GENERAL ELECTION

Star (Christchurch), Issue 16911, 9 December 1922, Page 13

GENERAL ELECTION

THE LATEST RETURNS. SEVERAL SEATS YET IN DOUBT. The posittSMX in regard to several seats is not yet definite. At Oam&ru Mr J. A. Macpherson now Is leading the Hon E. P. Lee by one vote, but 267 absent votes have to bo accounted for. Mr W. J. Jordan is an official Labour candidate, and he increase* the Labour representation in the House to seventeen. Mr S. G. Smith is classified as a Liberal, leaving the state of parties a 3 follows : REFORM (38) ÜBERAL (24) LABOUR (17) “Hon J. G. Coates •A- Bell J. A. Le® *A. Harris A. J. Murdoch *M. J. Savage *Hon. C. J. Parr *H. Poland *W. E. Parry •V. H. Potter F- Lye *F. N. Bartram •J. S. Dickson G. McKay L. Mcllvride *Rt. Hon. W. F. Massey E. A. Ransom F. Langston •R. F. Bollard *R. Masters *P. Fraser •T. W. Rhodes J- R. Corrigan A. L. Monteith •Sir William Herries *W. A. Veitch R. McKees •J. A. Young *T. M. Wilford *H. E. Holland *F. F Flunk 1V il Atmore J. O’Brien •K. S. Williams *G. W. Forbes H. T. Armstrong J. C. Roileston Hon. D. Buddo *E. J. Howard *W. D. Lysnar *L. M. Isitt “D. G. Sullivan •Sir George Hunter *G. Witty “J. McCombs *G- R. Sykes -T. A. Macpherson. •J. W. Munro *A. D. McLeod ’T. K. Sidey W. J. Jorda* •O. J. Hawken "J- Edie •Hon. D. H. Guthrie '“J- Horn J. Linklater J. C. Thomson •W. S. Glenn •Hon. J. A. Hanan •J. A. Nash P. <l® Fa Perelle *W. H. Field "Hon. A. T. Ngata •Sir John Luke * S «• Smith •R. A. Wright •R. P. Hudson W. J. Girling •Sir R. Heaton Rhodes •Hon. W. Nosworthy •T D. Burnett*" INDEPENDENT (1) *J. Bitchener *Hon. W. D. Stewart *C. E. Statham *J. M. Dickson * Hon. G. J. Anderson *H. W. Uru *Sir M. Pomare *T. Henare * Denotes Member of Last Parliament.

LATEST RESULTS.

WAIRAU. W. B. Girling (8,.) . . 8932 *R. M’Callum (L.) , . 3726 PAHIATUA. Of the absent voters’ permits, seventy-five votes have neon cast for Ransom and fifty-five for M’Nicol. Ransom is now leading by 47 votes, but there are other permits to come. The position is : A. 3D. Ransom CL.) 3511 A. M’Xiool (R). . . 3434 KAIAPOI. No change in the position of the j Kaiapoi candidates has been revealed ; by the checking of the returns. The official count is in progress, and it is ! anticipated that it will he completed to-day with the exception of the abj rent voters’ permits. There are 135 per- | mits to com© in, and it is anticipated j that these will not have been dealt with, and the final position made known until "Wednesday next "Meanwhile the position of the two leading candidates is:— D. Buddo (Lib.) . * . 3.252 D. Jones (R.) - . . 3,207 RICCARTON. There has been no alteration in the result of the Riccarton election and Mr Witty still has a lead of 234 votes over Mr * Kyle, with 161 absent votes and five seamen’s votes to be counted. The scrntiny of the rolls has been com- i pieted and the official count will be i commenoed this afternoon. THE CITY SEATS. The official counts in the city electorates are proceeding, but it will be . INiesday, or probably Wednesday, be- j for© the final position is definitely known. Tn Avon there are 313 absent voters’ j permits to be dealt with. The position in this electorate is, however, beyond doubt. In Christchurch South there are 240 absentee votes to be handled. The j official count of the votes commenced 1 to-day. A notable feature of this ©lection has been the small number of informal votes cast, and the returning officers had very little difficulty in seeing the position at a glance. Not one voter in a hundred mad© the mistake of placing a cross opposite a name instead of crossing out the names not i \: anted. The Christchurch North count is proceeding but the exact position is not likely to be known before Wednesday.

