Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, DEC. 21, 1929. THE HUTT BY-ELECTION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 22, 21 December 1929, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. SATURDAY, DEC. 21, 1929. THE HUTT BY-ELECTION.

The result of the Hutt by-election can hardly be regarded as satisfactory to any of ike three political parties represented in the contest for the seat held by Hon. T. M. Wilford for the past 30 years. With an unprecedented number of electors on the. roll—--16,371 as against 14,898 last year .—2861 votes remained unrecorded, although, by all accounts, feeling ran high in the electorate and very keen interest was apparently taken in the contest. At the general election last year 13,261 votes were recorded out of the 14.898 then on the roll. In the straight out contest between Mr Wilford and Mr Nash, the former secured 49 per cent, of the electors on the roll and Mr Nash 40 per cent. At the 1925 election, when Mr Wilford and Mr Nash were again the sole contestants, Mr Wilford obtained the votes of 52 per cent, of the electors on the roll—there were then only 11,487 on the register —and Mr Nash 37 per cent. There is not, as a rule, so much interest taken in by-elections as at a general election, and a certain shrinkage in votes recorded is generally looked for. But, on this occasion, a record poll seems to have been anticipated. Ministers had rolled up to the support of the United Party candidate, Hons. H. Atmore, J. G. Cobbe, G. W. Forbes and W. A. Veitch entering the lists on Mr Kerr’s behalf, while Messrs H. E. Holland, P. Fraser, F. Langstone, R. McKeen and R. Semple, Labour M.P.’s, and others addressed meetings on Mr Nash’s behalf. The Reform candidate, Mr Harold F. Johnston, had the support of the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, Hon. W. Downie Stewart, and Mr R. A. Wright, M.P., at his meetings, and, in addition to the support accorded him by the Ministers of the Crown already referred, Mr Kerr had the backing of the party leader and that of the exmember. But, in each case, the result could only be regarded as unsatisfactory. Neither party commanded the support of the majority and, as compared with the 1928 votes, both the United and Labour Party candidates polled fewer votes, ihe results (as declared on Wednesday) showing Mr Kerr’s record 2646 behind Mr Wilford’s and Mr Nash’s 1185 behind his own previous record. There were, it is true, over 600 absentee and postal votes remaining to be counted, but even allowing for these the shrinkage in the vote for the United and Labour candidates alone was over 3200. Of the three candidates the best platform work was put in by the Reformer and on merit alone—if

such things counted in elections which unfortunately they do not —Mr Johnston ought to have won the seat, for his was the soundest, most logical and straightforward of the policies enunciated and had its appeal to all sections of the community. Mr Johnston, however, suffered from the fact that the Reform Party had left the seat go by default too long. In 1925, out of consideration for Mr Wilford, who was then in very bad health, the Reform Party executive decided to leave the seat uncontested and to accord that gentleman practical support against his Labour opponent, and in 1928 the seat was again uncontested so far as Reform was concerned. As a result there was little or no organisation in the electorate upon which Mr Johnston could depend and he suffered in his candidature accordingly, despite the very gallant fight he put up. If, as seems likely, Mr Nash, who was fairly well in the lead when the results were declared on Wednesday night, gains the seat, the Labour Party will be commanding 25 per cent, of the representation in the House; but, of the three parties, that led by Mr Coates will remain the strongest, holding 28 out of the 80 seats. The “Uniteds” will be reduced to 26, with a certain amount of support from the two Independents—Messrs Poison and Wilkinson and the Country Party representative, Captain Rushworth. The letter’s attitude towards the Government, in view of his telegraphed support to Mr Nash, is, however, less certain, and all three of these gentlemen voted against the Government’s taxation measures last session. The position, so far as the Government is concerned, is therefore anything but satisfactory as it becomes more than ever dependent upon the support of the Labour Party "in the House.

The Aorangi left Honolulu en route for Auckland on Thursday.

Oq Sunday evening the popular young vocalist. Master Armstrong will render a solo in All Saints’ Church during an anthem. The body of George Baker, who was drowned at Tiroroa on Saturday last, when attempting to swim the Buller River, was found on the beach at Fairdown by Mr Carr, a gold prospector, at four o’clock yesterday afternoon. The body was later removed to the morgue.

