THE BYE-ELECTIONS.

Press, Volume IV, Issue 10064, 16 June 1898, Page 6

THE BYE-ELECTIONS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE PRESS. Sir, —On every conceivable occasion the Premier refers to the Mataura bye-election as a Government victory. The following are the facts and figures:—ln 1893 Mr McNab polled 1415, Mr Richardson 1296; in 1896 Mr McNab secured 1850 while Mr Richardson got 2054 votes; at the bye-elec-tion in May Mr McNab obtained 1894 votes and Mr Ward 1507. These results prove that Mr McNab between 1896 and 1898 increased his following by only 44 votes, and that at least 503 Opposition electors did not vote. Mr McNab in bis latest victory has nothing to be proud of. But what has Mr Seddon to say about the Dunedin and Wellington bye-elections? For the former the Opposition candidate was returned by nearly 1000 of a majority, while in Wellington Mr Duthie had a majority of ovei 1000, in fact the latter gentleman, by hundreds, exceeded any majority recorded previously either by Opposition or Government candidates in Wellington. Yet these "small things" obviously escape the attention of the Right Hon. Dr. Seddon. If further proof were required that a change in government is wanted it can be found in the fact that between the years of 1893 and 1896 the Opposition strength in Canterbury alone had increased according to published statistics by about thirteen thousand votes.—Yours, &c., C.A.