TARANAKI BY-ELECTION.

■ ■ ■ •■■, m ME, G. SMITH EETOENm | (MAJORITY OF 160 VOTES. HEAVY POLL RECORDED. ' [BY TELEGRAM.— ASSOCIATION.] NEW PLYMOUTH. Thursday. The Taranaki by-election held to-day . aroused considerable interest. The result was as follows:— , .- . Sydney G.Smith (Dem. Lab.) ... 2,840 ' ' John S. Connett (N.G.) ... 2,680 Majority {or Smith ..« >-. 160 / There were 7440 electors on the. 1814 , H} roll, and the voting was as follows :-H{ hi J H. Okey (Reform), 3759; D. J. Hughes / (Liberal), 2558. Mr. Okey's majority at I the 1911 election was 754. j THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE, : J .' ' : II SON OF AN EX-MEMBER. i Mr. Sydney G. Smith, the successful J candidate for the Taranaki seat, is a son J of the late Mr. E. M. Smith, M.P. Ha j has been prominently connected with j, . Labour and educational movements in ! New Plymouth. He is chairman of the* Central School Committee, a governor of j the New 'Plymouth High Schools, and ftj member of the Taranaki Education Board. j Mr. Smith was employed in the railway! goods-shed at New Plymouth, and .re- l i signed his position in order to contest thip ' election. ' L ,

PREVIOUS BY-ELECTIONS. TWELFTH SINCE DECEMBER, lfilti The by-election for the Taranaki seat is the twelfth that has taken place since the general election in December,-1814, and the ninth since the formation of t-li* National Cabinet in August, 1915. The| districts, and the candidates olected, . ara| as follows:— . J Dunedin Central, February 3, 1915: Mm C. E. Statham (G.). ■ I Bay of Islands, June 8, 1915: Mr. Wj Stewart (G.). ■ Taumarunur, June 15, 1915: Mr. W. Tj Jennings (O.). I Pahiatua, August 17, 1916: Mr., G. EJ Smith (N.G.). j Hawke's Bay, March 9, 1917: Sir Johrf ! Findlav (MG.). j Bay of Islands, March 19, 1917, rod I opposed: Mr. V. H. Reed (N.G.). J Grev, December 3. 1917, unopposed: Mrj 'P. C. Webb (Lab.). , , ! Southern Maori, February 21, 1918: Mri J. H. W. Urn (I.). ' 'J Wellington North, February 28, 19181 Mr. J. P. Luke (N.G.). ■ ; • , Grey. May 29, 1918: Mr. H. E. Holland '(Lab.). Wellington' Central, October 3. 1918: Mr. P. Fraser (Lab.). Taranaki, October 10, 1918: Mr. S. Smith '. (Dem. Lab.). <