Captain S. G. Stringer and Captain L. C. H. Worrall have been appointed to sit as nautical assessors at the Manuka inquiry. Captain Stringer was formerly superintendent of mercantile marine at Wellington for the Marino Department, and retired on superannuation some time ago. Captain Worrall, prior to retiring from the Union Steam Ship Company’s service three and a half years ago, was master of the R.M.S. Makura. He resides at Wellington. The petrified body of a frog has been recovered from a small lake on his property near New Plymouth by Mr C. S. Mayor. The body is somewhat shrunken, but is in a wonderfully good and complete state of preservation. Appearances indicate that the frog, in making a leap, had become caught in some flax, or similar obstruction in the water. Being unable to free itself, and being held there, it had succumbed, and its long immersion had petrified the body, which is now quite hard. “While the late Bishop Cleary was opposed to secular education, we must admire him for the action he took in seeing that the children of his own denomination were educated,” said Mr A. Burns, chairman of the Auckland Education Board, at a meeting of the board this week. “The way Bishop Cleary had money supplied and erected schools must excite the admiration of all who are interested in seeing children educated,” added Mr Burns. “The Dominion has lost an excellent citizen, and he was a worthy champion of his Church.”

Remarkably compact in design, an interesting motor trailer for camping has just been completed by Mr Hi E. Edmunds, of Palmerston North. Stout in construction, this tent on wheels accommodates four persons with comfort, and is fitted with every desired convenience. All the fittings fold up neatly and the maximum use iB made of the space available. The portable stove folds up, and provision has been made for lighting with electricity. The beds are complete with mattresses, and the whole interior of the camping outfit has a restful atmosphere. The first New Zealand Congress of Esperantists will take place under the auspices of the New Zealand Esperanto Association, at Wellington, on January 17 and Janunary 18 next. The congress will be attended by club representatives, Universal Esperanto Association delegates and Esperantists from various parts of the Dominion, who will assemble for the purpose of discussing matters pertaining to the international language movement. The official programme (includes business sessions, a public meeting, a eightseeing tour, and social functions. The national organisation of Esperantists, the New Zealand Esperanto Association, of which the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, Sir Robert Stout, and Sir George Fowlds are patrons, was formed in January last, and has since gained considerable strength, possessing as it does five affiliated clubs and a large membership enrolled from 72 towns.

Mr.B. G. Gower, of Foxton, witnessed an unusual happening in bird life, in this country at all events, the other afternoon (writes our Foxton correspondent). He was walking on his verandah when his attention was drawn to a little grey warbler which was darting hither and thither among the branches of the shrubs bordering the lawn, but returning after each visit to a certain spot. On investigating, Mr Gower discovered that the little bird was feeding a shining cuckoo. This, of course is quite a common thing in England, but it is very unusual to find such a small bird as a grey warbler feeding another about ten times its weight. How the shining cuckoo bfccame to be adopted by the grey warbler is a matter for conjecture as it would be a difficxilt matter for the parent bird to lay its egg in a grey warbler’s nest, which is very small and pear-shaped, with the entrance in the middle of one side. Mr Gower stated that two elder birds had been seen in the vicinity for some time. If you realise that you are not adequately insured against fire loss the Mercantile and General Insurance Co., Ltd., ia a New Zealand Company with all its capital invested in New Zealand, and thus can assure you prompt settlement. R. W. Priest, Times Buildings, Broadway, district agent.—Advt,

The Tahiti arrived at Sydney this morning from Wellington. The Ulimaroa left Sydney for Auckland at one o’clock yesterday atternoon. The Christchurch Rotary Club’s street appeal yesterday for Christmas hampers, etc., for the poor of the city realised £530. There been no change in the condition of Mr Fred Klink. of Pohangina, who was admitted on Wednesday suffering from a fractured spine. Mr Klink, who is a married man, aged 46, was endeavouring to load an elevator on to a dray when the machine fell on him. “This man is only drifting. The sooner he is seat out of the town the better,” said the police when James Burnside, a bushman, appeared before Mr J. L. Stout, S.M., in the Police Court this morning charged with being an idle and disorderly person with no visible means of support. The Magistrate took a lenient view and dismissed the charge, conditional upon Burnside clearing out of the town and securing work. “I think he will do that,” said the senior-sergeant, “he has had the fright of his lifo.” Three men were charged with drunkenness, one being fined 10s and the other two 5s each.