ECHOES FROM THE ELECTORATES.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 14223, 11 December 1911, Page 7

ECHOES FROM THE ELECTORATES.

• The Hawke's Bay returns point, says a Easting's correspondent of the "Dominion,;' to a sure Opposition win.- Mr Simson (the Government candidate) has aroused strong prejudices, and-m the second ballot ho will not poll many more than, he lias already secured. Mr Lano's votes aro Opposition rotes, while Mr Clapham's and Mr Fraser's Tv-ill either bo not recorded a second time or they will go to Mr Campbell. It is mentioned elsewhere that Mr F. M. B. Fisher had only two oabs working tor him on" election day. Ths fact gives particular- interest to tho following remarks by Young, tho Labour candidate for Wellington Central, after the declaration of tho poll:— "That day." said Mr \oung, speaking from tho "Dominion" office, "he had seen and witnessed the power of money so far as Liberalism was concerned, and he was going to demonstrate the fact before the second ballot. He had witnessed the engagement of every motor-car in.this city, and every cab, on behalf of tho. Liberal Party, and he registered a most emphatic, protest against the manner in which money had been utilised to defeat tho ends of democracy. There would bo a meeting of tho supporters of the Labour Party on the following evening, and at that meeting it would bo decided which party to vote for in the second ballot. Ho ventured to say that these votes would not be cast for the candidate who had secured every motor-car and cab in the city to brine electors to the poll that day. He liked straight fighting, and he could take a beating with any man, but he liked fair play." Mr H. D. Bedford, the Reform candidate for Dunedin West, who" is opposing the Hon. J. A. Millar in the second ballot, opened his second ballot campaign on Friday night. Mr W. Ball, who presided, said a report had bsen circulated that day that on the previous night Mr Munro, tho Socialist candidate, shook hands with Mr Millar, and said he would try to influence his supporters to voto for him on the second ballot. "Now," added the Chairman, '1 wish to tell you that Mr Bedford and I havo just come from Mr Mnnro's house, and Mr Munro gives that statement an emphatic denial."" At tho declaration of the poll in Invercargill, Mr Farrant, tho Labour candidate, thanked his opponents for tho way in which they had conducted tho campaign, and specially thanked Mr Fleming's committee. The fact that Mr Fleming's and his committee rooms wero in tho ono building had caused some amusement, added Mr Farrant, but during the whole of the campaign there had not been a harsh word said between them; they were on the best of terms, and Mr Fleming's motor-cars that day had* been placed at tho disposal of some of his (Mr Farrant's) supporters. J3o would be failing in his duty if ho had not publicly recognised what Mr Fleming had done for him that day. At Winton, tho headquarters of tho Awarua electorate, large numbers of people assembled on election day, and the presence of the Prime Minister and ' tho two other candidates at the inland centre, according to tho Southland "Daily News," greatly enhanced tho goneral interest taken in tho event. Sir Joseph Ward left by tho six o'clock ] train for Invercargill, and this deprived ' tho evening's proceedings of a certain amount or interest. Shortly after 10.30 Mr Hamilton gave a brief address from the balcony of the Railway Hotel, and at this period tho crowd becamo somowhat ovcr-excitcd and general disorder followed. Mr Hamilton, howover, in tho midst of an uproar of cheering and booing, proceeded with his speech. He stated that tho only thing left for him to do was to congratulate the other man on his victory. They had put up a very fair • fight, and although he was standing against the strongest politician in New Zealand he polled over - 2200 votes. (Cheers and disorder).. It was a fight .not to be ashamed of. Up ;to the present time the Opposition wero leading in every part of the Dominion, and two of the strongest Ministers, Sir J. G. Ward and J. A. Millar, had had the run of their lives. (Cheers and hooting.) Keener interest had never before been manifested in the elections, and the Opposition were accorded more support than ever they had yet received. This election was a great lift for the Opposition Party. The speaker concluded by saying if he were alive and well three years hence he would again contest the Awarua scat. Mr C. D. Moore came forward to speak, but the cheering, intermingled with booing and general disorder, which characterised tho proceedings throughout, was at such a high pitch that the speaker was only able to express thanks on behalf of Sir Joseph Ward. This was followed by loud and continued cheers. It may be added that Mr Hamilton polled more votes at Winton than Sir Joseph Ward did, the numbers being 399 and 345 respectively. ____ . One of the incidents of the poll in Napier was that an old lady came down to vote and found her name off .'tho roll, and the name of her son's wife substituted. The old lady was evidently a keen politician, and sne resented in tho very strongest terms the dutrago put upon her right to vote. rihe looked for tho' Returning Officer with fire in her eye, and declared she had been forty years in the town and had never missed a Vote. Fortunately she did not know the Returning Officer by sight. Commenting on the result of the elections in Wellington the .''Evening Post" says:—Mr Herdman, Wellington North, well deserves to be returned to Parliament. Hβ is one of the prominent figures in Now Zealand politics, a man with strong convictions, with, the courage to express thorn firmly, and tho trained talent to voice them well There- is no doubt that as one of the ,most trenchant critics of the Government he has done very valuable service. As a critic ho gives no quarter, and he asks for none. He goes straight for his object, with all his force. It is not good for any Government to lack such criticism. Mr Herdman acts as a sentinel for the public, and he does not carry a perm for purposes of display. Hβ fires, and ho hits, not for *ny personal pleasure of hitting, but for tne common good. Speaking after tho declaration of-the poll at Wanganui, Mr G. Hutchison, the Reform candidate, who secured third place, said that now he was lite the people in front of him—an elector only. He had no complaint to make. He Mr Vcitch on the position lie occupied. So far as his (Mr Hutchison's) individual support was concerned, it would be given to Mr Veitch as an opponent" of the Government, and he trusted that on Thursday next the electors would confirm the selection they had tnAdo.