LABOUR RETAINS SEAT

Hawera Star, Volume LIV, 25 July 1935, Page 7

LABOUR RETAINS SEAT

LYTTELTON BY-ELECTION MR. McCOMBS’ MAJORITY OF 1752 UNIQUE FAMILY RECORD CBy Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 24. With :t majority of 17-32 votes over his strongest opponent, Mr. T. H. McCombs family for an unbroken period tel toil seat, was elected to-day. 4he seat has been retained in the McCombs family for an unbroken period of 22 years. The result of the polling was:— T. H. McCombs (Labour) °43^ M. E. Lyons (Nationalist) 3680 E. L. Hills. (1 nd. Labour) ... ... 103 G. S. Hamilton (Independent) ... 46 In the two previous elections the polling was:— By-election, September, 1933: Mrs E. R. McCombs (Labour), 6344; F. W. Freeman (Coalition), 3675; E. L. Hills (Independent-Labour), 269. Majority for Mrs McCombs, 2669. General election, December, 1931: fames McCombs (Labour), _5404; F. W. Freeman (Coalition), 5372; W. L. Page (Independent), 83. Majority for Mr. McCombs, 32. Although the day was fine only 61 per cent, of the electors voted. The total poll was 9271 votes, from a roll of 13,662. When Mrs McCombs was elected in 1933, 9283 votes were polled from a roll of 13,712.

Commenting on the result of the poll from Wellington to-night, the act-ing-Prime Minister, Sir Alfred Ransom, congratulated Mr. McCombs on achieving success at his first effort. He had not only retained for the party what had come to be regarded as a Labour stronghold, but he followed in the footsteps of his parents, making a unique record in the New Zealand Parliament.

The fact that the majority was almost 1060 less than that obtained by Mrs McCombs two years ago Sir Alfred attributed to the calibre of Mr. Lyons, who deserved praise for the courageous manner in which he contested the seat.

The result of the election showed that there was no interest in so-call-ed independence in politics, Sir Alfred added.

NATIONAL CANDIDATE DESIRE IN A WARE A ELECTORATE, INVERCARGILL. July 24. The Hon. R. Masters, wlio visited Winton to-day, was met by a large gathering of representatives from all parts of the Awarua electorate who expressed their desire to form an organ-: isation to further the candidature of: a national candidate for that electorate. At the conclusion of . the meeting the following resolution was carried unanimously: “That this meeting composed of the representatives of Reform and United Parties in the Awaiua electorate whole-heartedly agrees with the decision of the two parties to form a National Government and with amalgamation of the two organisations for tho purpose of electing National candidates at the forthcoming election; wo further pledge ourselves to do everything possible to secure the return of the selected National candidate for this electorate and to bring this about we undertake to form a local branch of the National Political Federation.”

BAY OF PLENTY SEAT MR. T. J. MERRY SELECTED i GISBORNE. July 2 b A meeting of supporters of the National Goverment was held at Mata-' wai to select a candidate to represent the party for the Bay of Plenty, Mr. K. S. Williams having intimated some timo ago that he did not intend (n stand owing to ill-health. Mr. T. J. Merry, Opotiki, was unanimously selected as the official National candidate.