PARLIAMENT TO MEET

Dominion, Volume 22, Issue 52, 24 November 1928, Page 11

PARLIAMENT TO MEET

GOVERNMENT’S LINE OF ACTION STATED BY PRIME MINISTER HOUSE ASSEMBLES ON DECEMBER 4 Parliament will meet on December 4 to enable the position produced by the general election to be tested. This is the line of action the Government has decided upon, according to a statement issued by the Prime Minister (Right Hon. J. G. Coates) last night. “I have already stated that when the results of the general election were definitely ascertained I would make a further statement as to the course of action the Government Intended to follow,” Mr. Coates said. “Although the final results in all the electorates are not yet to hand, they are now sufficiently definite to enable a decision to be arrived at as to the procedure to be adopted. It seems evident that no party has in itself a clear majority in the House, and in these circumstances I am of opinion that the constitutional course is to call Parliament together as soon as possible In order that the position may be tested. His Excellency the Governor-General win accordingly be advised to summon Parliament to meet on Tuesday, December 4.”

NO COALITION UNITED PARTY'S ATTITUDE SUPPORT FROM INDEPENDENTS Sir Joseph Ward, in a statement to the Press yesterday, announced that the United Party at itr conference on Thursday was unanimous in supnorting him in de<?linlr to entertain any proposals for a coalition with the Reform Party. He had noticed that the United Party was being urge' 1 to entertain such a proposal, but he was quite satisfied that it would be a most improper thing for the United Party, the members of which were returned pledged to vote against the continuance of the Reform Party. He would regard it, as far he was personally conct.ned, as being a traitorous act to the electors of •New Zealand, who had so largely supported the new party, to entertain any such idea; and it was, in his opinion, not by any means the way out of what was in some respects a difficult situation. Sir Joseph Ward added that he felt it was his clear duty to put on the Statute Book the policy the party had supported, even if it meant a further fight In the constituencies. For anyone to expect of the United Party that it should start to kill its policy by joining with its defeated opponents was asking for what was impossible. The fact remained, said the United Leader, that the four members who had been returned as Independents had all communicated with him and had advised that they would support him on a want of confidence motion; the fifth Independent member was the former Speaker, whom he did not regard as a party man. THE OFFICIAL COUNT A NEW DEVELOPMENT REFORM REGAIN BAY OF ISLANDS

On the casting vote of the returning officer the Government has regained the Bay of Islands seat, the final re- : turns for which came to hand yesterday. The state of the parties now Is as follows: — Reform - • • 29 United 27 Labour Independents 5 The official count will be definitely completed on Monday. There are now only three returns outstanding—Bay of Plenty, Northern Maori, and Westland. Results from the two firstnamed electorates are expected to reach Wellington td-night, while the Westland figures are due on Monday morning. Another Casting Vote. A surprise was sprung in connection with the Bay of Islands contest According to a Press Association telegram received late on Thursday night, the final figures gave the seat to Mr. H. M. Rush worth (Country Party), by a majority of one vote over the retiring member, Mr. A. Bell (Reform). As a matter of fact, that was the position with five absentee votes still to be counted, although this information ’was not given in the message. When the five votes were allocated yesterday afternoon a tie resulted, the candidates polling 3839 votes each. The returning officer gave his casting vote to the sitting member, with the result that Mr. Bell retained the seat for Reform. Thia is the second instance this election where a casting vote has determined the issue. . A Magisterial recount in Bay of Islands will no doubt be applied for. As foreshadowed, Temuka has beeu held for Reform by Mr. T. D. Burnett. The votes outstanding numbered 499. the Reformer’s preliminary majority over Mr. T. H. Langford (United) being 79. The final returns now to hand disclose a majority for Mr. Burnett of 86 votes. Further cases of dual voting arc reported. One instance has been discovered in Christchurch East, and another in Palmerston. The following were results of the official counts in the electorates named received yesterday: — BAY OF ISLANDS. A. BeU (R.) 3840 11. M. Rushworth (0.) 3809 JL E. Hornblow (Lib.-Lab.) .... 3al Informal Majority for Bell * AWARUA. I*. A. de la Perelle (U.) 4358 J. R. Hamilton (R.) . W- Si- 0. Denham (L.) 262 Informal • Majority for de la Perelle .. 1005 CENTRAL OTAGO. TV. A. Bodkin (U.) «84 J. Ritchie (R.) 4031 Informal• 00 Majority for Bodkin 653 . K AII*ARA. Right Hon. J. G. Coates (R.) .... 5190 J, G. Barclay (L.) 2713 Informal 111 Majority for Coates — 2475

