BY-ELECTION DECISIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20690, 9 October 1930, Page 12

BY-ELECTION DECISIONS.

CONTEST FOR WAIPAWA. UNITED CANDIDATE'S WIN. WESTERN MAORI SEAT. VICTORY FOR REFORM. Two by-elections, necessitated by the deaths of Sir George Hunter and Sir Maui Pomare, wero held yesterday. In the Waipawa contest the seat formerly held by Reform was won by Mr. Albert Edward Jull, the United candidate. The Western Maori seat was retained by the Reform Party, victory going to its nominee, Mr. Taito To Tomo. Details of the voting are as follows: WAIPAWA. A. E. Jull (U.) . « »» 3,620 W. Tucker (R.) .«• .• 3,312 Majority for Jull at 308 Last Election. —Sir George Hunter (It.), 3076; E. A. Goodger (U.), 2023; D. B. Kent (U.), 1392. Majority for Hunter, 1053. WESTERN MAORI. Taito Te Tomo (R.) .. 3,921 Haami Ratana (Ratana) . . 3,101 P. T. H. Jones (Young, Maori) 886 Majority for To Tomo . . 820 There are six small returns to come, which cannot affect the result. Last Election.—Sir Maui Pomare (It.), 4542; H. T. Ratana (Ratana), 2982. Majority for Pomare, 15G0. Mr. Jull is one of the best-known men in public life in Hawke's Bay. He has served successively as a member of the Waipawa Town Board, the Waipawa County Council, the Waipawa Hospital Board and the Napier Harbour Board. On several occasions he contested the Waipawa seat unsuccessfully against the late Sir George Hunter. Mr. Taite To Tomo is a chief of the Tuwharetoa tribe of the Taupo district. He is well known among the Maoris throughout New Zealand and is conversant with political questions as they affect the native population. He was organiser for the late Sir Maui Pomare for 19 years. STATE OF THE PARTIES. REFORM STILL IN LEAD. As a result of the two by-elections yesterday, the present state of the parties is:— Reform 28 United .. . . . . 27 Labour .. . « » . .. 20 Country .« . . .« 1 Independent at .. •. 4 Those classed as Independents are the Speaker, Sir Charles Statham (Dunedin Central), Mr. C. A. Wilkinson (Egmont), and Mr. W. J. Poison (Stratford) who were elected as such, and Mr. J. S. Fletcher (Grey Lynn), who recently left the United Party ranks. Mr. J. T. Ilogan (Rangitikei), although elected as an Independent, is included in the United Party, as he attends the party caucuses and has supported the Government upon no-confidence motions. INTEREST IN RESULT. MAORIS AT MANGERE. Much interest was shown by the Maoris in the Mangere district in yesterday's by-election, and numbers of them wero grouped about the Mangero post office for tho greater part of the day. Auckland City is in the southernmost portion of tho Northern Maori district, and Mangere post office was the nearest polling booth for yesterday's election in the Western Maori district.

Tho procedure in voting at a Maori election differs materially from that followed at an ordinary European election. There is no roll, but the returning officer ascertains from each voter his name and address and particulars showing his right to vote. These are written down and also the name of tho candidate for whom ho expresses a wish to vote. This is countorsigned by an associate, who is usually an interpreter, of the returning officer.