THE WAIPA ELECTION. RESULT OF THE POLL. Return of Mr Lake.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1880, 24 July 1884, Page 2

THE WAIPA ELECTION. RESULT OF THE POLL. Return of Mr Lake.

The polling for the return of a member to represent Waipa in the House of Representatives - took place on Tuesday, and throughout the whole district was conducted in the most orderly and friendly manner. As the day wore on there was naturally a good deal of excitement, and this was especially the case at Hamilton, where it was known the whola of the returns would be received by wire at the earliest possible moment. It was conceded that Mr Lake would get a majority at Hamilton, but the total number polled was not so large as expected. .Some amusement was caused by the exhibition of a number of telegrams addressed to Major Jackson's committee from various parts of the district claiming enormous majorities for the Major at every place. Placards calling upon the electors to vote for Major Jackson were posted up on various dead walls ;] also on the back* of a couple of f orloi n-lookmg horses,, and the spectacle of these sorry animals wandering aimlessly about the town was an unfailing source of merriment to the juvenile element. Shortly after six o'clock the Returning Officer, Mr Kirk, announced the result of the poll, and fiom that time the attention of everybody was directed to the telegraph office, where the special messages to this office from the various polling places soon began to arrive. As telegiam after telegram came to hand, the spirits of the respective parties rose and fell in accordance with the lelative stiength of the aggregates, and by 9 o'clock the excitement had risen to a high pitch. There mu*t have been fully three-hundred people about the office and in front of Gwynne s Hotel, where a transparency had been erected, on which to display the totals from time to time. Cheers for "The Major," alternated with "Hurrah for Lake." The telegram from Ohaupo, which showed that Mr Lake had secured a majority of 50, put an end to all doubt about the issue of the contest, as the only place not accounted for, Aotea, could not in any case turn the election. Thenceforward it was noticeable that Mr Lake enjoyed by far the laiger share of the applause, and it was some hours before the last echo of the cheers died away. The agents of the respective candidates worked with a will, and polled every possible vote for their men. Over a hundred votes were polled at Ngaruawahia, wheie the supporters of Mr Lake worked haid, with the lesult that they secured a majority of 13. Considerable interest was taken in the contest. The comic element in the enteitaiument was supplied by a gentleman who, with a peisistency tiuly remarkable, e*eorted paity after party of natives to the booth, only to find that they weie not on the roll. At Kihikihi veiy gieat interest was taken in the election and all the vrotes available except two were polled. The special telegrams despatched from this office were anxiously looked for in the evening, the les-ult being received with cheer«. AtTe Awamutu there was much excitement, and the friends of both candidates woiked veryhardtosecuieafavouiable result. At -Vlcxandia, too, the event created consideiable interest. Although, as it was sale day, a very large number of the electors polled at Ohaupo, the proceedings, weie of an exceedingly quiet character. As many of the Pukerimu settleis weie there, it was anticipated that a big majority for Mr Lake would lebult, but it was scarcely expected that it would amount to fifty. At Pukekura there was very little excitement during the day. Mr Lake's friends worked exceedingly hard for their man throughout the day, but Major Jackson's workers did not seem very enthusiastic in their efforts. When the poll was declared at (i o'clock there were about four persons present, the extreme cold having prevented a gathering, and the only demonstration of satisfaction was a wheezy " three cheers for Mr Lake " from a small man with a bad cold. The excitement at Cambridge throughout Tuesday was very intense, and from about eight o'clock till nearly midnight an anxious ciowd weie gatheied in the vicinity of the Criterion Hotel waiting eagerly for , the latest intelligence. About eight o'clock The Waikato Times special messages began to arrive, and each one had its own paiticular effect on the multitude. .Some I elicited cheeis from the suppoiters of Mi Lake, while others brought forth applause from the suppoifcers of Major Jackson. The final result was leceived by all with the utmo&t good feeling. A few toast-, weie proposed, including "Our new member," and " Our late member, Mr Y. A, WhitaKer," which were warmly responded to. At Paujrangi and at Churchill the pioceeditig.s were altogether uninteresting, inasmuch as the vote at those places wan almost unanimously in favour of Mr Lake. At Raglan it may be said the chief interest of the election centred, inasmuch as no one, however highly endowed by nature with the prophetic faculty, cared to hazard an opinion as to the direction in which the vote on " the other side of the mountain " would go. Both candidates selected this spot from which to view the struggle between the contending hosts, but Major Jackson's lieutenants^ woiked haid and unceasingly and the victory in this part of the field remained with rider contestant who polled 45 to Mr Lake's 20. At Waitetuna very few votes were polled, and at Aotea mote than four-fifths voted for Major Jackson. We may be pardoned for calling attention to the general correctness of the " tip " published on Tuesday, so far as it related to the district of Waipa proper. The following are the complete returns, from which it will be seen that Mr Lake secured a majority ot 38 :—

Polling Places. q 5 Hamilton Ngaiuawahia ... Alexandra Te Awamutu . . Whatawhata Te Rore Kihikihi Ohaupo C.tm bridge West Mercer Pukerimu Paterangi Ohurchhill Raglan Waitetuna Aotea . I m 57 30 50 18 14 37 77 52 13 U 14 16 20 9 5 74 44 30 05 34 4 G4 27 34 1!) 1 5 3 45 4 22 Total 521 483 Majority for Lako 38