THE ELECTION STATE OF THE PARTIES

Press, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 26516, 3 September 1951, Page 3

THE ELECTION STATE OF THE PARTIES

JL XKAVJLXiUK/ GROWTH of national representation DECREASED votes for COMMUNISTS

-he National Party is certain to imliove considerably on the percentage •f votes cast in its favour compared % the election two years ago. On Etnrday National candidates received ?f 76 of the total valid votes cast, Smoared with a final percentage of Sgg in the 1949 election. During SLLabour Government’s 14 years of SLe Labour's best percentage was in 1938. when it received, on the preHninarv count. 56.85 per cent of the rXs although it contested only 78 '“the 80 seats. In 1949 Labour reeved 47.16 per cent, of the votes, on the final count. The preliminary rtunt in the P res ent election gives Ihe party about 46.22 per cent, of the ralidvotes. Saturday’s voting showed that the tendency in New Zealand for elections to become more and more an issue between the two main parties is being maintained. In 1949 the Communist party with 16 candidates, totalled 3267 fotes in the preliminary count. Saturday’s figures for the four Communjst candidates was 476, a drop of about 40 per cent. Hie National Party, in increasing its -ajoritv in the House by at least one, is maintaining the progress it has made since 1938. The following table jhows the state of the parties since 1935:-

+ Two seats vacant, ft One seat vacant.

flection. 1935 Nat. Lab. Ind. Others 19 55 4 2 Dissolution. 1938 19 55 4 2 flection. 1938 25 53 2 0 Dissolution. 1943* 23 49 4 1 flection. 1943 34 45 1 0 Dissolution. 1946t 35 43 0 0 flection, 1946 -• 37 43 0 0 Dissolution. 1949tt 38 40 1 0 flection. 1949 46 34 0 0 Dissolution, 1951 46 34 0 0 flection, 1951 (prelim i n a r y figures) 47 33 0 0 •Three seats vacant.