PREMIER INTERVIEWED.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 2 May 1923, Page 5

PREMIER INTERVIEWED.

CHRISTCHURCH, May 1. Interviewed on the ferry steamer, Mr Massey, who had just received the final Oamaru -figures, had little to say. "I will say this,'' he remarked, "m all my long experience of electioneering I have never known a single instance when an election has been upset where the seat has been taken from the man who was dclared at the general election. The polling at Oamaru was heavier than at the general election, uid there seems to be an extraordiniry increase in the voting at some places. It is difficult to account for.' 3 In reply to a further question, Mr Massey said he had nothing to say in regard to the position of parties. "The election was fought,'' said the Prime Minister, "on Mr Macpherson's part, wholly on the ground of sympathy, and not on general politics. The sympathetic issue was preached on 3very platform and used jn every possible direction. It was also quite evilent that the large majority of the new enrolments voted for the Opposition candidate. Complaints were freely made that many persons who voted at the general election in the neighbouring electorate of Waitaki, and even at Dunedin, were able, after a few weeks' temporary residence in Oamaru, to secure enrolment. "It is clear,'' he added, "that the four weeks' residential qualification is capable of great abuse, and it is evident that this was taken full advantage of at to-day's election. From the returns at present to hand, it ap-, 3ears that Mr Lee increased his support in Oamaru town, compared with ;he general election, and the circumstances mentioned have caused the loss if a Minister whose work for the Government and the country was characterised by conspicuous ability and disanction." Our. Wellington correspondent states ihat the figures giving the result of ;he Oamaru election include 262 of ibe 342 absent votes. This means that there were only 80 absentee votes to :ome in, so that the result cannot be iffected.