WIDER MAJORITY

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22492, 30 October 1944, Page 4

WIDER MAJORITY

NATIONAL VICTORY

BY=ELECTION IN AWARUA MR HERRON NEW MEMBER INVERCARGILL, Sunday In one of the most interesting and keenly-fought by-elections for many years the National Party retained the Awarua seat on Saturday by a big majority. The returns gave an early indication that the National Party candidate, Mr George R. Herron, had received wide support, and when the final return came in at 8.40 p.m. he had a clear majority over the Labour candidate, Mr L. O’Sullivan, of 2101 votes. The Real Democracy candidate, Mr R. J. Henderson, polled only 249 votes and forfeited his deposit. Details of Voting The final figures in New Zealand and overseas were:— G. R. Herron (Nat.) .. 4659 L. O’Sullivan (Lab.) .. 2558 R. J. Henderson (R.D.) 249 Majority for Herron .. 2101 When the seat was last contested, at the general election in 1938, the sitting member, Brigadier James Hargest, was returned with a majority of 660 over the Labour candidate, Mr J. A. Beck.

Mr Herron gained a majority at 46 out of the 49 centres at which votes were recorded. The three exceptions were Bluff, Greenhills and Halfmoon Bay, the Labour candidate having a majority at these centres. Labour also had a majority at these centres in 1938, but on Saturday those majorities were reduced considerably. At Bluff the majority of 507 in 1938 was reduced to 250, at Greenhills the 1938 figure of 54 was reduced to 46, and at Halfmoon Bay the majority of 43 in 1938 was reduced to 9. The National candidate also received more support at many other centres, including Winton and Waikiwi, than at the 1938 contest. The voting at Winton in 1938 gave the National candidate a majority of two votes; on Saturday the National majority at that centre was 165. At Waikiwi Labour had a majority of 86 votes in 1938;, on Saturday the National majority was 62.

The poll was not a large one, a total of 7458 votes being cast. The number on the roll is 10,849. There was a heavy poll in Awarua at the general election In 1938, when 9788 valid votes were cast, the number on the roll being 10,379. Soldiers’ votes also, showed a majority for Mr Herron, the voting being:—Herron, 44; O’Sullivan, 37; Henderson, 2. Absentee votes included in Saturday’s figures totalled 86. About 100 absentee votes are yet to be counted. Considerable interest was shown in the returns at Winton, headquarters of'the electorate. The final results were received with much satisfaction by National Party supporters.