WELLINGTON RESULTS

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 110, 5 November 1925, Page 6

WELLINGTON RESULTS

Much comment upon the Wellington results is not necessary. The figures speak for themselves. In Wellington "North Sir John Luke has improved his position handsomely and has an absolute majority. The improvement has been made mainly at the expense of the' Labour candidate. In Wellington Suburbs Mr. Wright has gained ground. The Labour candidate has an increased vote also, but it is not proportionately equal to that given to Reform./ Relatively, Labour has lost ground there also. The votes cast jqv_ Liberal and InSependent B,eform candidates-.in.._ffi.ellington East in 1922 have this_yj^_gj3iie_ mainly to_the__Reipxai...candidate, Mr. Forsyth. Thcr— seat—w-as—lost on_ a_. b.adJy^s^iLjLO.te-^ad.jjL. lias Tfeen regained jn a,straighit_coritest, be.tjb.e.r_.th.iin....iiL..l322.—Nationalists' andjfieform have given Mr. WilfovA a CigJ!nSJoJ3iXlJQ^.utL;JjaiLZLaibz. ouivjias,'^ined_ojKir» _llfta._votes w Labour Has gained ground in Wellington Central and Wellington South. Looking at the results in Wellington North, East, and Suburbs, and without disparaging the Reform candidates, we feel that a big factor has been the desire to give Mr. Coates a fair trial. Youthful electors, inclined three years ago to forsake the old party and seek something new in the Labour camp, have been drawn back by ,(;he .appeal of Mr. >Coatcs for progress and'a new start. But how may this conclusion be reconciled with the Labour gains ..in... South and Central ? We can offer no explanation except that these seats were strongly held by past-masters : of organisation and platform work. I The lesson obviously- is that progress cannot be_made in winning back the seats Jf_candidates are selected late in. the day aiid try to do-in three weeks.,.what.their opponents have been doing for three years. Labour believes that politics should interest _tEe™ people every year and all tEe year. We have said'before 'that7"in"':Shisv"fe'spe"ct," other parties Kave^_ something ~to ; learn from LaFour.