THE BY-ELECTIONS

Otago Witness, Issue 3380, 25 December 1918, Page 21

THE BY-ELECTIONS

WELLINGTON SOUTH.

'' MR SEMPLE RETURNED. WELLINGTON, December 19. The Wellington • Slcmth by-election. resuited as follows : . R. SEMPLE .. 2412 G. .Frost ... ... ... .:.... 1181 J\ /Castle ......... ~.. Ml [The result of the polling at the general election in 1914 was:' A. H. Hindmarsh (Labour!, 4279; J. P. Luke (Reform), 306*; R, B. Williams (Reform), 221.]

PALMERSTON,

MR NASH SUCCESSFUL. PALMERSTON N., December 19. The by-election resulted as follows: — J. A. NASH 2229 A. Galbraith ... ... 1914 E. H. Crabb . ..... 1119 A. Buchanan ... ... ••• 101 [The polling for the Palmerston seat at the general election in 1914 was: D. Buick (Reform), 2844; J. Thorn (Labour), 1735; Ef"H. Crabb (Liberal), 1546; J. A. Nash (Reform), 1071.] (FSOM 008 Own COHBESPONDSNT.) WELLINGTON, December 20. The after-election speeches of Mr Semple and Mr Harry Holland last night were full of jubilation about the decisive victory which they alleged they scored over the National Government. Mr Holland declared that the result of the poll.in Wellington South was another lino of hand-writing on the wall for the National Government to see. Mr Semple spoke of the psychological effect of the victory on the rest of the country, and he declared that the same sort of thing would be done by the workers all over the dominion when the general election came round. In order to achieve that end the Labour people would inaugurate a campaign to cover the whole country after the New Year.

As a matter of fact the figures' for Wellington South give the Labour people no reason for self-congratulation. Mr Semple actually polled 1850 votes less than the successful candidate in 1914 and more than 600 votes less than the candidate second on the list in the game electionX The poll at the by-election was 4100, and at the general election 7642. It is not fair to take the voting as an indication of what would have been the result in a hard-fought election. Mr Semple was the only candidate who had an efficient organisation behind him. The other candidates had no enthusiastic support and no organisation. .Every effort wsft made by the Labour people to poll every vote they could, and if 2412 represents anything like the full strength of Labour in the electorate, Mr Semple will have but a short term as a member of Parliament. Mr Oastle lost his deposit, and he will probably lose his deposit every time ho stands for Wellington South or any other seat. People have gone to his meetings to be entertained, and they have always come away satisfied with their evening. Mr Frost is an unattractive candidate, and the wonder is that nearly 1300 people went to the poll to vote for him. The best organisation and the most generous aid would not plaoe him at the top of the poll. It has been said by the Labour talkers that the National Govern-. ment was behind Mr Frost and that the name Independent was mere camouflage. Mr Frost was never recognised as a National Government candidate In Palmerston North "Mr- Nash won by a less proportion of votes than Mr Buick had won by in 1914. The Labour people gamed nothing of consequence. All they can say

is that they did remarkably well wita a weak candidate, for they had a weak candidate.