Ten Seats Still In Doubt

Northern Advocate, 29 September 1943, Page 3

Ten Seats Still In Doubt

Majorities between lour and 226 still

divide the leading candidates in 10 seats, Oamaru, Eden, Raglan, New Plymouth, Otaki, Wairarapa, Waitemata, Hamilton, Nelson and Motueka.

When the official count is completed next week and the postal, declaration, absent, seamen’s and servicemen’s votes are added to the totals the state of parties may undergo a change. The position at the moment is:— Labour Party 44 National Party . 35 Independent 1 Returning officers have not yet received all the postal and absentee votes so far, but advice has been received that 641 absentee votes were applied for in respect to the Waitemata constituency, and at noon yesterday 306 postal votes had come to hand. Declaration votes are known to approximate 50, and seven seamen's rights were issued.

For Eden 664 absentee votes have been notified from various electorates, and the postal votes received so far are between 250 and 300. Seamen’s rights number 13, and declaration votes are between 50 and 60. According to a Press Association message from Wellington, Mrs. Dreaver, the sitting Labour member for Waitemata, is 121 votes behind the National candidate, Mr. H. T. Morton.

With so many votes still to be counted, the result could easily be altered either way, although at the 1938 election the majority of absent, declaration, postal and seamen’s votes were cast in favour of the Labour candidate, Captain Lyon. These votes were: Labour Party, 511; National Party, 369. Other Seats The sitting Labour member, Mr. Anderton, is heading the poll for the Eden seat by a small majority. At the last general election there were 859 absent, declaration, postal and seamen’s votes polled. Of these Mr. Anderton received 446, the National candidate 405, and an Independent eight. For the Raglan seat the Labour candidate, Mr. R. Coulter, is at the head of the preliminary count with a majority of 52. The absent, declaration, postal and seamen’s votes polled in 1938 were: For Labour 349, for the National Party 226. The preliminary count places the sitting Labour member for Hamilton. Mr. Barren, 241 votes behind Mr. F. Findlay, the National Party candidate. At the 1938 election 995 absent, declaration,, postal and seamen’s votes were cast, the Labour member receiving 545 and the National candidate 440. Closest Contests

The closest contest on the preliminary count places the Minister for Health (Mr Nordmeyer) in a minority of three for the Oamaru seat, the leading candidate being a Nationalist. Mr T. R. Beatty. There were 817 absent, postal, declaration and seamen’s votes polled in 1938, Mr Nordmeyer receiving 453 and the National candidate 364.

New Plymouth provided the second closest contest, Mr E. P. Aderman, National party candidate, leading the sitting Labour member. Mr Frost, by 37 votes on the preliminary count. In 1938. 828 absent, declaration, postal and seamen's votes were allocated as follows: Labour, 413; National 415.

The absent, declaration, postal and seamen’s votes in the remainder of the seats considered doubtful were as follows, the leading candidate and his designation and majority being given in parentheses in each instance. — Otaki (Mr Lowry, Labour, 62): Labour 482; National 311. Wairarapa (Mr Roberts, Labour, 87): Labour 373: National 267. Nelson (Mr Atmore. Independent, 186): Independent 482; National 408. Motueka (Major Skinner. Labour, 226); Labour 378; National 290. Last Election At this stage in the last election only two - seats were in doubt —Mid-Canterbury where Mr A. N. Grigg eventually had his preliminary count mapority increased from 18 to 74 and Waitaki where Mi Kidd’s majority declined from 62 to 14.