The Dominion. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1919. A VICTORY FOR PROGRESS

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 72, 18 December 1919, Page 8

The Dominion. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1919. A VICTORY FOR PROGRESS

- With- tb,c ; election returns nearenough to completion to put the final result beyond' doubt, it is evident that .the Kcform Party has won a, great victory and that tho Wardists';havc suffered an overwhelming - defeat pointedly emphasised' by the rejection of Sir Joseph Ward himself in Awariia. The outcome of the elections is to be hailed much less as'a.party .victory than as an unmistakable indication that the people of the Dominion are determined to secure the safe, sound, and stable government which alone will-make it possible to face .confidently the difficult years that he ahead. At a" broad view and irrespective of the fact .that a number of'ex-members of proven worth have lost their scats, .or . have slender prospects- of election, it is the least satisfactory feature of the- returns that the Labour extremists, though they, are. still a small party,' haw added- somewhat to their- strength. Even where it.is not due to ,votesplitting; the gain of strength- by the extremists is undoubtedly to be set down;to...tlie. lack of .unity between tho two main .'parties. Had the j Liberals accepted the invitation to I join forces with - the Ecform. Party there would have been much im-| proved prospect's of defeating the extremists even, in scats like.. Wellington Central, where they are nowable to boast an.absolute majority of the votes polled.' As a whole the results of the election afford'solid grounds for satisfaction and for confidence in the future. 'It seems likely at present that the strength of parties will be approximately:--' ; Reform 4S Liberal 19 Labour 8 . Independent Labour .... .1 Independent 2 With-an absolute majority in its own right the Reform Party is firmly' re-established in power, and,.living up'to. the expressed determination of its Leader and'of many of its individual members to', break away from the evils of party politics and establish a broad basis of working unity in Parliament, ' it .will undoubtedly be able to attract a considerable measure of support from those who stand at present -outside its ranks.' Indeed, the outcome of' the elections is first and foremost a decisive endorsement of the view that'the only real political division in this country is between revolutionary extremists and those who are ready to work on sane lines for progress, and to promote ,thc .welfare of all sections of the population. The ill-advised attempt of the Wardists to set party above national interests has invited its appropriate retribution, but the only right and rational course in the position reached is finally to sink party feeling - in order that all friends of genuine progress may unite to promote it. ■-.-■"■■ ' -While the popular' verdict in its broad features is clear and-unmis-takable, many of.the detail results of the election.'are - striking'' : and some of them-not. a ; little surprising. Though it takes a foremost place amongst'the events in which popular interest will centre, the defeat of the Leader of the Opposition was not altogether unexpected. That Sir Joskph Waud himself was more or less dubious, about his prospects was indicated in the time and effort he devoted to-campaigning iff hi 3 own constituency. Capturing Awarua with a majority of nearly SOO votes, Mb.. J. R. Hamilton is fittingly rewarded for the dog.ecd pluck and perseverance he.has. displayed in successive contests for the seat. Sir Joseph Ward's defeat is shared by two of his former Ministerial colleagues.. Sir James Carroll, who had come."to.be regarded almost as a political fixture, lias been unseated in Gisbornc bv Mil. W. D.'Lyskar, and Mr. G. W. Russell has been very-heavily defeated in Avon by a, Labour opponent. There is little-doubt that the ill success of the Wardists. in the Christchurch seats must.be attributed in great »a-rt to their failure lo explicitly define, their attitude towards the Labour-Socialists. Apart from ex-Ministers the -Liberals have lost a particularly well-known figure in Mb..Albert' Edward Glover, who has been regarded hitherto as practically immovable in Auckland Central. One of the most regrettable surprises of the election is the probable defeat of the. Hon. J. B. Hike in Stratford: Major Hike lim a very fine record both as a politician and as a soldier, and his seat might in the circumstances have been sunnosed to be eminently safe. As the fijnires stand, Major Hine is defeated by a narrow margin. There is a possibility, however, that the final return, when account is taken of absent voters' permits, may reverse (.'be present position. Another hichlv regrettable defeat is that of Mr. T. A. H. Field in Nelson. Against expectations, he has been unseated by his opponent in former contests, Mn. H. Atmorr, a windy politician of little.use in Parliament. So far as local, seats arc concerned, Messrs. Weight, and Luke and T>_n. A. K. Newman have all scored credit- j able victories. Particular satisfaction will be takn in the decisive sue-! cess scored bv Colonel Mitchell in Wellington South. The outcome of the JTul.l; contest is one of the dis.'appointiw: surprises of. the election. Prior to the polling 'here was every indication that Mr. Rishworth was firmly established in Popular _ favour, but fear of a Labour-Socialist victorv swung votes over at the. last minute to Mn. Wi/.i'oni), and second place is taken IrAt.he Labour candidate. In Mn. lusuworth's defeat a useful member is lost to

the House. Amidst the successes gained by the party of sound progress all over the country many things are worthy of remark, not least the substantial majority of two thousand votes secured in Dur.udin West by Mi;.. Downie Stewart, who has been a particularly prominent and convincing advocate of the national readjustments in polities for which the election hn's done so much to clear the way.