POLITICAL AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 16, Issue 88, 10 January 1923, Page 4

POLITICAL AFFAIRS

DEFEATED MINISTER RESIGNING BUT LODGING ELECTION PETITION The most interesting political fact of tho moment is that tbo Minister of Justice, External Affairs, and Industries and Commerce (Mr. Lee) has announced his intention of resigning his portfolios almost immediately. Mr. Lee was defeated by the LiberalLabour candidate (Mr. Macpherson) in the contest for the Oamaru seat. There was a magisterial recount, and Mr. Lee was placed fourteen votes behind his opponent. “Counsel who acted as my scrutineer in th© magisterial recount of the votes cast for the Oamaru seat, said Mr. Leo in conversation with a Dominion representative yesterday, “has advised me to lodge a petition concerning a number of votes allowed, about which there is some doubt,. and I have consented to the advice given. In view of tho figures as a result of the recount which placed me fourteen below mv opponent. Air. Macpherson, and having practically completed tho Ministerial work which it was necessary for me to do, I propose tendering my resignation to His Excellency tho Governor-General almost immediately ; I should have done. so a little before this, but as the official declaration of the poll was not made until three days before the Christmas holidays I had not time to clear up the arrears of work in my /Ministerial office which required by personal attention.” Mr. Lee added that he hoped to have all matters finally attended to in "Wellington to enable him to leave for the south before the end of tho present week.

HOW THE VOTES WERE DISTRIBUTED

THE PARTY TOTALS

An unofficial table hw been prepared showing the total number of votes polled by each partv at the general election. The returns used for its compilation have been those of the official or “final” and not those of the preliminary count. No table of the kind, however, can show with precision how many Reform supporters, for instance, there are in tho country, isinoe 5n particular constituencies voters who were Reformers may not have had an opportunity of voting for a candidate of their colour. Several seats were not contested by Reform, and in such cases the Liberal total will probably have gained at the expense of the Reform. Nevertheless, the figures are given for what they are worth: — Reform 256,903 Independent Reform 10,545 liberal .. 2,023 Independent Liberal 25,474 Liberal-Labour 150,985 Labour Independent Labour i 756 Independent 16,471 613,803 The total number of electors on the roll for the 1922 election was 698,462. The number in 1919 was 683,420. WANGANUI FINAL FIGURES Following is the final count of the votes cast in the Wanganui electorate :— Veitch (Lib.-Lab.) 4618 Coull 8576 Ross /52 Majority for Veitch 1072 The official counts for all electorates have now been published. WAITOMO RECOUNT PETITION* MAY FOLLOW. The magisterial recount of the votes cast in Waitomo will be resumed today. It was begun about December 22 and interrupted by the Christmas holidays. The voting, as declared by the returning officer, was:— Rolleston (R.) 84,47 Jennings (Lib.-Lab.) ... 3441

Majority for Rolleston 6 Mr. Jennings intends to lodge an election petition if the magisterial recount goes against him.

REFORM PARTY MEETS TO-MORROW Members of the Reform Party will assemble in Wellington to-morrow to discuss the political situation. After the meeting the date of the February session will probably be announced.