DUNEDIN NORTH SEAT.

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17488, 23 June 1922, Page 6

DUNEDIN NORTH SEAT.

THE BY-ELECTION. NEWSPAPEB COMMENT. (SPECIAL TO ''THE PRESS.'') IH'NEDIN, Juno L'2. The ''Star" to-night says: Mr Munro was ebcted by a. narrow majority in .i three-cornered" contest, and was helped bv many of his opponents and hampered by his champions. As an index to the general elections to follow the session of Parliament, it is in our opinion just about valueless. The actual nuinlx?r of available votes at tho Dunedin North election yesterday was 11.087. The last number on the supplementary roil is 14,410, but from that has to bo deducted the- 2723 names struck off. The total polled—7s6o—was below expectations. The weather was fine, and there were plenty of motors a bant. One nuiy suppose that the comparatively light polling W'iM partly due to tho •non-appearance of the prohibition question. The Labour Party reckons that the absent votes will increase Mr Munro's majority

WELLINGTON OPINION. (SPECIAL TO ''THE I'RKSS.'') WELLINGTON. June 22. In Wellington very little interest was taken in the Dunedm North by-eioctioii until it was over. Now that tho result is known, the opinion largely preponderating seems to be that it proves that the electors will give so little support to the Wilford-Stathnm-Yeitch Party that, so far as its chances at tho general election -are concerned, it might just as well dissolve. At the same time, the party is regarded as a menace to the great- majority of the electors because of its ability to split votes and let in tho lied element against the general desire of the country. On these lines it is argued that there is no longer any need for the third party, and that the real contest should be between the party now in power and official Labour. At the Lust meeting of the party with the long name, it is stated on what seems good authority that the discussion centred largely on. the question of coming to some -arrangement with Messrs Holland and Co. in view of the general election, but the members present were divided on the point. Meantime, the result of tho Dunedin North election isi anything but encouraging to Mr Wilford's candidates.

The ".New Zealand Times," in the course of a leading article says:—The so-called Liberals who polled only 906 in spite of the efforts of Mr Statham and Mr Sidey, and perhaps someone else, made a poor show. They can of course console themselves with the fact that 4000 electors did not record their votea, but they can scarcely hope to monopolise the consolation. I'he consolation is open to all-comers. "Uiui the Labour Wh3 on the seat weakened, under the camouflage of victory certainly, but nevertheless weakened, and the Reform Party proved to be consciously in need of at least a change of name, with all it implies, and 4OQO voters silentlv disfranchised for five months, the IXinedin North seat offers tery for December next. The by-elec-tion, so far from settling the question of the seat, has shown that the opportunity for securing it five or six months hence is open to all and sundry. The "Dominion" writes: It will be a hard blow to the party with the long name and the small following to lose the Dunedin North seat, but a still harder blow to its prestige to lose it so ingloriously. Out of a total poll of 7500 Mr Wilford's nomineee polled a modest 908 votes. All that can he said for him is that he succeeded in splitting votes sufficiently to enable the Labour-Socialist candidate to s-'jiieoze home 141 votes ahead of the Independent Reform candidate. The point to be noted is this: There is hardly a shade of difference in the general political views of Mr Clark and Mr & f .'gg, but by working against one another, and vote splitting, they gaive away the to the extreme Labour candidate, with whose views they totally disagree. "Willi M*r Begg out of the way Mr Chuk would certainly have won the seat. Itis possible that with Mr Clark out of the way, Mr Begg might have won it. Official Labour's trump card at the coming general election will be this vote splitting of the moderate vote by its opponents, whose only real differences are those of tweedledum and tweedledee.

The "Post" says: The Liberals hav© given the seat to a party from which they are widely divided on almost every local and Imperial issue, and with which they seem, indeed, to have hardly anything in common, except the desire to turn the Government out.