THE ELECTIONS

Manawatu Standard, Volume LII, Issue 4, 4 December 1931, Page 8

THE ELECTIONS

AUCKLAND EAST RESULT

TALK OF IRREGULARITIES

AUCKLAND, Dec 3. Irregularities in connection with the Auckland East poll, for which Mr F. W Schramm, Labour candidate, was returned, are alleged, and inquiries are being made with a view to deciding whether an election petition will be lodged. It is alleged that some of the irergularities were in connection with voting by the inmates of the Jubilee Institute for the Blind. Air H. P. Burton, who contested the seat as an Independent Reform candidate, said this morning that he had nothing to say officially, but be indicated that interested parties were making investigations. , Dr W. H. Horton, who contested the seat as an Independent United can-' didate, said that irregularities had been brought under his notice, and he was of the opinion that the poll could be upset. However, in the event ot another election, lie would not be a candidate, and he had notified Mr Burton to that effect. Dr Horton said that if a second election were held lie would like to see a straight-out contest between Mr Burton and Mr Schramm. * MR SPEAKER. TO ALTER PLANS IN FUTURE. Per Press Association. DUNEDIN, Dec. 3. The position in Otago is that Labour captures one additional seat, Dun m South, and in all other Otago electorates except one the retiring members have been retained. . •, Sir Charles Statham-, who retained his seat in Dunedin Central, said he go a bit of a shock when the numbers went up, as he had explained at meetings of the electors that he felt he could take no part in party politics, preferring to fight with his hands tied. This was the last election, however, in which he would fight in that manner. In future he would take off the gloves. The dimensions of the vote of Sir Charles Statham’s opponent may be partly attributed to the persistence with which it has been contended in some quarters that a constituency cannot be adequately represented by a member who holds the office of Speaker. Absent votes in the Dunedin Central electorate are ’454, with 147 postal votes a nd 22 seamen’s rights, which bring the total of votes yet to be counted to 623. The absent votes in Chalmers are 4ou, with 80 postal and 14 seamen s, a total of 574, and these may affect the result. SPEAKER’S POSITION. ALOOF FROM PARTY. The fact that Sir Charles Statham contested the Dunedin Central seat as “Mr Speaker” and not as an orciinarv member emphasises his peculiar position. It is the custom in Britain to allow the Speaker of the Houso of Commons to be re-elected um>PP os f d j New Zealand, although it adopted much of the Parliamentary practice of the Homeland, has in this respect gone its own way. Thus it was that Sir Charles Statham was pitted against a Labour opponent. . In Britain, however the Speaker is one member of 615, while m New Zealand he is one of 80. The Speaker of the House of Representatives is severely handicapped in liis electioneering by not being permitted, through an unwritten law, to refer to matters of party politics or to criticise his opP °ln n the P p°ast y ’“Mr Speaker” ha s had some hard fights, and on at least three occasions has been defeated. Strange to say, all three defeats occurred in the Alanukau electorate. Sir Maurice o‘Rorke was defeated in 1890 and again in 1902, and Sir Frederic Lang was defeated in 1922. Sir Maurice O’Rorke, after his first defeat, regained his seat at the next election, and when the new Parliament assembled he was restored to the chair. Sir Maurice established a record for New Zealand in that he occupied the chair for 20 years, eleven years on the first occasion and nine on tne Be Of nd the other Speakers, Sir David Monro, Sir Arthur Guinness and Sir Frederic Lang occupied the chair for ten years each, Sir Charles Clifford (the first Speaker) for seven years, Sir Francis Dillon Bell for four years, and Sir William Fitzherbert and Sir William Steward for three years each. The last-named’s term was during the interregnum in Sir Maurice O’Rorke’s 20 years. Sir Charles Statham has now occupied the chair for nine years. He had the advantage of having been elected to the House as an Independent. To maintain the high conception of the office of Speaker established by Sir Maurice O Rorke was no small task, but Sir Charles Statham may justly claim to have accomplished it. , Whether the Speaker should continue to represent a constituency after he has become president ot the House is the subject of an endless dispute. Sir Arthur Guinness was unfortunate in that the electors of Grey did not appreciate the honour of being represented by “Mr Speaker. Many of his constituents were wont to complain that they were largely disfranchised. Sir Arthur had to conduct vigorous election campaigns, and m Parliament when the House was in committee lie felt it necessary frequently to take his seat as a private member and join in the asperities- of debate. On one occasion he even had a spirited dispute with the Prime Mrnister, Sir Joseph Ward on a point of order. Sir Joseph jocularly suggested reporting progress in order that the opinion of “Mr Speaker” might be obtained. THE NEWS IN AUSTRALIA. SATISFACTION EXPRESSED. SYDNEY, Dec. 3. The outcome of the New Zealand elections was received with considerable satisfaction in anti-Labour circles in Australia. All the political parties engaged in the present Federal election campaign were looking forward to the Dominion figures and the Coalition’s heavy majority is featured in all the chief newspapers.

In the polling at Bunnvthorpe for the Alanawatu seat Air J. L. Linklater, the Coalition candidate, received 46 votes, and Air C. L. Hunter, the Labour candidate, 13.