NEW PLYMOUTH BYELECTION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXX, Issue 8442, 15 May 1907, Page 5

NEW PLYMOUTH BYELECTION.

OPPOSITION CANDIDATE RETURNED. A SUBSTANTIAL MAJORITY. By Telegraph—Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 14. Following is the result of the Taranaki by-election, to fill the vacancy in the House of Representatives caused by the death of Mr E. M. Smith:— MrH. Okey (Opposition) ... 1,822 Mr E. Dockrill (Government) 1,570 Mr W. G. Malone (Liberal) ... 973 There are a few small returns to come in, but they cannot affect the result. FINAL RETURNS. By Telegraph—Press Association. NEW PLYMOUTH, May 14. The final returns are as follow : H. Okey ... ... 1,991 E. Dockrill 1,627 . W. G. Malone ... 1,010 Informal... ... 23 There are 6,205 names on the roll. All the candidates afterwards delivered addresses. The Hon. J. Carroll and Mr Massey also spoke. The latter was denied a hearing until after Mr Carroll had spoken. Mr Carroll, in his remarks, congratulated the winning candidate, whose success he attributed to superior organisation, and an unfortunate, split in the Liberal vote. The Government would win a straight-out "go" at the general'election. Mr Massey accepted the challenge if the issue was made one of freehold versus leasehold.

Commenting upon Mr Okey's address on the 6th inst. the Taranaki Herald remarked: —"With no pretentions to oratory, Mr Okey, the Opposition candidate for the vacant seat in Parliament, succeeded last night in holding the attention of the largest audience that has yet assembled in the course of the present contest. It was apparent, too, that the majority of those present were friendly disposed towards the speaker, whose political principles and views seemed to meet with general approval. Although on this occasion ,Mr Okey stands as a pronounced Oppositionist, there is no inconsistency be : tween his attitude now and that when he called himself an Independent Liberal, for in matters of policy the Opposition party are as Liberal as the party in power. In fact the only wide difference between the two parties' policies is in the matter of the Land Bill, which is "the chief issue now before the electors. With regard to this measure there is no misunderstanding Mr Okey's views; he is opposed to it, being a firm upholder of the freehold tenure, though a believer fn the limitation of estates,' as everyone must be, the difference of opinion arising over the method to be adopted and the limit to be fixed. But Mr Okey was not content wfth "simply : -stating* that ho is opposed to the Bill; he, suggested a direction in which land reform might be carried, by the re-introdac-tion of the deferred payment system, the best system ever adopted in Taranaki. Under-it selectors were given ten years to pay for their land, in annual instalments, the term afterwards being extended to 14 years. Mr Okey would extend the time to 20 years, thus bringing it easily within the ability of any man to obtain the freehold. A more liberal and more sound proposal for the settlement of the land has never been advanced."