THE STATE OF PARTIES.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIII, Issue 14197, 23 August 1919, Page 5

THE STATE OF PARTIES.

RESULTS OF BY-ELECTIONS. Following the General Election of 1914 the state of parties was:— Reform . 41 Liberal 33 Labour 6 The Reform Party had then a ma- ; jority of two over the Liberal and j Labour sections. With Sir Frederick Lang in the Speaker’s Chair it was a I majority of one; and with Mr Malcolm ; as Chairman of Committees the Chairi man would have to exercise his vote jto give Reform a majority over the | other two parties voting solidly, j Since the General Election these ' have been nine by-elections, as follow: I Taranaki.—S. G. Smith (Progressive Democrat) succeeded H. J. Okey (E.). Southern Maori. —J. H. W. 'Uru (Ind.) succeeded C. Parata (L.). Grey.—H. -E. Holland (Lab.) succeeded P. C. Webb (Lab.). Wellington South. —E. Semple (Lab.) succeeded A. H. Hindmarsh (Lab.). Wellington Central. —P. Fraser (Lab.) succeeded E. Fletcher (L,). Wellington North.—J. P. Luke (E.) succeeded A. L. Hordman (E.). Palmerston North.—J. A. Nash (E.) succeeded D. Buick (E.). Hawke’s Bay.—Sir J. Findlay (L.) succeeded Dr. McNab (L.). Pahiatua. —G. H. Smith (E.) succeeded J. Escott (E.). The net result: of these elections is that Eeform has lost one seat, Taranaki, to Mr S. G. Smith, who received the Labour vote, but has been repudiated by the extreme section. The Liberals have lost Wellington Central to Labour, and the Southern Maori seat is indefinitely held by Mr Uru, who opposed the National Government candidate, but gave a qualified support to the National Government during the war. How he would vote in the event of a Party division is uncertain; but, classing him as Liberal, the state of Parties now is:— Eeform 40 Liberal 32 Labour 8 It will be seen, therefore, that in the present definition of parties the Eeform position is precarious with Sir Frederick Lang in the chair as Speaker. At the same time, no other party can show a stronger front. There may be changes over when the session commences or before that time, but otherwise it is difficult to see how the House can do anything more than pass absolutely essential business.