The Waikato Electorate Over the Past 27 Years

Waikato Independent, Volume XLV, Issue 6319, 23 November 1949, Page 5

The Waikato Electorate Over the Past 27 Years

INTERESTING HISTORY

While there appears little doubt about the result of the voting in the Waikato electorate on this day week, it is interesting to note that there have been many close contests since the constituency came into being in 1922. In the past 27 years, eight elections have been held, and apart from the last three, all have been won by narrow majorities.

The Waikato electorate existed long j* ■ before 1922, but it was then that the area as at present constituted came into being with the removal of the Hamilton borough to form an electorate of its own. Last year there were alterations to the boundaries of the Waikato electorate, but not to any great extent. At the 1922 election, the first representative of the Hamilton seat was elected. While Hamilton was the new seat, it was Waikato which, more or less, had to establish itself, as Mr J. A. Young (now Sir Alex Young), who had represented Waikato for a number of years, contested and won the Hamilton seat, and new men in the field of politics lined up for the Waikato Stakes. It was an unusual field, in that Mr J. T. Johnson, of Pirongia, and Mr A. G. Dent, of Kawhia, both stood as representatives of the then Massey Government. Mr Johnson was the selected party representative, but Mr Dent claimed that he had not received a fair deal in the choosing of a candidate, and would not withdraw. This was all to the advantage of the Liberal candidate, Mr Fred. Lye, who had come from Taranaki five years previously, and taken up a farm at Fukekura. The result was:— F. Lye (Lib.-Lab.) 2454 J. T. Johnson (G.) 2410 A. G. Dent (G.) 1&56

Majority for Lye

Mr Lye, whose death occurred last month, often admitted it was the split voting that gained him.an entry into Parliament. He proved a worthy representative of the Waikato and served this farming electorate well fqr three terms, although not consecutively. At that election in 1922, there were 7846 names on the roll, and a total of 6450 votes werfe cast. This year there are 14,476 on the Waikato roll. Before the next election took place in 1925, William Massey had died and Gordon Coates had taken over as head of the Government. The party in power held sway, and at the election that year, Mr D. Stewart Reid, ot Ngahinepouri was the Governmenl representative. He was opposed by the sitting member, Mr Lye, and also an Independent, Mr L. C. S. Lawson This was another close contest and the final voting figures were:— D. S. Reid (G.) 3916 ' F. Lye (National) 2998 L. C. S. Lawson (I.) 139 Majority for Reid 918 When the 1928 election came round there were changes in the political outlook, and Mr Lye raised his colours again as a representative of the United Party, against Mr Reid for the existing government, and Mr 1\ Keegan, who represented the newlyformed Country Party. The farmers were not too happy with the existing regime at this stage, and the voting was again split, with Mr Lye regamjng his seat by the following figures: F. Lye (U) 2749 D. S. Reid (G.) 2710 P. Keegan (C.F.> 180 ° Majority for Lye s 7 It was four years before the next election took place, and this time the Coates-Forbes administration had taken on a combined front to call themselves the Coalition-United party. Mr Lye was their representative and was opposed by Mr,S. N. Ziman, who stood in the interests of the Country Party, which had gained some strength in the rural areas. Mr Ziman, a former Rhodes Scholar had high standing in the Cambridge district where he was farming, but he failed to win the seat, although he secured one of the best averages of any of his party representatives. Mr Ziman died last year in London,.following an accident when he fell down the stairs at his home. The result in 1932 was:— F. Lye (C.-U.) 4072 S. N. Ziman (C.P.) 3091 Majority for Lye 3& The political landslide of 1935, when Labour became the Government of Ue country, resulted in Mr Lye losing his seat again, this time to Mr Robert Coulter, of Te Aroha. It was somewhat ironical that Mr Lye should retire from politics on a split vote, just as he had first been elected in 1922. The voting was split with Mr Ziman in the field once move in the interests of the Country Party, and Dr H E. Annett, of Matangi, representing the newly-formed Democrats. 1935 results were:— R. Coulter (L.) f™ F. Lye (N.) - 34 <4 S. N. Ziman (C.P.) 1221 H. E. Annett (D.) '** Majority for Coulter "84 At the 1938 election, Labour remained in power, but lost the Waikato electorate at what was then a record poll. This was Mr W. b.

Goosman's first entry into politics, and he gained majorities at 43 out of the 44 polling places in the electorate over Mr J. W. Neate, of Ngatea. That year Mr Coulter unsuccessfulIly contested the Hauraki seat, being I beaten by Mr J. M. Allen, who was I later killed in action. Mr Coulter won j the Raglan seat in 1943 by 53 votes, I but following Mr Coulter's death in 1946, Mr Hallyburton Johnson regained Raglan for National at the byelection. At the main election the same year Mr Alan Baxter won for Labour by the barest of margins. The Waikato result in 1938 was:— W. S. Goosman (N.) 6009 J. W. Neate (L.) 3718 Majority for Goosman 2291 The 1943 election was notable for the number of candidates in the field and Waikato was no exception, with Mr Goosman opposed by Messrs, C. Croall (Labour), J. Fenniket (Independent) and C. Burke (Democratic Labour). Electors left no doubt as to the result, Mr Goosman winning with the greatest majority in the history of the seat. The final figures were:— W. S. Goosman (N.) 7454 C. Croal (L.) :. 2839 J. W. Periniket (I.) 472 C. Burke (D.L.) 308 Majority for Goosman 4615

In 1946, the election was a clear-cut issue between National and Labour, and although the latter retained the treasury benches, Mr G. F. Sim, who represented the National party in the Waikato, gained another large major ity over Mr John Dwyer. Mr Sim had previously held the Rotorua seat, but with changes in the electoral boundaries he transferred to Waikato, and Mi Goosman contested the Piako seat gaining a majority of 5001 votes over Mr E. A. Waters. The Waikato result was: — G. F. Sim (N.) 8,782 J. Dwyer (L.) 4,397 Majority for Sim 4,385 This year the election is again clear cut, and on the trend of voting in recent years, it would appear that Mi Sim will retain the Waikato seat for the National Party against Mr J. E. Burfitt, Labour. The election is being contested in a very friendly spirit.