AUCKLAND DISTRICT PROSPECTS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXVI, Issue 123, 23 November 1908, Page 3

AUCKLAND DISTRICT PROSPECTS.

Jjßx Tkliqbaph. — Special to The Post.] AUCKLAND, This Day. The second ballots in the Auckland district are at Waitemata, Ohinemuri, and Bay of Plenty. Tho two lirstnamed take place to-morrow, and the last named on Tuesday week. The final returns for Waitemata give Mr. Phillips (Opposition) a majority of 909 over Mr. Napier (Government), the respective figmes being 2947 and 2038. The unplaced candidates polled 954 votes, Mr. Wilding (Government), obtaining 673, and Mr. Wake (Independent) 281. Mr. Wake, whilst standing as an Independent, has Government leanings, and thus if all the votes cast for himself and Mr. Wilding were now gi\*ii to Mr. Napier, in accordance with party principles, the Government candidate would win by a small majority. This is what would happen if the second ballot in practice were the same thing as the second ballot in theory, but this election, amongst others, is likely to prove that the Government's latest legislative l&xperime-nt will not fulfil all that has been expected of it. My anticipation is that Mr. Phillips will win by a fair majority. In Ohinemuri the seat will, with very little doubt, be retained by Mr. Poland (Government), the late member. He has a lead of over 300 over the Opposition candidate (Mr. Haselden) and he should secure the largest proportion of the .votes cast for the other three candidates. In the Bay of Plenty also the Government candidate (Mr. Macdonald), with his lead of 445, should be able to more than* hold his own in the second ballot with Mr. Gow (Opposition). The third candidate, Mr. Lundon (Independent), polled 901 voles, and the largest share of these should now go to Mr. Macdonald. In this widely scattered district, however, a large number of electors (both Government and I Opposition supporters) who voted last 1 Tuesday, will probably not go to the pol again.