1908 New Zealand general election

Last updated

1908 New Zealand general election
Flag of New Zealand.svg
  1905 17 November to 2 December 1908 1911  

All 80 seats in the New Zealand House of Representatives
41 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout79.8%
 First partySecond partyThird party
  Joseph Ward c. 1906.jpg William Ferguson Massey, 1905.jpg David McLaren.jpg
Leader Joseph Ward William Massey David McLaren
Party Liberal Conservative Ind. Labour League
Leader since 6 August 1906 11 September 19031908
Leader's seat Awarua Franklin Wellington East
Last election58 seats16 seats0 seats
Seats won50261
Seat changeDecrease2.svg 8Increase2.svg 10Increase2.svg 1
Popular vote315,220149,28616,974
Percentage58.7%27.8%3.1%
SwingIncrease2.svg 5.6%Decrease2.svg 1.9%Increase2.svg 2.3%

1908 New Zealand general election - Results.svg
Results of the election.

Prime Minister before election

Joseph Ward
Liberal

Subsequent Prime Minister

Joseph Ward
Liberal

The 1908 New Zealand general election was held on Tuesday, 17 and 24 November and 1 December in the general electorates, and on Wednesday, 2 December in the Māori electorates to elect a total of 80 MPs to the 17th session of the New Zealand Parliament. A total number of 537,003 (79.8%) voters turned out to vote. [1]

Contents

Changes to the electoral law

The Second Ballot Act 1908 provided for second or runoff ballots between the top two candidates where the top candidate did not get an absolute majority. The second ballot was held 7 days after the first ballot except in 10 large rural seats, where 14 days were allowed. In 1908, 22 second ballots were held on 24 November and 1 (Bay of Plenty) on 1 December. At the 1911 election, all 30 second ballots were held 7 days later. [2] Two 1909 by-elections (in Rangitikei and Thames) also required second ballots.

The Second Ballot Act of 1908, which did not apply to the Maori electorates, was repealed in 1913.

Summary of results

Party totals

The following table gives party strengths and vote distribution. [3]

1908 nz parliament.svg
Election results
PartyCandidatesTotal votesPercentageSeats wonChange
Liberal 108315,22058.750-8
Conservative 53149,28627.826+10
Ind. Labour League 1116,9743.11+1
Socialist 52,5210.60±0
Independent 4550,4789.43-1

Votes summary

Popular Vote
Liberal
58.7%
Conservative
27.8%
Ind. Labour League
3.1%
Socialist
0.6%
Independents
9.4%
Parliament seats
Liberal
62.50%
Conservative
32.50%
Ind. Labour League
1.25%
Independents
3.75%

Electorate results

The following are the results of the 1908 general election:

Key

  Liberal   Conservative   Ind. Labour League   Independent Liberal   Liberal–Labour   Independent

