GENERAL ELECTION.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 20105, 16 November 1928, Page 14

GENERAL ELECTION.

STRENGTH OF PARTIES.

POSITION IN BALANCE.

MANY DOUBTFUL SEATS.

ABSENTEE VOTES FACTOR. imm TOTAL THAN USUAL Complete details of the strength of the political parties, following the general election are unlikely to emerge for so vera 1 days, owing to the number of electorates in which the ultimate result will hang in the balance until absentee, postal and seamen's votes have been counted.

Tho most interesting development yesteiday was tho discovery that Sir John Luke, the Government candidate for Wellington North, had been.placed nt the head of tho poll instead ol tho Labour candidate with a lead of eight votes. There are, however, over 0110 thousand absentee votes to bo counted. According to tho provisional returns the position, of tho parties is now as follows, the relative numbers before the election being shown in parentheses: — Government .. 29 (,">:}) - United .. .. 26 (II) Labour .. .. 19 (II) Country .. .. 1 (—) Independent .. 5 (-2) Every election produces a few close contests, but more seats than usual may be classed doubtful on the present occasion because of the increased facilities given for the recording of absentee votes. Whereas a lead of about 100 with absentee votes uncounted would undor tho old system have given a reasonable prosspect of success, the margin of doubt is now enlarged, for in sorflo cases the votes yet to take into account run to four figures.

In the Auckland area changes in tho position are yet possiblo in three electorates. In Grey Lynn .Mr. J. S. Fletcher (United) is leading Mr. F. N. Bart ram (Labour) by 101 votes, with 652 votes to come. In Waitemata, where Mr. A. Harris (Government) is 276 votes ahead of Mr. 11. H. Greville (United), tho 1096 votes yet to take into account include 176 seamen, and tho 805 absentee votes are believed to includo about 300 naval men's votes. In Auckland East the eloment of doubt is still present, for although Mr. J. B. Donald (United) has a lead of 236 votes over tho late member, Mr. J. A. Leo (Labour), there arc 816 votes to come. Seats in tile Province. Vital changes in tho provisional position in several Auckland provincial electorates are also possiblo. In tho Bay of Islands, where Mr. 11. M. Rushworth (Country Party) is leading Mr. Allen Bell (Reform) by a margin of 82, there are over 350 absentee votes outstanding, but the latter will have to do particularly well to reverse the present position. In tho meantime Mr. Rushworth has addcu to his election night majority of 66.

A similar position exists in Franklin, where Mr. J. N. Massey (Government) has a load of 89 with 505 absentee and other votes, which are unlikely to be counted until Monday. Still more precarious is the position in the Waikato electorate, where Mr. F. Lye (United) has a majority of only 39 over his principal opponent, Mr, D. S. Roid (Government), with 565 votes to come. In Rotorua Mr. C. H. Clinkard (United) has a load of 184 over the retiring member, Mr. F. F. Hockly (Government), with approximately 450 votes outstanding.

The final position is equally uncertain in several electorates in other parts of the Dominion. The closest contest is in Dunedin South. Mr. R. W. Ilall (Labour) lias increased his provisional total by 60 votes to <1224, but his principal opponent, Mr. W. D. Tavernor (United) has advanced by 72 votes to 4216, thus reducing Mr. Hall's election night margin from 20 to 8, with 828 voles to come. , Tho battle in Riccarton is almost as keen, with Mr. A. A. McLachlan (United) leading Mr. IT. S. S. Kyle (Reform) by 11 votes, with 569 outstanding votes. Position in Fifteen Seats. Fifteen seats are still doubtful, In the following summarised version of the position Government candidates are indicated by G, United by U, Labour by L and Country by C

A compilation lias been made of the provisional election returns, to ascertain the distribution of votes among tho various parties. Votes recorded for tho official candidates only have been credited to the three major parties, votes for all other candidates being grouped. The Maori elections are excluded from this analysis.

Following is a summary of the votes polled in comparison with the seats won, the relation being shown by percentages

Vol uh. I'.O. fcjeiits. L'.C. Govt. . . 'J 16,851 -7 H 5.5L'nited . •- , 10,50'2 150.70 *1 IH.uS Labm.r . . 178,1,'W JO.OI 19 i!s.<)o Olliera .. SOfOOO l> <•*•)

Totals . . 085,091 100.00 70 100.00

As them wcro many clistrictis in which only* two parties contested the seat, any analysis of the voting on the basis of actual returns is necessarily only nn approximate indication of the division oi public opinion. KEENNESS TO VOTE. HEAVY POLLING FIGURES. ELECTORS AT WELLINGTON. [ 11V TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Thursday The large number of voters who went to the poll, compared with tho number on tho roll, in Wellington Central was remarkable. Tliero wcro 12,635 names on the roll and tho number of voles recorded was 11,268, including the informal voles, so that only 1367 did not vole. According to the official list Wellington Central has 673 absent voters, 109 postal voters and 253 seamen, a total of 1035. Therefore only 332 names oil the roll remain unaccounted for. •

Leading. Majorto ily. Conic. Grey Lynn .. Fletcher (U.) 101 ('.,">'2 Aucklnml Iviat Donald (U.) 2;«; Hl'i Wiiitematu .. llama (G.) •J7C, lll'.Ki Day of IsKls. IliimIiworth (C.) tW ;!.')() Franklin Massey (G.) M) ' 505 Waikuto Lye (U.) :«) 5i;;i Rotoruu. Clink.trd (U.) ist 150 Pitted Dickio (0.) j on 550 Wellington N. Luke (G.) •s l i:i8 Kiiiapoi llawko (U.) o:i 570 Kjccarton McLachlun (U.) u 5fi'J M id-Can torbtiry Jones (0.) i.!) ('.50 Temuku Burnett (G.) 71) •J'JO Duiutdiu South Hull (L.) 8 828 Mutuurn Anderson (G.) :w 381