“SWEEPING VICTORY”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26473, 29 May 1947, Page 6

“SWEEPING VICTORY ”

MR FRASER’S SATISFACTION SURPRISE AT MAJORITY WELLINGTON■''May 5 .^8. Satisfaction with the result- of the Avon , by-election was expressed tonight by the Prime Minister/ Mr Fraser. He said that very seldom, if ever, in the, electoral history of New Zealand had a candidate new to the electors, as Mr Mathison was, been elected at a by-election by such a large majority. “I. heartily congratulate him on his great success, and his energetic Election Committee and organisers on the great victory won by their devoted and enthusiastic work for the cause of Labour,” Mr Fraser said. /‘While Mr Mathison has had a high honour conferred on him an being elected with such a striking majority to represent the people of Avon, the electors there are also to be congratulated on obtaining the services of such an able member to represent them in succession to Mr Sullivan. As Mr Mathison said in thanking the electors this evening, the result is eloquent testimony to the permanency of the work achieved by Mr Sullivan during his life of service to the constituency and to the country as a whole. “While a Labour victory was confidently expected, both the size of the majority and the number of votes cast have come as somewhat of a surprise.” he said. “Naturally, I am pleased at the sweeping Labour victory, and at the entry into the ranks of the Parliamentary Labour Party of such a capable recruit as Mr Mathison. The result indicates that the electoral effort of the National Party, by general misrepresentation and the stirring up of discontent by spurious Exploitation of the post-war situation and its unavoidable difficulties and shortages, has now passed its flood tide and is well on the ebb to the National Party’s natural and normal minority position-”