The Gisborne Herald IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES." GISBORNE, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1949 SOCIALISTS OUSTED: EMPHATIC "NO" VOTE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23116, 1 December 1949, Page 6

The Gisborne Herald IN WHICH IS INCORPORATED “THE TIMES." GISBORNE, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1949 SOCIALISTS OUSTED: EMPHATIC "NO" VOTE

Socialists are no longer the rulers oJ: this country. The tide lias turned and they have been thrown out of ottice after a tenure of 14 years. Their policy of more socialism accompanied by continued regimentation and control and extravagance in the spending of the public revenues with a resultant rise in living costs has been flatly rejected. The National Party’s achievement in securing this decision is meritorious and thoroughly .well deserved. Over a period marked by four general elections it has steadily reduced the gap between the two parties and has watched defeat slowly but surely grow into victory—a Labour majority of 35 seats in .1935 reduced to 28 three years later, to 12 in 1943, to only four in 1946 and now in 1949 a deficit changed to a surplus of 11 seats for certain plus one more probable. The broad picture on the provisional count, excluding postal, absentee and declaration votes, is: National 45 seats for certain plus one still in doubt but probable (Otaki); Labour 33 certain, including the four Maori seats, and one in doubt but probable (Waimarino). National has gained eight seats, seven at the expense of Labour and one formerly held by Labour but lately designated Independent Labour. Even more significant is the fact that everywhere National not only held existing seats but each candidate increased bis or her 1946 majority. Everywhere, except in two Maori electorates (Eastern and Southern), Labour has had its majority reduced, in most eases considerably. Two Cabinet Ministers were defeated, Mr. Nordnieycr, who was regarded as one of the most competent members of the Labour Cabinet, and Mr. C'ullcn. National also ousted a newcomer defending Otahulm; Mr. T. E. Skinner from Tamaki: and the four leftwingers in Messrs. Ormond Wilson, Baxter and Langstone, and Dr. Finlay, from Palmerston North, Raglan, Roskill and North Shore respectively. Swing Apparent From Start

The swing in the voting was apparent almost from the start of the announcement of results last night. It was first shown in some of the city electorates which have been Labour strongholds for years. An early final result was that for Brooklyn, where the former Prime Minister. Mr. Eraser, who in the past has always polled exceedingly well, received over 1500 votes fewer than in 1946, his majority being reduced by about 1100 votes. Some reduction was expected because of the movement of population in the past three years, but not to the extent shown by last night’s figures. Other former Labour strongholds with greatly reduced majorities are Miramar, Mount Albert, Onehunga, Petone, Waitakere, Wellington Central, Buller, Dunedin Central, Dunedin North, Lyttelton and St. Kilda. Communists and most Independent candidates polled badly as in the past and will lose their deposits. Another feature of the voting was the very solid, support for the National Party among the farmers. All the principal farming electorates are now strongly held with increased majorities. The same applies to many urban-rural constituencies, but not to Gisborne, although there has been a big. reduction in Labour’s majority. On the provisional figures Mr. Keeling, the successful candidate, is also down considerably on the 1946 vote. Mr. Dudfield polled well and exceeded the National figure three years.ago. Postal, absentee and declaration votes may be expected to increase the total for each candidate. Up to now the majority has been reduced from 2015 to 631. In other constituencies of close interest to us Mr. Darker in Hawke’s Bay and Mr. Sullivan in Bay of Plenty each had an excellent win and now command really comfortable majorities. Right up to the day of the election the position in what were regarded as the 13 key electorates in New Zealand (all with majorities under 400 votes in 1946) remained most uncertain. Forecasts were made particularly difficult by population changes, the tendency in recent years being away from long established central city areas into semi-rural districts where seats have been held by narrow margins. This is believed to have been an attempt by the Labour Party, and is not to its credit, to strengthen these seats—directly by increasing the rolls and indirectly by providing more amenities and encouraging greater industrial development. In Otaki, for example, slenderly held by the National Party in.the last Parliament by only 44 votes, the roll contained an additional 3213 names not all accounted for by the normal population increase but due chiefly to the movement of industries and housing construction. There were 1193 more names on the Hastings roll, an electorate in which Labour had a narrow margin. In other electorates the establishment since 1946 of large Works Departments camps was expected to make its weight felt. Nationals Gain Key Seats Of the 13 key seats five were held by Labour, one by Independent Labour and seven by National. Labour lost all five;. Mr. Langstone (Independent Labour) was defeated; National gained not only all these seats but held its own seven doubtful with increased majorities. These results largely determined the course of the election. Two doubtful seats arc still Otaki and Waimarino.. Mr. Maher on last night’s count has a margin of 24G compared with 44 three years ago, but postal, absentee and declaration votes have yet.to.be added. The same applies in Waimarino, where the Labour sitting member, Mr. Kearins, at present has a majority of 137, compared with 681. Averaged over the whole of New Zealand there are expected to be about 700 postal, absentee and declaration votes to be divided in each electorate. Past experience has been that the distribution of these votes has usually confirmed the existing position of candidates. The recount may bring slight changes in the number of votes but seldom is the order of candidates reversed. Comment upon yesterday’s results would not be complete without reference to the new position in which the Maoris find themselves. As the new Prime Minister, Mr. Holland, predicted during his campaign, the Maoris in the new Parliament will be without representation in the Government, While the National Party lias promised to give every assistance to the Maoris in solving their problems, the fact that they have chosen a path divergent from the National Party will inevitably make the execution of its policy more difficult. Mr. Holland has a good team from which he will draw lus Cabinet but inside and outside Parliament, as he emphasised last night, lie and his colleagues will require continued and firm support, He faces many problems. Many are a legacy of the last administration; others relate to the future trend of economic conditions abroad. He will, however, have the advantage of a wave of confidence which will be felt in many quarters of New Zealand as a result of the change of Government. A new era has begun and Mr. Holland’s administration will probably determine the course of events in the Dominion for years to come.