The By-Election.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 19036, 3 April 1930, Page 6

The By-Election.

To the Editor. Dear Sir,—ln your leader you suggest that the by-election result is a vote of noconfidence in the present administration. I suggest that the boot is on the other foot. The very result proves that, even though Mr Jones has won on the number of votes cast, what of the other 30,000? The 30,000 non-voters were so positively certain that Mr Armstrong would win that they did not bother to register their votes. Had they been opposed to the present Administration they most certainly would have voted. It is simply apathy on the part of the majority; had 30,000 votes been cast Mr Armstrong would have won by 9000 votes. Looking at the result from individual polling booths, the party to whom the non-voters belong is obvious to anyone. I anticipated the result, but was rather surprised to find so many votes cast. I expected about 8000. Mr Armstrong would score twice that number in a City Council election to-morrow; but a by-election is byby. The result is disheartening, not due so much to the result as to the fact that so many eligible to vote failed to record, one way or the other. Had there been a complete debacle, the result would have been more satisfactory to every citizen and public man in Christchurch. Now we don’t know where we stand.—l am, etc., F. KELSO This letter is referred to editorially.