WELLINGTON SOUTH

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 110, 5 November 1925, Page 13

WELLINGTON SOUTH

ME. M'KEEN'S INCREASED MAJORITY.

*E. M'Keen (Lab.) ...... 5629 > :' A. B. Sievwright (N.) .;;.' 4188 ' '. •;•■"■ Informal' '\V..Y: .f :".'■.■.'"."■;,"159: Majority for E. M'Keen 1441 ; . Although,^W,cl]ington;iS()uth...during. .the', more recent election? Has varied its representative in Parliament, it decided yesterday; upon another term ■'for, the Labour member, Mr. K. M'Keen^ who recaptured the seat for Labour in a close contest with Mr. G. Mitchell, three years ago. Moreover, the majority for Labour was increased by practically a thousand votes.. The roll strength was greater by over 800 and there was a corresponding advance in the number of votes re- N corded, though proceedings,. if anyt'Mng, bpre a quieter appearance than at. the previous election., A good deal of extra work, however, fell to the returning officer, and his assistants by reason of the exceptional increase in i the number of absentee votes, m,any I'of which were recorded by people within easy reach of booths in the electorates in which they resided. As for the result of the poll, there was confidence on both sides, although there was general recognition that the forces, against Labour would require to be exceedingly strong. Both candidates had been keen campaign; j ers, and their committees had worked well: Past experience had shown that the first return to reach the returning ] officer (Mr. J. E. T,; Perry) was an j indication of the final result, and there was no .exception to the rule on 'this occasion. The first figures | came from Mornington fifteen minutes i after the closing time of the booth: i M'Keen 103, Sievwright 30. Another small return (Vogcltown) gave Mr. M'Keen a further lead, and with the figures in his favour for all subse: quent returns, except one—Constable street, where Mr. Sievwright obtained a majority of five —Mr. M'Keen was a comfortable winrfcr. The smartness of the count throughout the electorate was indicated by tho fact that all returns, were in by 8.3. p.m. • —a better, performance by twelve minutes than ,at theprevious election, when there were the same number of booths and not quite so many votes. Of 11,613 persona on the roll 9976 recorded their votes in. the electorate. .Notice was.received by the returning officer that there would be about 400' absentee votes. With the local and national licensing issues also before the electors, Mr; Perry and.his staff had a strenuous time, but so .efficiently wer<» all duties carried out that the voting on all three issues was totalled up by 9 p.m. U addition'to absentee votes, there are 80 rights for seamen yet -to bo counted. - '' ' . Details of polling are:— ■ Siev- 7 ~M'Keeu. wrighi. Adelaide road ....... ■ 44S 21-7 Brooklyn . 1047 952 Constable street . 440 445 ■J-lankey' s*re,et v . -313 28G Mnrnijifftou 103 ."0 Palm trrovo , 307 177 Newtowii Libiary .... 1247 . 904 St. Thomas's Schoolrm 1331. 887' j Tas.nian street ... . 307 240 Vogeltown _, 86 20 Totals ' 5629 4188 Informal .. 159 1922.— R. M'Keen (Lab.), 5017: G. Mitchell (1,), 4595.