Manawatu Daily Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1925 Final Election Figures

Manawatu Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 2306, 26 November 1925, Page 6

Manawatu Daily Times. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26, 1925 Final Election Figures

The complete figures for the general election were made available for the first time on Tuesday. They show that the total number of valid votes polled was 671,970, as against 515,907 in 1914, /542,740 in 1919 and 614.076 in 1922. The total of 1922 showed an increase of 71,336 votes on the total of 1919, and the total of 1925 shows an increase of 57,900 on the total of 1922. It would appear from these figures that compulsory registration has not led to the increase in voting that was generally; expected.

Of the 671,970 votes polled at the recent electloin, 317,587 were cast for Reformers and Independent Reformers, 184,620 for Labourites, 157,163 for Nationalists and Liberals, including Sir Joseph Ward and Mr H. Atmore, and 12,600 for Independents, Including Mr C. E. Statham, the Speaker, and several members who stood as representatives of the Country Party. Prom the figures, dealt with in this way, it appears that the Reform total has increased by 56,613 during the last three years, and the Labour total by 37,846 while the Nationalist-Liberal vote has decreased by 27,582, and the Independents by 13,693. At both elections Mr K. S. Williams was returned unopposed for the Bay of Plenty seat and no returns from that constituency are included in the above figures. Voting and Representation Though the Reformers are clearly the strongest party in the country, as they probably will continue to be so long a the National-Liberals and the

Labourites wage war on one another, they still remtain in a minority of some 50,000 in the constituencies. With fewer than 47 per cent of the votes polled at the recent election they have more than 68 per cent of the representation, while Labour with more than 27 per cent of the votes has only a shade more than 14 per cent of the representation; NationalLiberals with slightly more than 23

per cent of the votes have less than 16 per cent of the representation. The Independents coming in at the end are the only group to obtain approximately their dues, they with 1.87 per cent of the votes obtaining 1.33 per cent of the representation. All this, of course, points afresh to the crying need for electoral reform, but the party in power never cares to abandon the horse that has carried it safely over the stream, and Mr Coates with his huge majority is not likely to be more anxious than his predecessors in office in similar circumstances have been to proclaim that the system which has given him office and opportunity is not the very best in the world.