SIXTH ELECTION.

Thames Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 17973, 23 August 1930, Page 5

SIXTH ELECTION.

THE WAIPAWA SEAT. A Tragic Parliament. UNPRECEDENTED EVENTS. AN EXTRAORDINARY POSITION. Death has taken a heavy toll of members elected to the House of Representatives at the last general election in November, 1928, and Sir George Hunter, who died recently, was the third legislator to pass away since then. By a remarkable coincidence all of them have been men who had received Knighthoods from the Sovereign for distinguished services. Sir Joseph Ward and Sir Maui Pomare predeceased Sir George Hunter, all passing away within an interval of six weeks.

Sir George Hunter's death wlil necessitate the sixth by-election since the general election. Those with an encyclopaedic knowledge of New Zealand's politics can remember no previous occasion of so great a number having been precipitated, in a period extending a little over 18 months. The first by-elec-tion was**brought about as the result of an Election Court invalidating the poll for the Bay of Islands constituency on the ground of irregularities in the voting, the outcome being the return of Captain H. M. Rushworth. The resignation of Sir (then Mr) Thomas Wilford on his appointment to the post of High Commissioner for New Zealand in London necessitated the second to select a representative for the Hutt seat. This resulted in the return of Mr W. Nash.

The resignation of Mr H. R. Jenkins as member for Parnell, due to dissatisfaction with the methods of the United Party, brought about the third election, at which Mr W. P. Endean was elected. The by-elec-tion at Invercargill was necessitated as a result of the death of Sir Joseph Ward, the voting resulting in the return of the deceased statesman's son, Mr Vincent Ward, who is expected to take his seat in the House immediately the writ is returned.

In the ordinary course of events the by-election in the Western Maori seat to fill the vacancy in Parliament caused through the death of Sir Maui Pomare would have probably taken place before that at Invercargill. A contingency' unprovided for in the Electoral Act—the absence of provision for issuing the writ in the ease of a death taking place outside New Zealand —has" caused delay in electing a Sir Maui. Officially Sir Maui Pomare is still alive, and when the by-election is to be held is still somewhat indefinite.

At the general election for Waipawa Sir George Hunter had a majority of 1860 over; the United Party candidate; The voting was: Sir George Hunter, 3983; Goodyear (U.), 2123; Kent (L.) 1362.