WELLINGTON NORTH BY-ELECTION.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LII, Issue 52, 1 March 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON NORTH BY-ELEC-TION.

—... I ■— MR LUKE ELECTED. MAJORITY OF OVER 400. WELLINGTON, Feb. 28. The result of the Wellington North by-election to-day was as follows : Luke (National Govt.} 2965 Holland (Socialist Labour) ... 2b6b Brandon (National Govt.) 010. Poison (Independent Lib.) Informal Total votes cast 7128 (Mr Luke was the official candidate of the National Government.) The following message onelection pros-; pects sent to the Otago Daily Times. from its Wellington correspondent wili be read with interest even after the result. A big meeting in the interests of the candidature of the National Government candidate (Mr Luke) was address-, ed by Mr Maesey and Sir Joseph Ward in the Town Hall. The hall was overcrowded, and there was .much noise. It has not been pos Sl ble for-tiie. past half-doze* years for anyone exoept Mr Holland and his sort _ to haves a peaceful political meeting m the Wellington Town Hall. This meeting, though noisy, was not discouraging the Government The noise was mere hooliganism, and four-fifths of crowd was with the Government. Good fighting speeches were delivered,Jy both leaders. Mr Massey had to bear vJhri worst of the clamour. The -chairman and he ordered stern measures in dcz[ine with interrupters, and this helpedliter Sir Joseph Ward declared vjjnequivocally for the Notional Government and Mt Luke. There seems .t? be no doubt that iMr Luke will win 9_ Thursday. He may have quite aii .cafiy winT It is inroossdble. to assess th& weight of the votes which Mr Holland will o-et. He has with the greatest cunnintr"worked to get the votds of women who may be dreading' the tatang away of sons or husbands to the war. If open declarations mean anything, the women are not to be caught with this bait, but one may reasonably have fears 4bout what they may do m the polling; booths. There is a danger, too, of MrHolland getting a lot- of the hnuor and Sinn Fein votes,, but he might have had those however the campaign had; gone. Mr Brandon will poll few votes, but his candidature has made for disunion and "some demoralisation Vin_tnj Government ranks. If he were to stand down now many of hie supporters yould not vote for Mr Luke. The National Government candidate has been the only one with a good working committee, and Wellington North has been worked by it as never before. The members of the committee are all full of confidence. Mr Holland has had to rely on -meetings which are deceptive, as to strength. 1 still think that on Thursday night the .order will be: —Mr Luke first, Mr Holland second, Mr Poison and 'Mr iifandon about ecjual and far behind.