RANGITIKEI. J. T. Hogan (I.) 4628 W. S. Glenn (R.) 3394 E. F. Andrews (L.) 884 Informal 67 Majority for Hogan 1234 TA UR AN GA. C. E. Mammillan (R.) 8285 D. C. Chalmers (L.) 2607 F. Colbeck (C.) ....... 1758 Informal — 102 Majority for Macmillan ...... 678 TEMUKA. T. D. Burnett (R.) 4360 T. H. Langford (U.) 4274 Informal ...» 32 Majority for Burnett ........ 86 WAITAKI. J. Bitchener (R.) 4536 F. R. Cooke (L.) 3334 Informal 241 Majority for Bitchener...... 1202 , EASTERN MAORI. Sir Apirana Ngata (U.) 4950 P. T. Moko (I.) 1846 T. P. Stewart (L.) 204 Informal 11 Majority for Ngata ........... 3104 CLUTHA. E. Waite (R.) * 4318 J. Stephens (I.) ». 8790 Informal 62 Majority for Waite 523 MOTUEKA. G. C. Black (U.) .. 8895 R. P. Hudson (R.) 3482 Informal 52 Majority for Black 413 THAMES. A. M. Samuel (R.) 4202 J. S. Montgomerie (L.) 2900 E. McGregor (U.) 2317 Informal > Majority for Samuel ...... 1302 KAIPARA. J. G. Coates (R.) M«O J. G. Barclay -<l5 Informal IJI Majority for Coates ~4<o WESTERN MAORI.

Hon. Sir Maui Pomare (R.) ... 4674 H. T. Ratana (Ra.) 30(7 Majority for Pomare 1597 TIE IN BAY OF ISLANDS RETURNING OFFICER’S CASTING-VOTE (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) Whangarei, November 23. Subsequent to the recount of the Bay of Islands votes, it was discovered that a parcel of 6 absentee votes had been overlooked. One of these was recorded as informal, three went to Mr. Bell, and two to Mr. Rushworth, making both 3837. The returning officer then gave his casting vote in favour of the sitting member, Mr. Bell. OPPOSED TO POLITICS ATTITUDE OF FARMERS’ UNION By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dannevirke, November 23. At a meeting of the provincial executive of the Southern Hawke’s Bay branch of the New Zealand Farmers’ Union, Major McDonnell suggested that it should forward a letter congratulating Mr. W. J. Polson, president of the New Zealand Fanners’ Union, on securing a seat in Parliament. Mr. J. Livingston, president of the Southern Hawke’s Bay branch, and a member of the Dominion executive, who presided, declined to accept the motion. "We, as a union.” he said, "are opposed to politics. We have to keep out of them, and I cannot accept the motion.” He admitted that there ■was nothing to prevent the members offering congratulations individually, but. immediately they did so as an organised body of the Farmers’ Union they were associating themselves with a particular party and getting mixed up in. party politics. Mr. McDonnell: He does not belong to any party. A member: Mr. Polson belongs to the Independent Party. Another member: None of us know at present which side he is on. The chairman persisting in his attitude, the subject was allowed to drop. POSITION IN HAMILTON ELECTORATE. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Hamilton, November 23. The election committee of Mr. S. Lye met last night. No action was taken In regard to the rumoured possible attempt to invalidate the Hamilton eleeHom