750 Majority for Sidey 1730 DUNEDIN NORTH. J. W. Munro (L) 5003 J. J. Clark (G) 4940 Majority for Munro 63 CHALMERS. J. McC. Dickson (G) 3644 J Stephens (L) 2965 Majority for Dickson .... 679 CLUTHA. J. Edie (O) 3770 A. S. Malcolm (G) 3676 Majority for Edie 94 OROUA. Hon. D. H. Guthrie (G) .... 3634 R. Cabbe (O) 3591 Majority for Guthrie .... 43 WAITEMATA. A. Harris (G) 4586 F. IL Burbush (O) 3315 R. F. Way (L) 2047 Majority for Harris 1271 GREY LYNN. F. N. Bartram (L) 5648 W. J. Holsworth (G) 4241 Majority for Bartram .... 1407 EDEN. Hon. C. J. Parr (G) 3893 H. Mason (L) 32-6 F. S. Morton (0) 1390 Majority for Parr 667 AUCKLAND CENTRAL. W. E. Parry (L) 4186 A. E. Glover (I) 37™ Majority for Parry 1003 KATAPOT. After counting the absentee votes the final majority of the Hon. D, Buddo (O) for Kaiapoi is 65. AUCKLAND EAST. J. A. Lee (L) 5226 C. N. Mackenzie (G) 401 l Majority for Lee Ho AUCKLAND WEST. M. J. Savage (L) ->694 J. Farrell (G) Majority for Savage 1339 MANUKAU. . W. J. Jordan (L) 40 20 Sir F. Lang (G) 44 ’} AV. D. Adnams (GO) Majority for Jordan ...... 209 ROSKILL. V. H. Potter (G> '4B3S A. Hall Skelton (0) 2331 Mies E. Melville (Gu) 18U J. Purtell (L) 1481 Majority for Potter 2007 STRATFORD. R. Masters (O) ............ 3603 J. B. Hine (G) 3241 Majority for Masters .... 362

THE WAITOMO SEAT I

A MARGIN OF TWENTY-THREE. VOTING PAPERS MISSING. (By Wire—Special to News). Te Kuiti, Last Night. When both candidates for Waitomo addressed the crowd on Thursday night last Mr. J. Rolleston (Government) was leading Mr. W. T. Jennings by 121. with three returns to come. These reduced his total to 96, while careful cheeking of telegraphic messages further reduced his lead to S 3. That was the position when the official recount started on Monday. Up to the present Mr. Rolleston has received 70 absent and declaratory votes, Mr. Jennings receiving 120. The recount at Kiritehere showed ten more votes than Mr. Rolleston was entitled to, reducing his majority to 23 votes. There are still a small number of absent votes to come.

The 'Mahoenui boxes have arrived at Te Kuiti, but the voting papers for the poll.and the licensing issue are missing. Mr. Jennings had 48 and Mr Rolleston 38 there. MEETING OF -CABINET. . LIBERAL CHIEFS' CONFER. LEADERS STILL SILENT. Wellington, Last Night. Mr. T. M. Wil ford (Leader of the Opposition) stated that a meeting of the executive of his party took place to-day, but until the party met as a whole there was nothing for publication. Cabinet met to-day, and it. is understood the Government’s position was discussed. Mr. Massey declined to make a statement. BISHOP LISTON AGAIN. SUPPORT FOR LABOR. Ry Telegraph.—Preus Association. Auckland. Dec. 13. Bishop Liston, in a speech at the prize-giving at the Sacred Heart College, said there was a very distinguished man in New Zealand who did not quite know what happened last Thursday. He went on to remark upon the refusal of State aid to Roman Catholic schools. The Bishop concluded: “Perhaps some day our people will wake up and do the right thing. We found that out last week—(laughter) —and no doubt some time they will do the right thing us. Thanks be to God the Labor people, our friends, are coming into their own and please God we too, a minority, will come into our own. ’ (Applause.)

NO ONE WITH MAJORITY. MR. MASSEY’S CHOICE. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, Dec. 11. Neither the Prime Minister nor the leader of the Liberal Opposition is talking for publication about the tangle into which the general election has landed the, parties. Mr. Massey, very naturally and very properly, is waiting for the completion of the returns before giving expression to his views upon the position. Mr. Wilford puts off inquirers with the reminder that it is the Prime Minister’s trouble, not his, and that it would be impertinent on his part to intrude. The local newspapers are not restrained by any diffidence of this kind. The Post is for the adoption of the Isitt compact by the whole Liberal party. “The complicated position gives the Opposition leader,” it says, “a rare opportunity for displaying the forbearance and the patriotism which enabled the Liberals to join with the Reform Party in forming the National Cabinet during the war. If he misses the chance, some of his followers may prefer Mr. Isitt’s lead to his on this point.” The Dominion urges the same course even more fervently. “They are divided,” it says of the Reform and Liberal parties, “by no essential difference in principle, and there is no reason why they should not enter into a permanent fusion.” STILL MR. MASSEY'S JOB. Mr. Wilford was interviewed this morning to ascertain if these appeals would induce him to break his silence. “They are not addressed to me,” he said promptly. “The papers know perfectly well this is Mr. Massey’s job. I have no reason to assume the Prime Minister wants roy advice or assistance, and he would scarcely thank me for forcing them upon him.” Mr. Wilford would not pursue the subject further, lie, like Mr. Massey, was waiting for the completion of the returns; but. unlike Mr. Massey, he had not. to decide what was to be done with them. The Liberal leader, however, was quite ready to talk of the incidents of the election campaign. Tie had enjoyed himself immensely—all at his own expense, ho mentioned incidentally —and had made many new friends and had met many good fellows among his opponents. Ceaseless travelling and sleepless nights had given zest to the adventure and the cordial hospitality he had received ever> r where was a thing to be remembered. Though the results were two or three seats short of what he had expected, the results were well worth while and no one need sav again that the Liberal party was dead.

AN UNGENEROUS VICTOR.

An ardent, though unattached, supporter of the Labor Party, who was approached to-day for his opinion of his part in the contest, promptly produced a cutting from the Post, purporting to bo a report of what Mr. R. A. Wright had said from the newspaper platforms after his return for Wellington suburbs appeared assured. “The time is coming,” Mr. Wright is reported as shouting’ back to a noisy crowd, “when the Labor union bosses will be drummed out of New Zealand. The trade union agitator is going out. Here you have an example of what Labor “freedom” means; hero you have an example of free speech that extreme Labor clamors for, prates so much about. They don t like defeat, but they have got to take, it.” Mr. Wright, speaking from another paltform earlier in the evening, had added to his angry taunts the assertion that a majority of the members of the now Parliament would co-oper-ate io bring about the expulsion of the mischief-makers from the Dominion. The comment of the sympathiser with the third party’s aspirations w that when cultured Reform was moved to sheer abuse Labor must be making some progress.