CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 June 1939, Page 4

CHRISTCHURCH SOUTH

LABOUR PARTY RETAINS SEA! MAJORITY VERY GREATLY REDUCED. SPEECHES AFTER THE POLL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. The by-election held on Saturday for the Christchurch South seat in the House of Representatives resulted in the return of the Labour candidate, Mr R. M. Macfarlane, who had a majority of 3713 votes over Mr M. E. Lyons (National). Mr Macfarlane polled 7492 votes and Mr Lyons 3779. There are 546 absent and postal votes to come. The by-election was caused by the death of Mr E. J. Howard, who was Chairman of Committees in the last Parliament. Majorities were obtained by Mr Macfarlane at 18 of the 20 polling bo'oths in the electorate. There was a lighter poll than that at the general election, when the late Mr Howard (Labour) had a majority of 5995 over Mr G. W. L. Ward (National). The results came to hand rapidly after the close of the poll at 7 p.m. and just over three-quarters (of an hour later the final result was known. An immediate start will be made with the checking of the roll and the official count of the ballot-papers. Mr Macfarlane is Mayor of Christchurch, having been elected to that position at the municipal elections just over a year ago. He was the Labour Party’s candidate for Christchurch North at the last general election. For many years Mr Macfarlane has been secretary of the North Canterbury Labour Representation Committee.

Mr Macfarlane receiver 2393 fewer votes than Mr E. J. Howard did at the last election. Mr Lyons’ total was 111 fewer than that of Mr Gladstone Ward, who opposed Mr Howard last October.

For the by-election there were 15,590 names on the roll, of whom 11,271 cast valid votes. In addition there were 314 postal votes and 232 absentee votes, which have not yet been credited. Last October 13,775 votes were cast, out of 15,140 electors on the roll. The result then was Mr Howard 9885, Mr Ward 3890. In an address over the air Mr Macfarlane emphasised, as he did later in the Square, his belief that approximately 2000 Labour voters had refrained from voting through apathy engendered by their firm belief in the result being an easy win for Labour. “I believe that when it is all finished, Labour will have a majority of 4000,” Mr Macfarlane said. “Though the most desperate efforts ever made in the electorate were made in Christchurch to win the seat from Labour, the electorate has remained radical.” Mr Macfarlane said that the Government was being severely criticised. but, as the result of the by-elec-tion showed, the majority of the people were still behind Labour firmly.

Mr Lyons said “As the candidate carrying the Nationalist Party banner in the contest, I want first to congratulate Mr Macfarlane on the splendid vote he secured. I am satisfied that the vote for the National Party was definitely better than tha| given the Party in the general election.

“The vote accorded the Labour Party had been reduced, and, in nearly every booth, the National Party vote has increased. I do take some satisfaction, while congratulating Mr Macfarlane, at the thought that I obtained this vote off my own bat.” , Mr Lyons said it was not too much to assume that his own vote in the final analysis would be more than 4000. Had the contest been a few months later, he Relieved the result would have been far different.