LYTTELTON SEAT

Dominion, Volume 28, Issue 255, 25 July 1935, Page 10

LYTTELTON SEAT

Retained by Labour at By-election

WIN FOR MR. McCOMBS

Two Candidates Forfeit Deposits With the return of Mr. T. 11. McCombs (Labour) at yesterdays by-election for the Lyttelton seat, lather, mother and son will have all represented the same electorate in the one Parliament. Following the death of Mr. J. McCombs in 1933 his place in the House of Representatives was taken by his widow, Mrs. E. K. McCombs, her death early last month necessitating' the second by-election in Lvttelton within the term of the present Parliament. The successful candidate yesterday had a majority of 1752 over the National Political Federation’s candidate, Mr. M. E. Lyons. The other two candidates. Mr. E. L. Hills (Independent Labour) and Mr. (i S. Hamilton (Independent) will forfeit their deposits of £lO. Details of the voting are as follow: — T. 11. McCombs (Labour) .... 5137 M. E. Lyons (Nationalist) .... 3685 E. L. Hills (Ind. (Labour) .... 103 G. S. Hamilton (Independent) . 4G Previous elections in the Lyttelton electorate since 1025, when Mr. Lyons won the seat on the casting vote of the returning officer, but was later unseated by an electoral court, resulted as follow :—

1925 (Electoral Court’s declaration). — .1. .McCombs (Labour), 4900; M. E. Lyons (Reform). 4589. Majority for McCombs, 11. 1928. —J. McCombs (Labour), 5022; .1. W. Beanland (Reform), 3036; W. T. Lester (United), 2734. Majority for McCombs, 19SG. 1931.—J. McCombs (Labour), 5404; F. W. Freeman (Coalition), 5372; W. L. Page (Independent), 83. Majority for McCombs, 32. 1933 (By-election).—Mrs. E. R. McCombs (Labour). 6344; F. W. Freeman (Coalition), 3675; E. L. Hills (Ind. Labour). 269. Majority for Mrs. McCombs. 2669. Outstanding Votes. The scrutiny of the roll and the official count will be commenced immediately. The roll for the by-election contained a total of 13,662 names, compared with 13,712 at the by-election in 1933, and 12,625 at the general election in 1931. In addition to the aggregate vote of 9271 credited to the four candidates, there are.3o seamen’s votes, 183 absent voters’ and 20S postal voters’ votes to come. These outstanding votes, which total 421, cannot affect the result.

Polling booths totalled 29. an increase of one on the number of booths used at the 1933 by-election. The extra booth was at Barry’s Bay. Booths were closed at 7 p.m., and the first return to reach Wellington was that from tlie Chatham Islands, which came to hand exactly 25 minutes later. This result was sent from the Chathams to the mainland by radio. The early returns, which came from the rural and sparsely populated areas in the electorate, gave Mr. Lyons a lead, but with the arrival of the figures for the larger booths he was soon displaced by Mr. .McCombs. The last return was received shortly before 8.30 p.m.

Arrangements made by the Chief Electoral Officer Mr. G. G. Hodgkins, and by the Post and Telegraph Department for the reception of the results, ran smoothly. Details of the Voting. Votes polled by candidates at individual booths were as follow: —

FEATURES OF VOTING Unexpected Government and Labour Gains Dominion Special Service. Christchurch, July 24 The most remarkable feature of the election, apart from the succession of father, mother and son, which is probably unprecedented in parliamentary history, was the gain for Labour tn some of the country centres, notably Akaroa, and the gain for the Government in the larger centres, including Lvttelton town and Woolston. 'Only 71 per cent, of the electors recorded their votes, a slightly smaller percentage than that recorded-at the by-election. when Mrs. McCombs was returned. The slight decline in interest is attributed partly to the approach of the general election, when the fate of the Lyttelton seat will once more be decided by ballot. Mr. McCombs’s majority is smaller by 917 votes than his mother’s. Mrs. McCombs scored a majority of 2<>(>9 voles in 1933. and although I his year’s p,,|| js 50(1 voles smaller than I wo years :l go. it L apparent that there has been a 'light swing towards the Government in the Lyttelton electorate. Mr. Lyons gained slightly it. the centres of population, and actually

secured a majority at. one Lyttelton booth. Akaroa. on the other hand, showed tin increase in Labour sympathy, and Sumner, which gave Mrs. McCombs a majority of 12G. treated Mr. McCombs in the same way. The other candidates. Messrs. Hills and Hamilton, both lost their deposits. Mr. McCombs’s success completes a remarkable record of Parliamentary membership, father, mother and son having held Hie same seat for an unbroken period of 22 years. Mr. McCombs was until the campaign began a teacher at the Seddon Memorial Technical College. Auckland. He was educated at the Waltaki and Christchurch high schools, and took the degree of master of science with second class honours al Canterbury College. '

s o a o Z’ - ►r •—» 1 4 187 165 20 Barry's Bay • • • 0 (I 34 Cashmere Bills (Sanatorium) 0 0 —•> ('aslimere Hills i Public School) 1 1 202 62 Chatham 76 507 40 2S8 Islands Colombo St. . • 4 4 7 I (iamond 0 3S Barbour 0 42 26 279 Duvauclielle Governor's Bay Heathcote ••• (I 0 0 1 (1 42 41 98 Le Bon's Bay • — 1 Little Akaloa . 1 0 i 3 Lyttelton (Colonists’ Hall) 6 12 369 956 Lyttelton (St. John's Hall) Lyttelton "West 0 1 i 76 143 97 159 133 Mt. Pleasant .. < 1 1 > 63 Okain's Bay .. 0 1 Opawa (Public School) 5 11 271 448 Opawa (St. 109 38 Martin’s) 48 Pigeon Bay ... 1 0 0 Port Levy .... JtedclifTs 0 4 14 176 401 250 469 Takamatua 0 I) 18 Teddington .. ■ 0 0 0 0 39 9 Woolston (M <•- Donald’s Hall) Woolston (Pub2 4 11 351 219 503 lie School) 3 So I AVoolston (St. 358 John's) 14 95 Total 46 103 3685 5437