BY-ELECTION RESULT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20642, 14 August 1930, Page 10

BY-ELECTION RESULT.

MR. WARD RETURNED; MAJORITY OF 492. KEEN INTEREST IN POLL. 700 ABSENTEE VOTES TO COME. ■ ■ \ [Bt TELEGRAPH.—PRESS ASSOCIATION'.] IXVERCARGILL, Wednesday. The by-election for the Invercargill scat, made vacant by the death of Sir Joseph Ward, wa3 held to-day and resulted as follows: — Vincent Ward (United) .. 4799 James Hargest ,(Reform) .. 4307 Majority for Ward .« 492 When the final returns \veri« announced this evening the returning officer had received advice that 377 absenteo votes and 312 postal votes had been recorded, making a total of 689 votes still to be counted. It is hardly likely, however, that with these votes the result will be altered. Keen interest was taken in the election, which was conducted under ideal weather conditions.

Actually 9139 elector? in Invercargill went to the poll and this total, with the absentee and postal votes, makes the grand total 9840. There wjere 12,000 electors on the roll, so that tho percentage voting was 82. A large crowd gathered in the Post Office Square this evening, and after the final returns had been posted each can-, didate gave a brief address. Enthusiastic supporters of Mr. Ward carried hini shoulder-high along the main street from his hotel to the post office. The results of the Invercargill contests at the last two elections are as follows: 1928. Sir Joseph Ward (United) . « 7,309 S. M. Macalistcr (Reform) .. 4,131 Majority for Ward i* «. 3,178 1925. Sir Joseph Ward (Liberal) .. 4.957 J. Hargest (Reform) . . ». 4,798 P, II Hickey (Labour) .. 811 Majority for Ward'.. .. 159 , The Invercargill seat was held by tho Hon. J. A. Hanan, a supporter of the Seddon and Ward administrations, from 1899 until his retirement in 1925. From 1890 to 1899 it was occupied by Mr. J. W. Kelly, who was elected originally as a Labour candidate and supported the Seddon Government. - Sir Joseph' Ward, who had been member for Awarua since 1887, a period of 22 years, was defeated by Mr. J. R. Hamilton in 1919, and remained out of Parliament until 1925, when the resignation of Mr. Hanan give him the opportunity to stand for Invercargill, which he won as a solitary Liberal, and not under the banner of the National Party, to which Mr. Hanan had belonged. Sir Joseph contested the seat in 1928 as leader of the newly-formed United Party. THE NEW MEMBER., ASSOCIATION WITH POLITjCS. PRIME MINISTER'S TRIBUTE, Mr. Vincent Ward is the second son of the late Sir Joseph Ward, and is about 40 years of age. He has followed a commercial career, and latterly was closely associated with his father's various interests. During the 1928 general election campaign he acted as Sir Joseph's personal secretary, and 18 months ago he was appointed to the secretarial staff of the Prime Minister's Department, a position which he lield until Sir Joseph's resignation.

Among the last wishes expressed by Sir Joseph Ward was that one of his sons should place himself at the disposal of the Invercargill electors. _ The choice of Mr. Vincent Ward as the United Party candidate by the party's committee in the electorate was announced by the Prime Minister, the Hon. G. W. Forbes, on July 15. In expressing his approval of the selection, Mr. Forbes said:—"l have been brought into fairly close association with Mr. Ward while he acted as private secretary for his father during Sir Joseph Ward's long illness, and I came to form a very high opinion of his capacity and of the judgment and tact which he exercised in many difficult interviews on behalf of his father. lie showed a thorough grasp of public affairs, and I feel certain that he would represent Invcrcargill with credit to f himself and the constituency.'' STATE OF PARTIES. REFORM STILL STRONGEST. Tho state of parties in the House of Representatives as a result of the luvercargill by-election is as follows: Reform 28 United .. ~ . * .. 26 Labour . . . 20 Country . ... .. k . ] Independents 4 Those classed as Independents are the Speaker, Sir Charles'Statham; Mr. C. A. Wilkinson and Mr. W. J. Poison, who were elected under that title, and Mr. J. S. Fletcher, who lately left the United Party x - anks. Mr. J. T. Hogan, although elected as an Independent, attends United Party caucuses and has supported the Government upon no-confidence motions. He is therefore included in the United Party total. One stat, that of the late Sir Maui Pomaro (Reform —Western Maori), is vacant.