The Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1925. UNPARALLELED ELECTION RESULTS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17698, 19 November 1925, Page 6

The Star. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 1925. UNPARALLELED ELECTION RESULTS.

The keen public interest displayed in the result of the Lyttelton election is typified in the letter of an old subscriber and contributor to the “ Star ” —a resident of Christchurch North, by the way—who writes this morning to find an outlet for his thanks that his prayers have been answered in connection with the election. It is safe to pay that no election count for many years has aroused anything like the interest evinced in the Lyttelton count, and the result is quite as spectacular as the most captious critic could conceive. A tie has never before occurred in New Zealand politics—and on that score, by the way, questions of precedent can have no weight—but not only has the unexpected happened in Lyttelton, but the same thing has happened in Westland, and, to make the coincidence more startling, the two results have been announced on the same day, a fortnight after the poll. The mind at once seeks p parallel to this remarkable coincidence, but it is very hard to find one. Not long ago the unique case was reported of two ladies, teeing off at golf, who each managed to hole out in one. But even this is not so amazing as the Lyttelton-Westland phenomenon. There arc millions of golfers playing the game daily, and the act of doing a hole in one stroke is not in itself rare. But an election occurs only' once in three years, and there are only seventy-six European scats to be filled, so that the occurrence of even one tie, let alone two, is so remote as to be written down as next door to impossible. The Lyttelton-Westland record, therefore, is likely to stand as long as single-member constituencies endure, and it will always be talked of whenever election time comes round. It may have the useful effect, too, of inducing, indifferent electors to go to the poll. On this subject, indeed, some interesting variations may be disclosed, if as seems possible, one or other of the two elections should be upset. However, there is a magisterial recount to come first, and therefore interest in both elections is likely to be sustained for quite a long time yet.

Much is being said regarding the abolition of submarines, following on the several disasters that have occurred in recent months, but it is fairly safe to predict that these unfortunate mishaps will not have the result of causing the abandonment of this type of sea-craft altogether. Submarines have now hecn in use for a considerable number of years and have been through a war, in which their worth was proved, yet considering the number of these vessels laid down there have been very few disasters. Under-water craft are, as yet, in their infancy, and it would 1 be a dangerous decision, if their possibilities are taken into consideration, to decide to dispense with them. They arc in much the same state of popularity at present as the airship, but who would urge the abandonment of the building of this form of aircraft'? Disasters such as have occurred in the past few months in both the air and the sea arc due to structural defects, which can no doubt be remedied. But the goal striven for is far too attractive, too alluring, in a sense, to make probable an abandonment of the research which the great civilised nations are carrying on.