TAUMARUNUI ELECTION

Otago Witness, Issue 3197, 23 June 1915, Page 3

TAUMARUNUI ELECTION

OFFICIAL FIGURES. TE KUITI, June 16. The following are the official returns: — W. T. Jennings 3850 C. K. Wilson 3702

These arc ail the votes cast at yesterday’s poll, but there are still 68 absentee votes to be counted. This will not bo done till the scrutiny of yesterday’s voting is completed. Tho polling at the general election in December last was: W. T. Jennings, 4012; C. K. Wilson, 3827; F. W. Shorthand, 37. STATEMENT BY MR MAiSSEY. it'boh uus Own CuitajsspONuuNT. i , WELLINGTON, June 15. After the last returns came to Band tonight the Prime Minister made a short statement on tne political s-tuation to a reporter. "We have an assured majority in tne House,” he s-aid, "and, tiiougn I should nave liked to secure another supporter, 1 do not anticipate any serious difficulty about ocing able to carry on ana do the business oi the country, it is quite evident, so iar us it is possible to judge, that wiien ail tne returns come in tile Opposition candidate's majority, as compared with that ot the general election in December, will be found to have been cons.derably . reduced. An analysis of tho figures for the various booths ghowe that wo scoured a majority at the greater number of polling places, but tho ono centre which iias determined the election is Taumarunui, where Mr Jennings has a big majority. Personally, Ido not tcel at all discouraged, for the results of the two by-elections have shown that the Government stands even better with tho country than it did six months ago. It will now remain for the Opposition Party to show whether it is anxnus to force another general election on the country or not,”

STATEMENT BY SIR J. G. WARD. WELLINGTON, June 16. . In tho course of a brief reference to the by-election. Sir Joseph Ward said that the decision whether or not there would be another general election did not rest with the Opposition, as the Prime Mmister had stated. The granting of a dissolution was one of the prerogatives of the Crown, and his Excellency tile Governor certainly would not allow another election to be torced upon the country until every other means of securing a stable Government had been exhausted. The cry of another election was a bogey one. “ 1 am not going to discuss politics,” ho added, “ but I am quite sure the electors realise that the Opposition is at least as loyal and anxious as tho Government is to give the Mother Country every possible assistance in the present crisis, and strengthen tho bonds of affection and interest that hold New Zealand to tho Empire.”' NORTHERN MAORI MEMBER. WELLINGTON, June 16. The Prime Minister stated, in reply to a question regarding the attitude of the member for the Northern Maori district, that there was no reason for the slightest doubt regarding the loyalty of Air Hcnare. He was a thoroughly honourable man. He had promised to support the Reform Party, and he would do so.