LABOUR VICTORY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22632, 25 July 1935, Page 10

LABOUR VICTORY

iATTELTON BY-ELECTION MAJORITY OF 1752 THE INDEPENDENTS ROUTED (Pee Uktted Pbess Association) CHRISTCHURCH, July 24. , With a majority of 1742 votes over his strongest- opponent, Mr T. H. M'Conibs, the' Labour candidate for the Lyttelton scat, was elected to-day. The seat has been retained in the M'Conibs family for an unbroken period of 22 years. Although the day was fine, only 01 per cent, of the electors voted. The total poll was 9271 from a,roll of 13,662.. When Mrs M'Conibs v was elected in 1933, 9283 votes were polled from a roll of 13,712. The following is the result of the Toting: — T. H. M'COMBS (Lab.) . . 5437 M. E. LYONS (Gov.) . . 3685 T. E. HILLS (Ind. Lab.) 103 G. S. HAMILTON (Ind.) 46 1925.—J. M'Conibs (Labour), 4900; M. E. Lyons (Reform), 4889. 1928.—J. M'Combs (Labour), 5022; J. W. Beanland (Reform), 3000; W. T. Lester (United), 2734. 1931. —J. M'Combs (Labour), 5404; F." W. Freeman (Coalition), 5372; W. L. Page (Independent). 1933 (By-election).—Mrs E. R. M'Combs (Labour), 6344; F. W. Freeman (Coalition), 3075; E. L. Hills (Independent Labour), 269. • MR T. H. MXOMBS Mr T. H. M'Combs is the son of the late Mr James M'Combs, who was mem-,, ber for Lyttelton for 18 years, and of the late Mrs E. R. M'Combs, who was member for two years. He has had a brilliant scholastic career. Born in Christchurch in 1904, he was educated

at the Christchurch Boys' High School, the Waitaki Boys' High School and Canterbury College. He won the Charles Cook Memorial Research Scholarship in 1928, graduated master of science with honours in chemistry in 1929, and won a national research scholarship in 192930. He held a number of teaching appointments, and for a fairly lengthy "period has been making experiments in wheat culture. He has also taken a prominent part in sport, gaining university " blues " in hockey and rowing. He is at present on the staff of the Seddon Memorial Technical College, Auckland. MR M. E. LYONS Mr M. E. Lyons has been secretary of. the A. and P. Association since 1928, and he is also secretary of the New Zealand Sheepbreeders' Association. He was born in' Wairarapa in 1889 and educated at the Masterton and Feilding

District High Schools. He in farming in Hawke's Bay until 1910, when he entered journalism, specialising in agriculture. He was agricultural editor of the Christchurch Suu. He served with the New Zealand Mounted Rifles in 1916 to 1919. At the general election in 1925 Mr Lyons contested the Lyttelton seat against the late Mr J. M'Combs in the interests of the Reform .Party. He was declared elected with a majority of eight votes, but was unseated by the decision of the Election Court as electors had been enrolled in Lyttelton who resided over the boundary. Mr Lyons has been a member of the Christchurch City Council since 1927, and the Domains. Board since 1930. He is a member of the council of the Royal Agricultural Society. . ■ ! "S THE VOTING ANALYSED SLIGHT SWING TO GOVERNMENT (Special to Daily Times) CHRISTCHURCH, July 21. Mr T. H. M'Combs will succeed his father and mother as the member of Parliament for Lyttelton by defeating the Government candidate. Mr M. E. Lyons, in to-day's election by a majority of 1752 votes." The most remarkable feature of the election, apart from the succession of father, mother and son, which is probably unprecedented in parliamentary history, was the gain for Labour in some of the country centres, notab'ly Akaroa, and the gain for the Government in the larger centres, including Lvttelton town and Woolston. Only 01 per cent, of the electors record'ed their votes, a slightly smaller percentage* than that recorded at the 1933 by-election, when Mrs M'Combs was returned. The slight decline in interest is attributable partly to the approach of the general elections, when the fate of the Lyttelton seat will once .more be decided by a ballot. Mr M'Combs's majority is smaller !>y 017 votes than his mother's. Mrs i M'Combs scored a majority of 2G69 votes In 1033, and although this year's poll is 500 votes smaller than two years ago

it is apparent that there has been a slight swing towards the Government in the Lyttelton electorate. Mr Lyons gained slightly in the centres of population and actually secured a majority at one Lyttelton booth. Akaroa, on the other hand, showed an increase in Labour sympathy, and Sumner, which gave Mrs M'Combs a majority of 126, treated Mr M'Combs in the same wav.

The other candidates, Messrs Hills and Hamilton, both lost tbeir^leposits. Mr M'Combs's success completes a remarkable record of parliamentary membership, father", mother and sou having held the same seat for an unbroken period of 112 years. Mr J. M'Combs won the seat from the Liberals at the by-election of 1913, Mrs M'Combs retained it with a very large majority when her husband died in 1.933, and now the son, aged 31, with no previous political experience, has defeated a strong Government candidate in a very decisive manner. A LABOUR STRONGHOLD REDUCED MAJORITY COMMENT BY SIR ALFRED RANSOM (Special to Daily Times) WELLINGTON, July 24. Commenting on the result of the poll to-night the Acting Prime Minister, Sir Alfred Ransom, said: "There is little more to be said at the moment than to congratulate Mr M'Conibs on achieving success at his first effort. Not only has he retained for his party a seat that had come to Jbe regarded iis a Labour stronghold, but he has followed in the footsteps of his parents, thus making a unique record of successive family representation in New Zealand's Parliament. It is true that his majority is almost 1000 votes fewer than the aggregate polled for his mother, Mrs Elizabeth M'Combs, two years ago, and that fact may be attributed fairly to the calibre of his main opponent.

"Beyond any doubt, Mr Lyons, as the ; Government Party's candidate, deserves praise for the courageous manner in which he contested the seat," Sir Alfred continued, " and also for the substantial measure of support which he secured. He fought alone and fought well, showing clearly in bis platform work a keen knowledge of political problems and an appreciation of the abnormal difficulties which have confronted the Government throughout a long period of world-wide depression, a depression which in this country has necessitated the dutiful exercise of a policy inevitably unpopular, (although demonstrably beneficial. "It may be observed," Sir Alfred stated, " that the results of the contest show that the electorate had practically no interest at all in so-called independence in politics-. The two independent candidates failed to gain 150 votes between them. The contest was almost entirely confined to the Labour and Government candidates. Labour won, but its majority was cut down. There is probably as much or as little political significance in that as there is - in the defeat of Mr Lyons-, who has no reason to be discouraged at the result."