EDEN BY-ELECTION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LII, Issue 17009, 16 April 1926, Page 11

EDEN BY-ELECTION.

LABOR LEADER’S COMMENTS. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. Commenting on the result of the byelection,' the loader of •the. Labor Party, Mr. H. Holland, said if was eminently.satisfactory from the Labor point- of view. “Prior-to the election,” he said, “the Reform Party-stated throughout the electorate that if the seat, was lost it, -would amount, to a vote of noconfidence in the Reform Government, and naturally I agree with that viewpoint. When Mr. Coates made his strong, point*‘that Mr." Mason was elected on a minority vote he seems to have forgotten,-that,his .very large majority in the House at the last general election was also secured on a minority vote, but, iti my opinion, if the. light had been a straight out one between Mr. Mason an«.l Eir James Gun son Mr. Mason would still have won, for if is quite evident that Miss Melville secured a, largo number of-women’s votes, which, iy her absence, would liqve gone to the Labor candidate.

“Again, it was quite evident that within, the electorate itself there was a decided, revulsion against the administration of the Government. .On this occasion tint total vote east was

10,755, while at the general ’ election

it, amounted to over 12,000. It is significant that while, with a heavy reduced total vote the Labor vote fell by, only; 350,,.the, official Reform, candidate ? s .vote, fell by over 3000. From the Labor Party's point of view the election, has had one most, important result —it definitely settles the question as to which, party shall be the official ’