POLITICAL SITUATION

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 50, 22 November 1928, Page 10

POLITICAL SITUATION

ALTERATION IN PARTY STRENGTH GOVERNMENT LOSE WELLINGTON NORTH UNITEDS GAIN DUNEDIN SOUTH As a result of the turn the official count caused the political situation to take yesterday, the Government is now only one scat ahead of the United Party, with the Labour-Socialist group a distant third. While retainire. other doubtful seats such as Mid-Canterbury and Franklin, the Reformers lost Wellington North to Labour, and the Uniteds, in addition to holding Mataura and Kaiapoi, captured Dunedin South from the Labourites. The official count has been completed in nearly fifty electorates. With still two or three “interesting” seats to be decided, the state of the parties at present is:— Reform 28 United 27 Labour 19 Independents 5 Country Party 1 Wellington North Count. With an announced lead of eight votes on the preliminary count, it was expected that Sir John Luke would have a fighting chance of holding Wellington North for Reform, as 1138 votes were outstanding, but when the final figures were announced it was found that the verdict had gone against him by 46 votes. The official count revealed that his Labour-Socialist opponent, Mr. C. H. Chapman, had a lead of one vote on the votes recorded at the booths, including nineteen valid votes made by declaration, and that Sir John Luke had a slight majority on the postal votes and the absentee votes, but suffered heavily from the seamen’s votes. The voting on the postal, seamen’s, and absentee votes was as under :— Postal. Chapman “6 Luke Informal 3 Seamen's. Chapman 162 Luke 4 2 Informal 7 Absentee.. Chapman 621 Luke 670 Informal 19 The total votes polled amounted to 11,435; The completed returns, as stated, gave Mr. Chapman a majority of 46, the details being: — Chapman 5608 Luke 5563 Informal . 263 “I am not at all discouraged and I am not at all hurt,” said Sir . John Luke when the result of the official count was -macle public. “It was a clean contest and a hard one. The alterations in the electoral boundaries were to my disadvantage, but I would have been a ‘cocktail* had I not put up a fight for the seat.” Other Adjustments. The official count was completed also at Mataura, where Mr. D. McDougall (United) had, through discovery the previous day of. a miscalculation, received a lead of ,60. At the end of the count vesterday his majority was represented by 62, the defeated Reformer, the Hou. G. J. Anderson, being the fourth Minister to be numbered amongst the slain in the present contest. 1 In Dunedin South. where it was known the result would be close between the United and Labour candidates, the Uniteds gained another seat. With 823 votes to be counted, Mr. R. W. Hall (L.) had a lead of eight votes on Mr. W. B. Taverner (U.) on the preliminary count, but when the final numbers were hoisted, victory was recorded for Mr. Taverner by 33 votes. To the surprise of some the official count for Mid-Canterbury resulted in the retention of the seat by Mr. D. Jones (Reform), who had a majority on the preliminary count of 82, with votes outstanding numbering 650. The completed returns give him a majority of 55. In Kaiapoi there were 570 outstanding votes, and the leading candidate, Mr. R. W. Hawke (United) had a majority of 93 over his Reform opponent, Mr. J. A. Flesher. The outcome of the official count was victory for Mr. Hawke by 96 votes. Patea was held for Reform by Mr. H. G. Dickie with a majority of 182 votes, and in Franklin, where there were 507 votes to be included, Mr. J. N. Massey (Reform) increased his majority from 89 to 134. An interesting feature of the official count for Wellington Suburbs was an increase from 1746 to 1984 in the majority for the Hon. R. A. Wright. Still in Jeopardy. The Rotorua, Temuka, and Bay of Islands seats are still more or less in a state of jeopardy. In Rotorua, Mr. C. 11. Clinkard (United) is leading Mr. F. F. Hockly (Reform) by 185 votes, with 651 votes outstanding; in Temuka, Mr. T. D. Burnett (Reform) has a majority of 79 over Mr. T. H. Langford (United), with 499 votes to come; and in Bay of Islands, Mr. H. M. Rush worth (Country), is leading Mr. A. Bell (Reform) by 81 votes, with 326 votes outstanding. Party Caucuses. It is now possible that the last of the completed returns will not be received until to-morrow, and until then no statement will be forthcoming from the Prime Minister as to the Government’s course of action. There is a general expectation that a meeting of Reform members will be held at an early date. Members of the United Party will meet in Wellington to-night to discuss the situation and decide upon the line of action the party will adopt. THE OFFICIAL COUNT The following results of the official counts in the electorates named were received yesterday': — AUCKLAND CENTRAL. W. E. Parry (L.) 5765 W. C. Hewitt (U.), 2141 F. J. Lysnar (R.) 822 J. Joiner (I.) 281 ■ ' Informal -99 . Majority for Parry 3024 \ AUCKLAND SUBURBS. H. G. K. Masqn (L.) ~.. 4357 Sir James Gunson (R.) 3259 E. R. Allen (U.j 2191 Majority, fox MfiSOa 3-2 PS

