PURELY SYMPATHY VOTE.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18388, 2 May 1923, Page 8

PURELY SYMPATHY VOTE.

NOT A POLITICAL VERDICT. I STATEMENT BY MR. MASSEY. j [BT TEI^GBAPH. — ASSOCIATION.] f CHRISTCHURCH. Tuesday.' | Interviewed ■on the ferry steamer, Mr. [ Massey, who 1 had just received the final | Oamaru figures,! had little' to say. , ' •<■ ! "I will ' say this," : he remarked. '■■: "In all my' long experience of electioneering I have, never - known a single instance when an election > ! has been -upset where I the seat has ' : been taken from the man j who was declared. elected at the general i election. '' •■'• !'■;; ■' .x. ; " ■..''■ ;'"''',■■''■:.".-! '■"?;, "The polling at Oamaru was heavier than at ■'■ the ' general .■:. election, v and : there seems to have been an ; extraordinary : increase in voting at some '■• places. ■Iti is difficult to account for."' :■; • In reply to a further ; question, • Mr. Massey' said Vhe had nothing Hto .;. say in regard to the : ! position of parties. ..In a further ;? statement,:, Mr. -Massey said the election was fought' on Mr. Macpherson's part wholly on •" the. ground of sympathy.;..(. and not ■ on ~-■ general:, politics. The . sympathetic issue was > preached on every platform,; and used in every possible direction. • :; It was also quite evident that a large majority : of the newly-enrolled voters supported the Opposition candidate. Com-plaints-were freely; made that many persons who voted in ; the ;: general ':■ election in the neighbouring electorate of xWaitaki, and even; in Dunedih; were; able, after ; a few weeks' temporary r T '- residence in Oamaru, to secure enrolment for the byelection. : :i;'" - ' !,/ ': ;, ;' : - : ■ "It is clear,", said Mr. Massey, - "that the four weeks'-, residential;i qualification is capable -of r great abuse, and it Vis evi- . dent that this was taken -full advantage of in to-day's:' election. "' From the > returns at v : present ;: to hand it y appears; that Mr. Lee increased his support.'in -4 Oamaru town compared with the; general election and that, the •. circumstances ; ;, mentioned have caused the loss of : a Minister whose work h for' the ';•■ Government -and country was:;: characterised 'by ;conspicuous" ability and i distinction." "~ . / '