CENTENARIANS AND CHILDREN VOTE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 271, 15 November 1935, Page 7

CENTENARIANS AND CHILDREN VOTE.

BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Heavy Polling Reported in

Spite of Rain.

STOCK MARKET CONFIDENCE,

United Press Association. —Copyright.

(Received 1 p.m.) LONDON, November 14. Fine weather favoured early polli nS in the general election, but there was heavy rain later in Liverpool and Manchester and a drizzle in London, jfes Mary Davcy, aged 103, voted at Brighton. She said she hoped to vote at more elections yet. Mr. l<. Jackson, of Sidcup, Kent, also 103, refused the offer of a motor and walked to the poll. He said he had pot missed voting for 80 years. There were centenarian voters also at dapham and Canterbury. One woman managed to vote both in London and Greenock, making the journey by air. The King will liear thc rosults at Sandringham by telephone. Through, a dangerous system obliging touseholders to supply a list of occupants eligible to vote, many overlooked the age qualification of 21 years and put down the whole family, with the result that many children are on the rolls. Children Have a Vote. Actually four boys, ranging from nine to 11 were permitted to vote in East Edinburgh, and a girl of 11 at Watford, but a boy of seven at Dewsbury, and a girl of four at Epsom were refused on the ground that they were under age and liable to a penalty of £100. Conservative headquarters late in the afternoon stated that polling in all London districts was heavier than in 1931. Women everywhere nocked to the polls. Four generations of one family voted in Jlonmouth. The oldest was 94. Government Majority 180? Final opinion in the majority betting market, in which business is brisk, was that the Government would lead by ISO. Stock markets showed no diminution of confidence, and this was reflected particularly in the strength of armament and aircraft issues. The popular choice seems to be to hear the results by wireless, and there are radio parties everywhere, from a small family and friends to a monster gathering of 8000 in the Albert Hall. Some 215 electors at North Ronaldshay, the loneliest of the Orkney Islands, were disfranchised because the weather was too stormy for a steanier to convey them to the mainland. \ The first result was received at 9.37 p.m., compared with 0.27 last election, and it came from Cheltenham, where the Conservative retained the seat, though the Labour woman candidate reduced the majority substantially. The second result came from Exeter, where there is no significance in the reduction by 4271 in the Conservative majority because the contest was triangular in 1931 and this time there is no Liberal.

No Last-minute Surprises. There were no last-minute surprises in the campaign which ended last night, states a British official wireless message. Electioneering continued until a late hour, and to-day the candidates have the assistance of an army of supporters, and fleets of motor cars are engaged carrying the voters to the polling booths. In 225 urban constituencies returning 232 members the counting will begin as soon as the poll closes. All parties anticipate that in these constituencies the Government will incur its heaviest losses. In the last Parliament these seats were held by 197 ' Government supporters and 35 Opposition. In the 1929 Parliament the Conservatives held 77 seats, Labour 138, Liberals 14, and Independents 3. Counting in other constituencies will not begin till the morning, and the results, which include many where the electoral contest has been hard fought, including Seaham Harbour, the seat for wnch Mr. Ramsay Mac Donald is standWg, will not be announced till to-mor-row afternoon.