Electorate results for the 1908 New Zealand general election [4]
ElectorateIncumbentWinnerMajorityRunner up
General electorates [nb 1]
Ashburton John McLachlan William Nosworthy 747† Frederick Flatman
Auckland Central Alfred Kidd Albert Glover 2,540 Alfred Kidd
Auckland East Frederick Baume 1,096William Richardson
Auckland West Charles Poole 1,455 Robert Thompson
Avon William Tanner George Warren Russell 541† William Tanner
Awarua Joseph Ward 2,183William Morris
Bay of Islands Robert Houston Vernon Reed 265John Charles Johnson
Bay of Plenty William Herries William MacDonald 446† James Gow
Bruce James Allen 1,393Joseph Mosley
Buller James Colvin 997Fergus Ferguson Munro
Chalmers Edmund Allen Edward Henry Clark 226 Edmund Allen
Christchurch East Thomas Davey 1,666 James McCombs
Christchurch North Charles Gray Tommy Taylor 1,698 Charles Gray
Christchurch South Harry Ell [nb 2] 1,273 Jim Thorn
Clutha Alexander Malcolm 1,799 Frank Isitt
Dunedin Central John A. Millar James Arnold 1,512 John McDonald
Dunedin North Alfred Barclay George Thomson 6 Alfred Barclay
Dunedin South James Arnold Thomas Sidey 1,830 Robert Rutherford Douglas
Dunedin West New electorate John A. Millar 2,447 Jim Munro
Eden John Bollard 2,164John Shackelford
Egmont William Thomas Jennings Bradshaw Dive 249George Wake
Ellesmere Heaton Rhodes 902George Rennie
Franklin William Massey 1,187John McLarin
Geraldine Frederick Flatman Thomas Buxton 92William Jeffries
Gisborne New electorate James Carroll 734George Darton
Grey Arthur Guinness 1,115James Kerr [nb 3]
Grey Lynn George Fowlds 889Oliver Nicholson
Hawke's Bay Alfred Dillon 704 William Russell
Hurunui Andrew Rutherford George Forbes 597Obed Clothier
Hutt Thomas Wilford 1,538Richard Shortt
Invercargill Josiah Hanan 848Arthur Paape
Kaiapoi David Buddo 77 Richard Moore
Kaipara John Stallworthy 283 Alfred Harding
Lyttelton George Laurenson 803 Henry Thacker
Manawatu John Stevens Edward Newman 585 John Stevens
Manukau Frederic Lang 1,369Alfred Creamer
Marsden Francis Mander 704James Harrison
Masterton Alexander Hogg 1,248John Hunter
Mataura Robert McNab George Anderson 366 Robert McNab
Motueka Roderick McKenzie 1,501Frederick Smith
Napier Alfred Fraser Vigor Brown 1,035 Alfred Fraser
Nelson John Graham 14 Harry Atmore
Oamaru Thomas Young Duncan 613James Mitchell
Ohinemuri Hugh Poland 692†Frederick Haselden
Oroua Frank Lethbridge David Guthrie 941Owen Pleasants
Otaki William Hughes Field William Hughes Field 93Byron Brown
Pahiatua Robert Beatson Ross 264James Cooper
Palmerston William Wood David Buick 81† William Wood
Parnell Frank Lawry 219 Edward George Britton Moss
Patea Walter Symes George Pearce 252 Charles E. Major
Rangitikei Arthur Remington 158 Robert William Smith
Riccarton George Witty 1,600George Sheat
Selwyn Charles Hardy 383 Joseph Ivess
Stratford New electorate John Hine 724 Walter Symes
Taranaki Henry Okey 1,295 William Malone
Taieri Donald Reid Thomas Mackenzie 521John Thomas Johnson
Taumarunui New electorate William Thomas Jennings 1,850William Bowater
Tauranga New electorate William Herries 1,303James Alexander Young
Thames James McGowan 2,100Ernest Deeble
Timaru William Hall-Jones James Craigie 380†William David Campbell
Tuapeka William Chapple Robert Scott 697† John MacPherson
Wairarapa J. T. Marryat Hornsby Walter Clarke Buchanan 136 J. T. Marryat Hornsby
Wairau Charles H. Mills John Duncan 252 Robert McArtney
Waikato Henry Greenslade 493 Allen Bell
Waipawa Charles Hall 50 George Hunter
Waitaki William Steward 329 Francis Henry Smith
Waitemata Ewen Alison Leonard Phillips 903† William Joseph Napier
Wakatipu William Fraser 1,151Andrew Martin
Wallace John Charles Thomson 1,346Dugald MacPherson
Wanganui James Thomas Hogan 742† George Hutchison
Wellington Central Francis Fisher 143 Thomas Hislop
Wellington East John Aitken David McLaren 427† Arthur Atkinson
Wellington North Charles Hayward Izard Alexander Herdman 826†Frederick Bolton
Wellington South New electorate Robert Wright 558† William Barber
Wellington Suburbs New electorate John Luke 1,148†John Edward Fitzgerald
Westland Tom Seddon 110 Henry Michel
Māori electorates [nb 4]
Eastern Maori Āpirana Ngata 3,010Tiki Paaka
Northern Maori Hone Heke 1,045Hare te Rangi
Southern Maori Tame Parata 7 Teone Hopere Wharewiti Uru
Western Maori Henare Kaihau 757 Pepene Eketone

Table footnotes:

  1. † in Majority column depicts electorates in which a second ballot was held.
  2. Harry Ell was previously associated with the Liberal Party.
  3. For some biographical details of James Kerr refer to his father's article
  4. The affiliation of many of the Māori candidates is unknown or uncertain; note that the Second Ballot Act 1908 did not apply to Māori constituencies.

Summary of changes

Notes

  1. "General elections 1853–2005 – dates & turnout". Elections New Zealand. Archived from the original on 14 November 2014. Retrieved 12 January 2011.
  2. McLintock, A. H. (1966). "Second Ballot System (1908–13)". An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. Retrieved 1 August 2013.
  3. Wilson 1985, pp. 287–289.
  4. "The General Election, 1908". National Library. 1909. pp. 1–34. Retrieved 14 April 2012.

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References