THE FIRST BALLOT.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 614, 17 September 1909, Page 4

THE FIRST BALLOT.

The Reform party's . candidate has emerged from the first ballot with a substantial majority, and the favoured Government candidate has been defeated outright. The contest wijl now be fought on a straight-out issue between Messrs. Hookly and Smith, the latter of whom stood as an Independent candidate at the last general election. The defeat of Mr. Meldbom.by.'Mb.'' Smith no, doubt came as a Surprise to many people, and more, especially to the friends of the former. It was felt by many Liberals in the electorate that Me. Smith at the general eleotion had laid himself open io the suspicion of having a leaning towards the Beform party, 1 and although Mb. Smith went to some pains to explain the exact nature of his relations with that party, the 'suspicion still appeared to linger in the minds of many. Therefore, it . was argued,-Mb. Meldbum's claims to support were superior toi those of Mb.' Smith. It will be a sore disappointment to staunch Liberals to find' that Mb. Smith, and not Mi. Meldrum, is to be the representative of tho Government in the second ballot! . The polling, with the exception that Mb. Smith has displaced Mr. Meldrbm from his expected position in the second ballot, has turned out very much as was expected. There were some very sanguine people who went bo far as to think that Mb. Hockly might win outright at the first ballot, but with the number of candidates in the field this was expecting over-much. It is a very poor sort of candidate indeed who has no personal following prepared 1 to vote for him irrespective of his ; party views, and the personal vote in tho present contest had to bo counted on the basis of four to oie. Th-ie personal vote will play an important part in deciding tho' final contest on Thursday next. The position as it presents' itself is, roughly, as . folJkwa:— Ma. Hocsis con rety on I&00

votes; Mn. Smith on 1000 votes, and there are 1600 votes which were recorded for the other candidates, and which can now bo cast for cither of the two left in the second ballot. It is not likely that the wholo of 'the 1600 votes will bo cast. Thero are good Liberals wlio will prefer nob to vote at all rather than record their votes for Mr. Smith; and thero are no doubt voterß who, now that their selected candidate has been beaten, will not trouble thomselves to voto for either of the remaining candidates. Hdwovcr, allowing that 1500 out of the 1600 will vote, and assuming that Messrs. Hockly and Smith each poll all their old supporters, the position will >be that Me. Smith will have to poll two new votes to ea,ch one scoured by his opponent in order to win. That is to say, that out of the 1500 votes mentioned he will require to' poll 1000 to his opponent's 500. This state of things must be regarded by the Reform party as vary satisfactory, and , should stimulate thoir efforts not only to wrest the seat from the Government, but to secure the rot Urn of thoir candidate by a substantial majority. A word of recognition is duo to the defeated candidates. They fought hard and well, and without introducing those unpleasant personalities which too often disfigure hardfought , elections. . Mb. . Meldrum, no doubt, secured' a strong party vote, as well as the personal vote which was so noticeable in the town in which he resides, and of which, he was naturally proud. Messrs Georoeth and Hoenblow, on the other hand, were really outside the range of party influence, and can reasonably claim that' the votos registered in their favour were evidences of personal appreciation, and there should bo a good deal of. satisfaction for tHem in that fact.