15 Elections Compared

Northern Advocate, 28 September 1943, Page 2

15 Elections Compared

! A candidate, under the present system,! [may win a scat with the slenderest major- i iitv'and the best indication of public opm-J ion is to be found in the aggregate voting j figures for the respective parties at each: poll A large majority in Parliament is no proof that the party in power gained a relative proportion of the total vote. !; However, some guide to New Zealand] political opinion is given in figures show-] ing party strengths in the House ot Rcpre-j sentatives over tire past 50 years after l.>! PY.nernl elections. They are as follows:-

As in lfWfl, this year’s polls have pro- 1 viclod little encouragement lor parties; formed between elections. Although the; Democratic Soldier Labour Party this year; had over 50 candidates in the Held for 80; seats, it failed to gain any public reeognilion. This result invites comparison with; the fate of the Democratic Party, whose j candidates contested a previous election, i also without a single success.

Liberal Opposition Oilier 1093 . . 52 (Soddon) 18 2 lay 6 .. 41 (Soddeni 28 3 1899 53 (Soddon) 18 1 1902 .. 48 (Soddon) 19 3 1909 58 (Soddon 1 18 4 1908 .. 48 (Ward) deform 28 8 Lib. Lab. Others 1911 .. 38 (Massey) 38 3 3 1914 .. 40 (Massey) 31 8 1 1919 .. 48 (Massey) 2(1 11 3 1922 .. 38 (Massey) 22 17 3 1925 .. 55 (Coates) United 10 12 8 Kef. Lab. Others 1928 .. 28 (Ward) Coalition 29 19 8 1931 .. 51 (Forbes) Labour — 24 5 National Others 1935 .. 55 (Savage) 19 8 1938 .. 53 (Savage) 25 2 11 l» lioi'/i