BULLER. 11. E. Honan;! (L.) 5988 D. M. Robertson (It.) 2.L1 Informal 155 Majority for Holland . s<>l7 DUNEDIN WEST. Hon. W. D. Slewart (R.) 4600 C. M. .Moss (U.) ...... S3-.3 R. Harrison (L.) ~4o<> Informal 110. Majority for Stewart 1277 DUNEDIN CENTRAL. Hon. Sir Charles Statham (1.) .. <1022 J. Robinson (L.) 42. H Informal 114 Majority for Statham 1771 DUNEDIN SOUTH. W. B. Taverner (U.) 4462 R. W. Hall (L.) 4423 C. Todd (R.) 220 a Informal Ila Majority for Taverner 33 FRANKLIN. ,1. N. Massey (ft.) 4025 11. O. Mellsop (C.) 3891 Informal 51 Majority for. Massey 134 GISBORNE. \V. D. Lysnar (1.R.) 3746 D. W. Coleman (L.) 3400 W. L. Clayton (U.) 2635 Informal 68 Majority for Lysnar 346 HAMILTON. Hon. J. A. Young (R.) 4529 S. C. G. Lye (Lib.-Lab.) 34,>b F. W. Schramm (L.) 2123 Informal 128 Majority for Young 1073 INVERCARGILL. Right Hou. Sir Joseph Ward (U.)..7309 S. M. Macalister (1.R.) Informal 88 Majority for Ward 3278 KAIAPOI. R AV. Hawke (U.) 3216 J. A. Flesher (R.) 3120 Mrs. E. R. McCombs (L.) 2980 Informal 87 Majority for Hawke 96 MARSDEN. A. J. Murdoch (U.) 3925 W. Jones (R.) 34i0 W. H. Chetham (L.) 1~99 A. H. Curtis (I.) l?f Informal Majority for Murdoch 450 MATAURA. D. McDougall (U.) 4173 Hon. G. J. Anderson (R.) 4111 Informal 48 Majority for McDougall .... 62 MID CANTERBURY. D. Jones (R.) 4137 J. Connolly (U.) 4082 C. M. Williams (L.) ■ 90<> R. AV. Wightman (I.) 242 Informal •r•• • . . 33 Majority for Jones 55 NAPIER. W. E. Barnai-d (L.) 537 ft J. Mason (R.) - Informal Majority for Barnard , 418 NELSON. H. Atmore (I 5603 F. W. O. Smith (R.) 3294 Informal __ Majority for Atmore 2309 OAMARU. J. A. Macpherson (U.) »016 E. P. Lee (R.) 46i9 Informal Majority for Macpherson ... 337 PARNELL. H. R. Jenkins (U.) 5642 J. S. Dickson (R.) 4 »90 J. AV. Yarnall (L.) 1661 Informal b'-’ Majority for Jenkins ...... 849 PALMERSTON. J. A. Nash (R.) 5558 AV. Bromley (L.) 3208 C. A. Loughnan (U.) 2484 Informal 291. Majority for Nash ......... 2350 PATEA. H. G. Dickie (R.) 451 > J. D. Hislop (U.) 4329 Informal ”0 Majority for Dickie :. 132 RAGLAN. AA’. L. Martin (L.) 4205 W. Seavill (R.) AV. Brown (1.R.) -16' Informal . — Majority for Martin 1040 STRATFORD. AV. J. Polson (I.) 4592 E. Walter (R.) 3610 Informal o 7 Majority for Polson 982 WELLINGTON CENTRAL. P. Fraser (L.) 7353 A. D. Sloane (R.) 3590 Mrs. M. Young (1.L.) 843 Informal 261 Majority for Fraser 3458 WELLINGTON NORTH. C. H. Chapman (L.) 5609 Sir John Luke (R.) 5563 Informal 263 Majority for Chapman- 46 WELLINGTON SUBURBS. Hon. R. A. Wright (R.) 5748 T. Brindle (L.) 3764 K. McLennan (U.) 3260 Informal 159 Majority for AVright 1984 FIRES 4 HOMESTEAD DESTROYED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. AA’airoa, November 21. Mr. R. E. Barton’s homestead at Ruakituri was totally destroyed by fire some time this morning. The owner deft home as 4 a.m., and returned at noon, and found the place in ashes. He is unable to account for the origin. The building and furniture were insured. The amounts were unavailable, but the owner will be a heavy loser. OUTBREAK IN EMPTY COTTAGE Dominion Special Service. Masterton, November 21. At» 8.40 p.m. the Masterton Fire Brigade received a call to an old, empty cottage at the corner of Chapel and Hope Streets. The brigade was promptly on the scene, and the fire was soon confined to the shingles in the roof. It is not at present known whether the dwelling was insured. The damage was about £lOO. The scene of the outbreak was only about 150. yards distant- from the fire of last night, and the calk was received at approximately the game time. The cause of-the outbreak is, as yet, unknown. The deputy-superintendent, when inter-. viewed, stated that two swaggers had been seen leaving the house.pbout a quarter of an hour before the fire. Don't be a loser. Get adequate insiir-' ance. Consult tbe Mercantile and General Insurance ' Co;,' Ltd., J?ailama . Stoeetp JSelJingtoDf— _