BATTLES IN THE CITY

Evening Post, Volume CIV, Issue 137, 7 December 1922, Page 7

BATTLES IN THE CITY

STEADY VOTING EVERYWHERE

BIG ABSENTEE VOTE TO BE • BECKONED WITH,

Polling in all the Wellington cit> electorates was steady dnring the morning from the time the booths opened, but the heaviest rush, took place in the lunch hour, and early in the afternoon, after the majority of the business places had closed down to enable their employees to vote. The officials at the main booths were kept continuously busy for a couple of hours in the middle of the day, and it ia expected that ■ there, will be another rush after 5 o'clock., The most noticeable feature of polling .- during the morning was the large number of women who recorded their votes, /

probably heeding the advice to vote early and avoid the eleventh hour rush. At one booth,' the proportion of women to. men who had called before midday was estimated at three to one.' The busiest polling places were those nearest the centre of the city. Numbers of people turned up at the Town Hall under .the impression that that was the principal booth, for Wellington Central, and were turned away- disappointed: This was one of the busiest booths in the business portion of the city, and there was also regular, pressure on those at Brandon street, Panama street-, St. Paul's Schoolroom, and at Bonlcott street (Masonic Hall).' Polling in the outlying districts should-.be heaviest'in the afternoon, as large numbers of business people who are resident in the suburbs will not havo an opportunity of voting till fairly late. Labour appeared to bo doing consistent-, ly well at the Vivian Street Skating Rink,*, the principal booth in the Central electorate. Motor-cars bearing liie conspicuous red ribbon were coming and going in a regular stream nil the morning, „ and knots of people wearing Hie same I

colours gathered in groups on the footpath outside the Trades Hall opposite. At Clyde Quay School, the main polling place in Wellington East, there was also steady traffic, the colours of the "three malo candidates being much in evidence. Mrs. M'Vicar's emblem was Hot very conspicuous on the city side of Mount Victoria. Similarly, palling iwas- proceeding .smoothly and steadily in the South and Suburbs electorates up till the time "The Post" went to press, and everywhere the returning officers ;were anticipating heavy voting during tho lato hours of the afternoon up till 7 p.m., the closing hour. In the Hutt electorate, polling was very heavy up till 2 o'clock, and there were indications of a record voto being recorded. '

-.The number of motor-cars plying between the households and the polling booths indicates that all the candidates have gone to some pains in organising the final sprint of their campaign. The members of the Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen's Association have placed no less than 84 cars at the disposal of candidates and electors, while many of the candidates have engaged special cars. Other clubs and organisations have also lent their machines for the occasion. Many, but not tho majority, are decorated with the colours of the candidates who are running them.

Indications point to a fairly heavy poll in.all districts, and close contests are expected in several electorates. The issue ir^: Wellington x East will probably be the most interesting to watch, as opinion appears to be pretty evenly divided between the four candidates. Tfye results exhibited on the election boards this evening should not be taken as final, however, as there is a considerable number of absentee votes to be recorded, and in'electorates which are closely contested the late returns may decide tho filial issue. .In Wellington North (for .'.' instance, 588 absentee permits and 210 seamenSs rights have been issued, making a total of 798 votes to be reckoned with in addition to those recorded at the city booths. Similarly . 778 absentees' and seamen's'votes are to come in in Wellington Central, 600 in--Wellington East, 473 in Wellington Suburbs, and.,413 in Wellington South. The. seamen recorded their votes some days ago, but the results are not to be counted till late. The fact that such, a large number. ,of votes has to be .taken into account will add- greatly to the interest in to-night's results, especially in cases where -polling runs close. .