OFFICIAL COUNTS

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 138, 8 December 1931, Page 8

OFFICIAL COUNTS

GENERAL* ELECTION

HON. D. JONES DEFEATED

CHALMERS NOW DOUBTFUL

The official recount of the votes,east in the General Election is now. in progress in the majority of electorates. The chief interest in the recount centres in those electorates where the leading candidates secured about the sdme number of votes and where absentee votes may decide tho issue.

The closest fight took place in Kotorua, where the Labour nominee, Mr. A. I<\ Moncur, is challenging the sitting member, Mr. C. H. Clinkard, who at present has a lead of only 8 votes. The final result is not expected before next Friday. It is reported from Rotorua that both Mr. Clinkard and Mr. Moncur are anxiously ticking off absentee supporters, but that despite Mr. Clinkard's small lead Labour supporters entertain great hopes of victory.

The issue in the Nelson electorate has been decided in favour of the .sitting member, Mr. H. Atmore (Independent United), who polled 96 votes more than Mr. Everett (Coalition Reform).

Similarly tho result in Mid-Canter-bury has been definitely determined by the allocation of outstanding votes, the Minister of Agriculture (the Hon. D. Jones) being defeated by Mr. J. Connolly (Independent Coalition United) by 106 votes. Mr. Jones Temains a member of the Ministry until his resignation is tendered. This, may be done formally any day now, and Mr. Jones will probably attend his last Cabinet meeting to-morrow. The normal procedure for a Minister defeated at tho 'poll is for him to spend a few days clearing up tho work at his office and then to resign.

The result of the Gisborne contest, in which Mr. W. W. Coleman, the Labour candidate, headed the sitting member, Mr. \V. D. Lysnar,' has also been placed beyond doubt. The official recount has increased Mr. Coleman's majority from 234 to 317.

A mistake of 100 in the counting of the votes for the Chalmers seat is reported in a private telegram received in Christchureh yesterday. If the information is correct, Mr. A. E. Ansell (Coalition) has now had his majority reduced to 83 and his Labour oppoiir ent's total has increased by 100. This would place the Chalmers seat in the doubtful category, for there are 555 absentee, postal, and seamen's votes yet to be counted. The following are the official com' pleted returns to date:— , ' Auckland East. P. W. Schramm (L) ' 3593 | H. P. Burton (ICR) 2256' Dr. W. H. Horton (ICU) 1754 ! Miss E." Melville (I) 1002 J. A. Arthur (I) 430 ' Informal 202 i Majority for Schramm .... 1(337 Gisborne. D. W. Coleman (L) ;■. 4436 *W. D. Lysnar (Cl)* 'r ..u 4119 U. D. de Latour (ICR) 1310 ' Majority for Coleman 317 • Mid-Canterbury. , •I. Connolly (ICU) '. .V 4437 ; *Hon. D. Jones (Cit) 4301 H. Hunter (L) . ....... 310 R. W. Wjghtman (I) J... 258 i Informal 67 Majority for Connolly 136 j Oamaru. . -J. A. Macpherson (CU) 3992 J. C. Kirkness (ICR) 2.046 P. Malthus (L) 2688 Majority for Macpherson .. 1046 Christchureh South. R. J. Howard (L.) 7344 C. S. Scully (CU.) 4546 Majority for Howard 2798 Manukau. "W. J. Jordan • (L) 7401 S. Kichards (ICR) 4007 Majority for Jordan 3394 MARAMA MEETS A "BLOW" ♦ When news was received by wireless yesterday that the intercolonial steamer Marama did not expect to reach port until 10 a.m. to-day, instead of 6 a.m. as usual, it was thought that she must have experienced weather much more severe than has ruled in Wellington during the past few days, and this impression was borne out by the ship's master, Captain G. B. Morgan, when describing the trip to a "Post" reporter after the Marama berthed at the Queen's Wharf about 11 o'clock. According to Captain Morgan, the weather during the voyage was fairly good except on Sunday, when a gale, which could almost be described as a typhoon, blew from the south. The sea was not as heavy as might have been expected, but the passengers were hard to convince that it was a dry wind, unaccompanied by rain, owing to the spray which swept over the ship. After Sun^ day night the weather gradually improved until this morning it left little to be desired. The Marama, which left Sydney on Friday afternoon, arrived in the stream at 10.15 a.m. looking none the worse for her experience.