THE GENERAL ELECTION.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 283, 26 November 1908, Page 2

THE GENERAL ELECTION.

3IANTKAU FIXAL HGDEES. The recount of the votes polled in the Parliamentary election of a candidate for Mannkau shows the voting to have, been as follows:—Mr F. \Y. Lang, 2995; ilr A. A. CTeanier, 1020; JMr J. B. -Morton. 1139. Sixty-seven papers were rejected as informal. The official declaration of the poll has been made.

OHINEMUKL <By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) PAEROA, this day. With only one small return to come, Mr Poland," M J , ., baa a majority of 681 rotes. DR. TTNDLAY'S VIEW. SUCCESS OF THE SECOND BALLOT ACT. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) "WELLINGTON, Wednesday. In expressing his opinion to a "Post" reporter with regard to the results of the general election, the Attorney-Gen-eral, Dr. Findlay, said they must, if lookod at dispassionately be considered as extremely satisfactory to the Government. That its majority should be reduced was well nigh inevitable. "It is well known," said Dr. Findlay, " that if Mr. Massey's following of 16 had suffered even a small reduction, he could not possibly have been expected to continue with his party as a formal Opposition to the present Government; hence, if the Government bad been without fault or Saw, and the members of the Cabinet angels, and not men with some shortcomings, the country would still have increased, the numbers of the Opposition in order that their extinction should be prevented, and what is considered an essential feature of the British Parliamentary system preserved, namely His Majesty's Opposition."' The Attorney-General went on to say that " the circumstances which brought into Parliament 58 or 59 followers of the 3a-te Mr. Seddon will probably never be repeated in this country. After allowing ior his commanding personality to the fullest extent, there was the operation of a wave of sympathy for him in connection with the memorable attacks upon his family, -upon the crest of which the elections took .place, and there was the further fact that New Zealand at that time was enjoying the fullest flood of general prosperity. These and other circumstances account for the almost complete annihilation of the Opposition, and that such a disparity between the two parties would not be allowed to continue must be obvious to any impartial mind. Whatever be the merits or demerits of the Ward Administration, upon a dispassionate survey of the facts and results, it may be fairly claimed," said Dr. Findlay, " that any addition which has been made to the Opposition Tanks does not necessarily imply any loss of confidence in Sir Joseph "Ward as a leader, but rather shows that New Zealand felt that the very existence of party government here was at stake, and that apart altogether from the character and ability of the present Administration the ranks of the Opposition should be increased so as to preserve it against extinction. That the result of this election should provoke somewhat uproarious jubilation on the part of a certain section of the Oopposition is difficult to understand when we find that the Government will have a loyal following of not less than 52 members out of 80 in the new Parliament, a working majority of 24, and if a reference is made to the list of successful Government candidates, it will be seen how thorough-going their Liberalism is, and how solid will be the support behind the Prime Minister. Perhaps, however, seeing the Opposition has had so much cold water from the electors of this country during the last eighteen years, it is to be expected that a little wine would easily intoxicate them. One thing seems clear upon a fair and calm survey of the result, that the Opposition was never further from power than it is today, and that the majority behind .Sir Joseph Ward is greater than that found behind Mr. Seddon himself at the elections of 1902." Asked whether the Government is satisfied with the experiment of the second ballot, Dr. Findlay said. " As Sir .loseph Ward made clear upon the passing of the Second Ballot Bill, his object in passing the measure was to protect us as a people from minority rule, and the results of the first trial of the system are surely a triumphant vindication of the Prime Minister's purpose. Had it not been for the second ballot. 23 members out of 76, that is, practically a third of the whole number, would have been minority representatives. As it is, each of the successful candidates at the second ballot is now a majority representative. From the point of view of our democracy as a whole, surely it cannot be said that the second ballot has not boen a statesmanlike measure. The predicted evils have not shown themselves." Regarding the allegation that the Government had for its purpose in passing the measure the exclusion of labour from a fair chance at tie polls. Dr. Findlay pointed out th;rt no further answer to those repeated charges need be given than that the only chance of election labour got at the recent polls was that given by virtu? of the second ballot in Gisborne, and in Wellington East, and to complete this answer, Mr. McLaren, the Labour candidate, entirely owes his election to the measure. "The concrete answer to the cry raised by the Opposition that the bill was passed to prejudice it in a fair contest is the fact that the Opposition have gained by means of the second ballot, and the Government by that means lost three seats, and consequently, owing to the second ballot, the Government have supplied a net loss of these three seats, and possibly one other in which an Independent succeeded. I think, therefore."' said the Minister, " it must be admitted first, that the principle of the measure, as far as the democracy is concerned, has abundantly justified itself by its operation, and that the Government throughout the twenty-two second ballot contests has >"-*2 d with the utmost fairness and propriety."

