Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY, DEC. 8, 1911.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 12632, 8 December 1911, Page 4

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, FRIDAY, DEC. 8, 1911.

THE ELECTIONS. The first round of the triennial Parliamentary battle, which was fought yesterday, has been responsible for some slaughter amongst the combatants, and gives promise of an interesting and exciting struggle when the second ballot is held a week hence. The honors of the first count go to the Opposition party, but' the victory is a more 'of less ephemeral one, as a careful study of the figures reveals the pi'obability of definite majority of candidates supporting the present Administration being returned at the final and decisive poll. There were 44_ electorates m which members

were returned by ah absolute majority of the votes polled, m two others candidates have been elected unopposed; m thirty-one other districts the battles will have to bo fought over again between the first and second candidates on the list, whilst three. Maori electorates have yet to give their decision. The Liberal and Labor votes that have been so split up through the multiplicity of candidates standing m these interests will be consolidated, and we quite expect to see at least 23 of the seats for which second ballots are held go to candidates who will accord allegiance, to the Government. This, with the three Maori members yet to be elected, should give the Government a supporting force of 46 against 34 on the other side, which will be quite an adequate working majority. To the minds of most people the disproportion between the parties has been too great m the past, and a reduction of the unequal balance of power will be welcomed by a large section of the people It may happen that the results of the first contests will . largely influence the result of the second, and that the Government majority will be narrowed down closer than we have assessed, but the probabilities are m the other direction. On the face of the returns of the first count the Opposition has* gained considerably m fighting strength throughout the country. Whether this is due to "the campaign of calumny" wliich such staunch and honorable Oppositionists as Messrs W. Nelson and R. D. D. McLean have denounced, or whether it is a result of the inevitable mutability of human affairs, and expresses a general desire m the jninds of many, for a change it is unnecessary at the present, moment to discuss, but whatever changes m its future Administration this country may have m contemplation it is quite evident frbm the votes. cast for the candidates of various denominations of political faitii that there .will be no reaction from tlie policy of progressive development that has been carried forward step by step by the Liberal Governments of the past quarter of a century. -Amongst the dead and wounded, of* yesterdays campaign -are a number of prominent members of parliament. ,' Defeated candidates ' include Messrs Dive^ the Taranaki freelance, and Sidey, a Parliamentary vetepa-R, and one of .the most popular men •m the House — both Opposition, members. The former has gone down, to the Hon; Thos. Mackenzie, whose strong perspnality always commands support, though he be buffeted from one electorate to another by the readjustment of boundaries which "the changes of population necessitate. Tlie Horii T. Y. Duncan, an old campaigner, who has held Oamaru as a pocket borough for many year* without showing any superlative qualifications ''fpr* the position of representative- has been bumped out, also Messrs Pople, Greenslade and Jennings, of the Government party, whilst the Opposition have carried Waipawa, a seat formerly, held by Mr Hall, Ministerialist. Amongst the second ballots will' be many close and exciting contests. • Tliat for HaWke's Bay, being I nearest us, will command mucfr^ttention, ahd we expect-Mr Campbell, a sterling settler, to win. Tlie Parnell contest, I between Dr . Findlay and Mr Dickson, will also been , keen . and close, and m many other respects next week's polling offers prospect of some interesting conclusions. 'The' Bay of Plenty contest has resulted, as* we expected', iri the return of Mr W. D. S; McDonald, biit MiHarry de Lautdm* 'gut .up) a- much-better fight -than his initial e'lectibp -addresses led ojie to: believe' he Would/ make, and he is-, to be congratulated upon winning the confidence oij so - large a- number of, people. Mr Mac Donald's election was, however, the right thing, and it was not to be expected that the electors would ,g*jye a. . rebuff ' tq sb ,l&rdwbrking and popular, a '■-. .X" a

Tho licensing polls' have hot added any territory to the .dry artfa ftf-'the Dominion; . Tne 1 inevitable ' result ,' of the concession. of a vote -on, Dominion option has been a - reduction! \pi : the v no-license Vote m the' teS-pectVve ; localities, , but a large. number of people-; are shown to favor Dominion prohibition,";' though nothing like the nunibe'r required to give tlie three-fifths majority which' makes an effective polk. The people will be relieved of .the' turmoil; of- hquor contests for the nextythree years. By the time the next. general election : comes round— if one. is- not" held at an' earlier date titan, three years henceyit *ni&y be . possible that 'tlie liquor . referendum * will' be entirely disassociated from politics and that there- will .be' soihe alteVn'ative vote on the ballot papers ' giving the thousands of electors who are convinced that the remedy for the v evils associated with the traffic lies m State .control, some opportunity for" ' expressing their views.