LABOUR MAJORITY REDUCED

Waikato Times, Volume 124, Issue 20822, 5 June 1939, Page 6

LABOUR MAJORITY REDUCED

Although a victory for the Labour candidate in the Christchurch South by-election was a foregone conclusion, there was still widespread interest in the contest for the indication it would give of the trend of public opinion. The result shows that in this Labour stronghold the Government has lost ground substantially. The Labour majority was reduced from about 6000 at the last election to about 3700 on a considerably reduced total vote. Even the postal votes yet to be counted are not likely to lift the total to near the number at the general election. The result constitutes a clear warning to the Government, especially when it is remembered that Labour’s majority over the whole country at the general election was very slender.

Were a similar vote cast in a general election throughout New Zealand Labour’s majority would be transformed into a substantial majority for the present Opposition. And it is reasonable to assume that in rural electorates there has been a still greater swing against the Government. Some allowance must of course be made in the Christchurch South contest for the personality of the candidates. Mr E. J. Howard, whose death rendered the by-election necessary, had a strong personal hold on the electorate. He was an old stalwart of the party and was Chairman of Committees in the House of Representatives. At the same time Mr R. M. Macfarlane, the successful candidate on Saturday, is Mayor of the city of Christchurch and has a large local following. In addition, the Labour candidate had the assistance of almost the full battery of the Cabinet, including the Prime Minister, while the National candidate, Mr M. E. Lyons, fought a lone battle. It was obvious that the Labour Party made its utmost effort to retain its majority, and the fact that that majority was so heavily reduced must be the cause of discomfiture to the Government. It is indeed questionable whether in the whole of the Dominion the Government could command a majority were a general election to be held tomorrow. The lesson of the by-election is that the Government should give full weight to the criticism and the representations of the Opposition which, though it has but a small number of members in the House of Representatives, represents a large portion of the whole electorate.