CHARGE AGAINST A MEMBER.

A CHALLENGE ACCEPTED.

C3y Telegraph.—Press Association.)

WANGANTJI, Wednesday.

When Mr Remington, a candidate for Rangitikei, addressed tho electors at Kastbrook, a suburb of Wanganui on the Thursday before tho first ballot he attacked Mr Gep. H.utehlsoa for the remarks that gentleman had made when referring in the course af a speech to the Hon, W. HalUJones, OTd the H>h Commissionsrship. Oa the foll &w iS<r mght, Mr Hutchison, when addressing the electors at the Opera Hause, refe£ red to Mi: fienaiigten'-s witieiams, «»4

concluded by reading , a letter which alleged that Mr Remington had named and taken £20 as a reward for his efforts in obtaining , for one of his constituents the removal of a restriction on a native title. Mr Remington, speaking at Taihape on the night before the election, said if his committee was willing, be (Mr Remington) was quite willing if Mr Hutchison would put down £75 for the election expenses to give him a chance of seeing who stood best- with the electors of Rangitikei. Mr Hutchison to-day wrote as follows to Mr Remington:— "'Referring to your challenge that if I would put down £75 for election expenses, you would give mc a chance of seeing who stood best with the electors of Rangitikei, I now accept the challenge. lam prepared to lodge the amount stated with any bank, or responsible person, you may name, to be handed over to you unconditionally on your resignation, and I pledge myself" to contest the election with you.

PRESS OPINIONS. (By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, thi3 day. Reviewing the results of the general elections, the "Times" says the Government is to be congratulated on maintaining the tradition of the party for big majorities, and on the emphatic verdict given by the people as a whole in favour of a policy of progress and development. The small gain by the Opposition does not reflect a direct change of opinion in the electorates. The Government, it says, has achieved a notable victory, one of the most extraordinary features of which is that the Opposition proclaimed in all parts cf the country that it was not asking the electors to turn the Ministry out of office. "It is probable that never before has a party, after being eighteen years in the dominating position, had its opponents virtually passing it a vote of confidence."

The "Dominion," which sees things politically wholly through Opposition spectacles, says: "For the first time for many years there is a really strong Opposition party, strong in numbers as well as in debating power, in the House. The personnel of the House generally has also been improved, the proportion of new members being unusually large. In addition to the loss of seats, the Government have had their candidates' majorities reduced all over the country, and this evidence of the awakening of the people to the abuses in our public life must have a very wholesome effect. Ministers have received a sharp lesson, and apart from the fact that an effective Opposition has been returned to Parliament, to act as a check on their actions, they may be relied on .for their own safety's sake to pa3 r greater heed to the voice of public opinion than has been their wont in recent years."

On the whole, the "Post," which professes to wear the label of independence in the political arena, thinks the result is decidedly satisfactory, and, combined with that of the polling on the previous Tuesday, it undoubtedly gives a far more efficient Parliament than that which was dissolved a few weeks ago. "The majority which the Liberal party had enjoyed for many years in the House of Representatives has been far too large to be wholesome," says the evening .journal, "and the electors have wisely determined to put the brake on, and even the sanguine Premier will have to obey."

CANADIAN POSTMASTER INTERESTED.

(By Telegraph.—Own Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, this day.

Dr. Coulter, the Canadian Deputy-Post-master-General, who has arrived in Wellington, says tlie second ballot appeared to him to be an excellent way of ascertaining the true will of the people, which itself was a very laudable object. It looked like a good law, and he was pleased indeed that he had arrived in New Zealand at this particular juncture, for he would be able to study its working out at close quarters. He expressed the opinion to the '"Auckland Star" representative that if the second ballot proved satisfactory here, it would no doubt attract the attention of many governments elsewhere.