THE GENERAL ELECTION

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 50, 14 December 1905, Page 3

THE GENERAL ELECTION

The General Election, which took place on Wednesday of last week, did not excite that keen interest which was very noticeable on previous occasions, owing to the fact that neither of the two principal political parties had any definite policy to place before the country. The Government relied on what they had done in the past to insure a renewal ol the electors' con-, fidence, whilst the main planks of the programme of the Opposition were vague generalities legarding the alleged extravagance and maladministration of the party in power. That the bulk of the legislation, placed on the Statute Book by the Government during their tenure of oflice, had the approval of the majority of electors was amply demonstrated by the disinclination of the leaders of the Opposition to suggest

that any of it would be repealed were they to come into power. There were no burning questions before r , the electors, and consequently the contests were carried out in the most orderly and decorous manner. A stranger visiting Dunedin on Wednesday would not know that a general election was taking place were he not informed of the fact, so quiet were the streets until the time for the declaration of the polls had arrived. Owing to the legislation of last session dealing with the conduct of elections, the entrance to the booths was free from zealous partisans, who, in former times, pestered voters with directions how to vote, and in raucous voice proclaimed the virtues and' qualifications of (heir candidate and the shortcomings of ' the other fellow.' What was true of Dunedin was also the case in other electorates. As in the case of all such contests, there were many prognostications beforehand as to the result, and on one point all the prophets were agreed, and that was the Ministerial party would be returned with a working majority, but the most sanguine Liberal was not prepared for the overwhelming disaster thaf overtook the Opposition focres. The Government did not lose a single scat in the whole Colony, while many of the strongest and best known of their opponents, such as Sir William Russell, Messrs. Duthie, Buchanan, and Herdman, failed to secure re-election. This was a surprise to many, but the greatest of all was the relegation to private life of Mr. Taylor, the leader of the New Liberals. Mr. Taylor's defeat was decisive and emphatic, and was certainly plain evidence that his tactics dunng the past session did not meet with the approval oS many who were his friends at the previous election. The ' mana 'of the late Mr. George Fisher helped to get Ins son in for one of the Wellington seats, so that impetuous young man, the only representative o£ the New Liberals, who now occupies a somewhat similar position to the sole survivor ot the Nancy Brig, will have an opportunity within the next three years of < making reparation tor his blunders during his briel Parliamentary eareei. Universal regret was expressed at the defeat of Sir William Russell, who, of all men, could be least spared Irom Parliament. He wati aLways courteous, fair-minded, and tolerant — a gentleman in the highest sense of the word, and a general favorite. Many theories have been advanced as to the cause of the overwhelming disaster which befell the Opposition, but the most probable is that the people are quite satisfied with the present Administration, and do not see any*>necessity for change when the Colony in fairly prosperous. Whatever the cause, the fact remains that out of a House of 7U European members the Government have a paity of 50, the Opposition15, with 5 nondescript Liberals, who may be relied on to vote vviih the majority, as is the niannei of railsitteis generally Had Mr Seddon been less experienced and more ambitious, and had he the inclination to be the dictator which his opponents contend he is, such a continuous lease of powei as he has had, and such an emphatic evidence of public conlidcnce as he has just experienced might have turned his head and induced him to believe that he could do no wrong, but he is too shrewd an obseiver of the political baiometer not to know that the multitude are fickle, and the hero of today may be the victim of Ihc people's vvialh on the moriow. Therefore, notwithstanding his great majority and the weakness of the Opposition, it is not likely that he will attempt any alarmist legislation in the., future. The professions and callings of the newly elected members are as follow : Farmers, or persons connected dnectly or indirectly with agricultural or pastoral pursuits, 22 ; lawyers, 10 , newspaper propnetors, 5 , merchants, 5 ; journalists, 1 ; storekeepers, 2 ; general mechanics, 2 ; mechanical engineers, 2 , contractors, 2 ; bootmakers, 2, and one each of the following— timber merchant, sawmillei, hotel propiictor, native interpreter, insurance canvasser, company promoter, landbioker, clerk, dyer, compositor, mercer, stationer's assistant, carpenter, surveyor, manner, mining engineer, school teacher, tinsmith, company director, butcher. As far as we have been able to leant fiom the imperfect biographical sketches published, about 3S of \hd members were born in New Zealand, or arrived in the Colony at a veiy early age, 15 in England, 12 m Scotland, G in Ireland, 2 in India, 2 m Victoiia, 2in Tasmania, and one in each of the following countries— Germany, South Australia, Samoa, Wales. Sixty-three members of the last Parliament secured re-clcclion, whilst of the 13 new members 11 enter Parliament for the first time. The electors of the North Island were evidently more desirous of change in their representatives than those of the South, as they returned 9 new members against 4 by the latter. \

The following members enter Parliament for the first time : Messrs Stallworthy (Kaipara), Poland (Ohinemuri), Poole (Auckland West), Gieenslade (Waikato), Dillon (Hawke's Bay), Ross (Pahiatua), Hogan (Wanganui), Izard (Wellington North), Gray (Christchurch North), Macpherson (Mount Ida), and Malcolm (Qlutha). There "was not a single representative of the Opposition elected in four provincial districts— Hawke's Bay, Taranaki, Nelson and Marlborough, and West Coast ; six are from Auckland, 3 from Canterbury, 3 from Otago, 2 from Wellington, and 1 from Southland. The Government have a majority of 18 over all parties in the North Island, and the same in the South Island. A peculiar feature of the election is that the Government have the same number of followers in the North and South Islands— 2B in each, whilst the Oppositionists and Independent Liberals together number 10 in each case.