A GREAT OPPORTUNITY

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLV, Issue 288, 9 November 1925, Page 3

A GREAT OPPORTUNITY

MANDATE TO GOVERNMENT.

HOW IT WILL BE USED

“The Government has a great opportunity and knowing the Prime Minister’s mind as I do, I am sure it will prove equal to the occasion. We shall not be content to rest easily in our comfortable majority but will seize upon the mandate so confidently placed in otir hands by the electors, using it to advance the common weal, while preserving justice and fair play to all classes.” In these words Sir James Parr in Auckland on Thursday epitomised the future policy of the Government in acknowledging the congratulations of his executive committee.

“During the whole campaign I emphasised the humanitarian side of the Government’s policy, a point that is often not stressed sufficiently, said Sir James. I am convinced that the future lies with the party which will, by sound, practical legislation, strive for the welfare and betterment of the family man, whether he works with brain or hand, who is bringing up and educating his children on a moderate wage. “That is the man we wirtit to help—help him with his home and in the healthy upbringing and education of his children. AVe are out to assist him to achieve his heart’s desire, the happiness of his wife and little ones, and to see that the children have a fair opportunity. In such prosperous hearths and homes is found the bulwark of the State and its abiding security. (Applause.) “Already we do much but Mr Coates proposes to do more. That is the best answer to the fable of the 7s 6d a week reduction.”

NOTABLE VICTORIES.

MR SEDDON’S WIN IN 1905.

The sweeping victory gained at the polls by the Reform Party under Mr Coates recalls in somo respects that of the late Mr Seddon in the general election of 1905. The Liberal Party then secured 55 European seats, the remainder being filled by an Opposition of 15 under Mr Massey, and 6 Independents.' There was, however, a difference in that the preceding Parliament was made up of 52 Government members, an Opposition of 23, and 5 Independents. Mr Scddon’s majority in 1905 was regarded as one of the largest on record in New Zealand, but he had enjoyed large and increasing majorities for a number of years. Tho most famous electoral “landslide” of recent years was the so-cal-led khaki election in Great Britain in December, 1918. On that occasion the supporters of Coalition under Mr Lloyd George—Unionists, Liberals and a few others—won ,484 seats, securing a majority of 262 over the non-Coalition-ists, who included Labour, a minority

of Unionists, and Liberals and Sinn Fein., ..

ABSENTEE VOTERS,

THE PRIVILEGE ABUSED

Electoral returning officers predict that a change will be made in tho law governing voting by absentees (says the Auckland Herald). Formerly permits had to be obtained prior to the election from the returning officer of the specific district, and in practice only a small percentage of absentees did record their votes. The recent amendment allowing absentees to vote at any booth in any part of New Zealand has increased the “absent” voto considerably, but in tho city rights were claimed under it in a very unreasonable fashion. Hundreds of voters, to save themselves a short walk or a twopenny ride in a tram, demanded their right at the nearest booth. Objections were sometimes raised by returning officers on the ground of pressure of„ work, but they had no power to refuse to issue ballot papers to any so-called absent voter who complied with the formalities. In each case ,an urgent telegram had to bo sent to the chief returning officer of, the electorate’ in question, and at a very late hour on Wednesday such advices were still arriving at certain offices. It certainly is a ridiculous use of the law for a voter of Parnell to claim an absentee vote in Auckland East, or an elector of Auckland West to make such a demand in Newton. Such things occurred, however, and in view of tho volume of work that lias thereby been piled up for the Electoral Department, it will not be surprising if the law is again amended to prevent a very important law being abused in such a manner. Discussing the matter of alleged abuses of the absent voters’ permits at Wellington on Saturday, the deputy chief electoral officer, Mr G. G. Hodgkins, stated that the Electoral Department had received no official intimation of such abuses. It was quite conceivable that there were cases where persons working in a city electorate other than the district for which they were registered voted in the district in which they happened to be on election day, simply because it was inconvenient for them to return to their proper electoral district. The absent Voting system aimed at granting facilities for all bona fide absent voters to record their votes on election day. It was not an unreasonable thing to grant a person permission to vote in another electorate if ho would bo put to inconvenience by having to visit a booth in his electorate.

NUMBER OF ABSENTEE VOTES. The number of absent voters’ permits issued under the old system at the general election in 1922 was 19,797, out of which 16,341 votes were exercised. Tho number of seamen’s rights issued on that occasion was 2690, and 1481 were exercised. The total absentee votes authorised was thys 22,487, while the total number of votes exercised was 17,822. On tho present occasion approximately 30,000 persons used the facilities approved under the ab-

sent voting system, distributed as follows :

Bay of Islands 178, Marsden 525, Ivaipara 513, AVaitetnata 993, Eden 506, Auckland East 580, Auckland Central 290, Auckland AVest 447, Grey Lynn 431, Roskill 689, Parnell’ 492, Man’ukau 366, Franklin 379, Raglan 350, Thames 427, Ohinemuri 421, Tauranga 573, Hamilton 826, Waikato 452, Rotorua 369, Bay of Plenty 212, Waitomo 410, Gisborne 523, Hawke’s Bay 550, Napier'44s, AVaipawa 421, Pahiatua, 443, Masterton 500, AVairarapa 378, Stratford 289, Taranaki 520, Egmont 279, Pater 472, AVanganui 514, Waimarino 620, Oroua 390, Rangitikei 407, Manawatu 418, Palmerston North 548, Otaki 340, Hutt 639, AVellington North 929, AVellington Central 550. AVellington East 650, AVellington South 577, AVellington Suburbs 642,’ Nelson 437, Motueka 299, Bidler 299, AVestland 330, Wairau 275, Hurunui 400, Kaiapoi .420, Christchurch North 058, Christchurch East 603, Christchurch South 582, Avon 536, Lyttelton 604, Ellesmere 267, Ashburton 334, Timaru 492, Temuka 203, AVaitaki 325, Oamaru 433, Dunedin ■ North 407, Dunedin AVest 401, Dunedin South 524, Dunedin Central 504, Chalmers 437, Clutha 393, AVakatipu 530, Mataura 306, AVallaee 263, Invercargill 655, Awarua 170.