1909 Rangitikei by-election

The 1909 Rangitikei by-election was a by-election held during the 17th New Zealand Parliament in the Rangitikei electorate of the North Island. This was the sixth by-election since the Rangitikei electorate was established for the 1861 election. The previous by-election took place in 1892 and the following one took place in 1978. The Second Ballot Act 1908 was in force and in the first ballot, and Frank Hockly of the opposition Reform Party won the first ballot, but Robert William Smith of the governing Liberal Party was ultimately chosen in the second ballot.

1909 Rangitikei by-election

23 September 1909 (1909-09-23)
 
Candidate Robert Smith Frank Hockly
Party Liberal Reform
Popular vote 2,410 2,011
Percentage 54.51 45.49

Member before election

Arthur Remington
Liberal

Elected Member

Robert Smith
Liberal

Background

The by-election was caused after the death of Liberal Party MP Arthur Remington on 17 August 1909.[1] Remington died at his home in Tinakori Road, Wellington, at the age of 53.[2]

Six candidates were announced on 9 September for the by-election: Frank Hockly and George Hutchison were candidates for the opposition, Robert Hornblow was a candidate for Liberal–Labour, James Georgetti was an independent, and Robert Smith and William Meldrum were candidates for the Liberal Party.[3] However, ultimately George Hutchison did not appear on the ballot as he agreed to stand down in the interests of the Reform Party in favour of Hockly.[4]

The Second Ballot Act 1908 was in force and had previously been used for the 1908 election. This was the second by-election where it applied, and the act stipulated that the leading candidate had to obtain an absolute majority of the votes, or else the two highest polling candidates would face each other in a second election. No candidate received an absolute majority in the first ballot on 17 September and consequently a second ballot took place on 23 September.[5]

Results

The following tables give the election results:

First ballot

1909 Rangitikei by-election: First ballot[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Reform Frank Hockly 1,548 37.04
Liberal Robert Smith 1,055 25.25
Liberal William Meldrum 903 21.61
Independent James Georgetti 340 8.14
Liberal–Labour Robert Hornblow 333 7.97
Turnout 4,179

Hockly received a plurality of votes, receiving 1,548 votes of the total of 4,179. Meldrum was expected to receive the votes from those in favour of the Liberal Government,[3] however Smith ultimately came in second place. As no candidate received a majority, a second ballot took place one week later.[5]

Second ballot

1909 Rangitikei by-election: Second ballot[8]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Liberal Robert Smith 2,410 54.51 +29.26
Reform Frank Hockly 2,011 45.49 +8.45
Majority 399 9.03
Turnout 4,421

The second ballot resulted in the return of Liberal candidate Smith, who was elected by a majority of 399 votes. Despite the in-fighting from Government candidates in the first ballot, they stood faithfully in favour of Smith for the second ballot. Thomas Mackenzie, who at the time served as Minister of Agriculture, attributed the victory to "a recognition on the part of the electors that the Government is honestly striving to do its very best in the interests of the country" and took the rural vote of the electorate to be an approval of his ministry's work.[8]

Results by locality

Following are two tables showcasing the detailed results by locality for each of the two ballots.