REFORM MINISTERS.

REDUCED MAJORITIES. Of nine Reform Cabinet Ministers only one succeeded in increasing his majority over the number of votes polled by the next candidate in the list. The following is a comparative | table : 1919. 1922. majority, majority. Hon J. G. Coates . 3.291 2.413 Hon C. J Parr . 1,854 1,495 Right Hon W F Mikssev . 3,030 2,639 Hem D. H. Guthrie 1.848 42 Sir R. H. Rhodes . 749 751 Hon W. N osworthv . 1,493 1,314 | Hon E. P. Lee 276 Hon G. J. Anderson 1/276 1,064 Bon W D. Stewart . 2,421 1,062 * —Minority. I

CHANGES IN OTAGO. LIBERAL SUCCESSES. (Special to the “ Star.”) DUNEDIN, December 9. To the surprise of many shrewd campaign era, Otago has swung definitely from Reform to Liberalism In the last Parliament there were seven Reform members, four Liberal members, cne Labour member and one independent. In the next Parliament, on present figures, there will be three Reform members, seven Liberal members, on© Labour member, and one independent. One seat, Bruce, formerly held by a Liberal member has been wiped out.

THE POLITICAL TANGLE.

MR WITTY’S VIEWS. “ The political situation is most interesting and it appears fairly certain that Mr Massey will find himself in a minority of two at least when the final results are known,” said Mr George Witty, M.P.. this morning. .Mr Witty said lie was inclined to think that with the exception of the Oamaru seat, where Mr Macpherson was leading by one vote, the foremost candidates in the doubtful seats would be elected because the absent votes were usually fairly evenly distributed. T nder the circumstances it looked as though Mr Massey’s best way out of bis difficulty would be to endeavour to persuade a member of the opposition to accept the vacant speakership. That would have the effect of reducing the strength of the opposition and consolidating the Government members. MR ELL AND MR HOWARD. Referring to certain remarks made by Mr E. J. Howard frpm the platform on Thursday night. Mr H. G. Ell stated last night that he regarded, the references to himself as a gross personal insult and he intended to make an early reply. (Mr Howard said he was glad “FJI was beaten to a frazzle because he tried to do Mr M’CWibs out of bis job at the last election.”)

LOST DEPOSITS.

MR J. VIGOR BROWN IN THE LIST. Nineteen candidates at Thursday’s j general election will forfeit their £lO i deposit. They failed to secure one- ! quarter of the total number of votes I secured l>v the successful candidate in J The following is the list : W. D. Adams, Manukati, 295 votes, i J. Piggot. Raglan, 23 votes. A. .J. Whiteside, Thames. 8 votes. C. Rafferty, Hamilton. .592 votes. O. 11. Chapman, Hawke’s Bay, 955 votes. J. Vigor Brown, Napier, 88(5 votes. G. Twoedie, Taranaki, 29 votes. J. Ross. Wanganui. 728 votes. G. Goldfinch, Waimarino, 494 votes. J. Flyger, Manawatu, 755 votes. E. S. Montgomerie, Rangitikei, 763 votes. V. Christensen, Palmerston, 539 votes Mrs A. M’ Vicar. Wellington East ! 383 votes. J. D. Lynch, Westland, 529 votes. R. D Martin, Kaiapoi, 719 votes. R. M. Thomson, Christchurch South 76 votes. F. R Needham. Temuka. 29 votes. W. S. Maslin Dunedin Central, 346 votes. M. M’lntyre. Awarua, 145 votes.