First ballot[5]
LocalityHockly (Reform)Smith (Liberal)Meldrum (Liberal)Georgetti (Independent)Hornblow (Liberal–Labour)
Votes %Votes %Votes %Votes %Votes %
Aberfeldie1275.0000.00318.7516.2500.00
Awarua222.22444.44222.22111.1100.00
Bell's Junction1434.151946.34614.6312.4412.44
Eastbrook8339.15115.196530.6641.894923.11
Fordell11265.50105.853319.3021.17148.19
Hunterville18138.3581.6925754.45142.97122.54
Kaweka Road450.0000.00450.0000.0000.00
Koeke1330.2312.332251.16511.6324.65
Kakatahi1429.791123.402042.5512.1312.13
Kauangaroa1875.0028.33416.6700.0000.00
Long Acre Valley1356.5214.35939.1300.0000.00
Lower Kawhatau921.43511.90614.291740.48511.90
Mangahoe Road3090.9113.0326.0600.0000.00
Mangamahu4974.2411.521218.1846.0600.00
Mangaonoho2539.0669.383250.0000.0011.56
Mangaweka5216.206119.00257.7911134.587222.43
Manui722.58619.35516.1339.68 1032.26
Marybank5680.0045.711014.2900.0000.00
Mataroa4742.732320.911614.551311.821110.00
Moawhango1531.91919.152042.5536.3800.00
Ngawaka616.222772.9738.1100.0012.70
Ohingaiti5746.723629.511512.30129.8421.64
Okoia8286.3222.1188.4200.0033.16
Otairi3367.3500.001632.6500.0000.00
Pohonui733.3300.001466.6700.0000.00
Polgreen's Corner4282.35611.7635.8800.0000.00
Poukiore3170.4500.001125.0012.2712.27
Pukeokahu721.88412.5026.251959.3800.00
Rangiwaea654.55327.27218.1800.0000.00
Rata4137.614238.532220.1821.8321.83
Ruahine1728.812338.981016.9546.7858.47
Ruanui1550.00723.33413.33413.3300.00
Taihape11316.0340357.169313.19273.83699.79
Taoroa2153.85512.82820.5125.1337.69
Tauakira1372.2215.5615.56316.6700.00
Te Kapua Block930.001446.67723.3300.0000.00
Tiriraukawa1244.44311.11622.22414.8127.41
Toi Toi133.33133.33133.3300.0000.00
Torere11.472435.292130.881623.5368.82
Turangarere Railway station57.944977.78711.1111.5911.59
Turangarere Schoolhouse1945.241945.2449.5200.0000.00
Upokongaro5964.1322.1788.701819.5755.43
Upper Kawhatau2343.401426.4211.891018.8759.43
Upper Turakina Valley1435.9000.002461.5412.5600.00
Utiku2013.796746.21149.661510.342920.00
Wainui1240.001446.67413.3300.0000.00
Wakelin's517.861035.71310.7127.14828.57
Wairepo947.37315.79315.7915.26315.79
Whangaehu3664.2947.141119.6423.5735.36
Winiata1219.052742.86812.701117.4657.94
Total1,54837.041,05525.2590321.613408.143337.97
Second ballot[8]
LocalityHockly (Reform)Smith (Liberal)
Votes %Votes %
Aberfeldie1694.1215.89
Awarua00.004100.00
Bell's Junction2144.682655.32
Bennett's Siding1012.507087.50
Eastbrook15349.5815550.32
Fordell11269.574930.43
Hunterville22347.5524652.45
Kaweka Road675.00225.00
Koeke1945.242354.76
Kakatahi1638.102661.90
Kauangaroa2382.14517.86
Long Acre Valley1372.22527.78
Lower Kawhatau1226.093473.91
Mangahoe Road35100.0000.00
Mangamahu5677.781622.22
Mangaonoho2640.633859.38
Mangaweka8528.4321471.57
Manui1133.332266.67
Marybank7280.001820.00
Mataroa4848.005252.00
Moawhango2653.062346.94
Ngawaka1741.462458.54
Ohingaiti7260.004840.00
Okoia9288.461211.54
Otairi3572.921327.08
Pohonui939.131460.87
Polgreen's Corner5187.93712.07
Poukiore3981.25918.75
Pukeokahu1657.141242.86
Rangiwaea758.33541.67
Rata5647.466252.54
Ruahine1320.005280.00
Ruanui2270.97929.03
Taihape18823.9559776.05
Taoroa2660.471739.53
Tauakira650.00650.00
Te Kapua Block1136.671963.33
Tiriraukawa1450.001450.00
Toi Toi150.00150.00
Torere1216.905983.10
Turangarere Railway station67.507492.50
Turangarere Schoolhouse2252.382047.62
Upokongaro5361.633338.37
Upper Kawhatau2755.102244.90
Upper Turakina Valley1750.001750.00
Utiku5033.569966.44
Wainui1647.061852.94
Wakelin's822.222877.78
Wairepo1050.001050.00
Whangaehu3662.072237.93
Winiata1623.535276.47
Total2,01145.492,41054.51

See also

Notes

  1. Wilson 1985, p. 229.
  2. "Deaths". The Dominion Post. Vol. 2, no. 589. 18 August 1909. p. 4. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  3. "The Rangitikei Seat". Otago Daily Times. No. 14624. 9 September 1909. p. 7. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  4. "Rangitikei Election". The Press. Vol. 65, no. 13526. 13 September 1909. p. 8. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  5. "The Rangitikei By-election". The Wanganui Herald. Vol. 44, no. 12876. 17 September 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  6. "Final Returns". Taranaki Herald. Vol. 55, no. 14012. 17 September 1909. p. 3. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  7. "The Electoral District of Rangitikei". Wanganui Herald. Vol. XXXIV, no. 12873. 13 September 1909. p. 1. Retrieved 16 May 2016.
  8. "The Rangitikei By-election". The Wanganui Herald. Vol. 44, no. 12882. 24 September 1909. p. 5. Retrieved 16 May 2016.

References

  • Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First ed. published 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.
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