The New Zealand general election of 1908 was held on Tuesday, 17 November, 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]
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 seven days after the first ballot except in ten large rural seats, where fourteen days were allowed. In 1908, 22 second ballots were held on 24 November and one (Bay of Plenty) on 1 December. At the 1911 election, all 30 second ballots were held seven 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The Second Ballot Act of 1908, which did not apply to the Maori electorates, was repealed in 1913.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
Summary of resultsResults
The following are the results of the 1908 general election:
Key
Liberal Opposition Ind. Labour League Independent Liberal Liberal-Labour Independent
Electorate results for the New Zealand general election, 1908[3]
| Electorate |
Incumbent |
Winner |
Majority |
Runner up |
| General electorates[nb 1] |
| Ashburton |
|
John McLachlan |
|
William Nosworthy |
|
|
Frederick Flatman |
| Auckland Central |
|
Alfred Kidd |
|
Albert Glover |
|
|
Alfred Kidd |
| Auckland East |
|
Frederick Baume |
|
|
William Richardson |
| Auckland West |
|
Charles Poole |
|
|
Robert Thompson |
| Avon |
|
William Tanner |
|
George Warren Russell |
541† |
|
William Tanner |
| Awarua |
|
Joseph Ward |
2,183 |
|
William Morris |
| Bay of Islands |
|
Robert Houston |
|
Vernon Reed |
265 |
|
John Charles Johnson |
| Bay of Plenty |
|
William Herries |
|
William MacDonald |
|
|
James Gow |
| Bruce |
|
James Allen |
1,393 |
|
Joseph Mosley |
| Buller |
|
James Colvin |
|
|
Fergus Ferguson Munro |
| Chalmers |
|
Edmund Allen |
|
Edward Henry Clark |
|
|
Edmund Allen |
| Christchurch North |
|
Charles Gray |
|
Tommy Taylor |
|
|
Charles Gray |
| Christchurch South |
|
Harry Ell[nb 2] |
1,273 |
|
Jim Thorn |
| Clutha |
|
Alexander Malcolm |
|
|
Frank Isitt |
| Dunedin Central |
|
John A. Millar |
|
James Frederick Arnold |
|
|
John McDonald |
| Dunedin North |
|
Alfred Barclay |
|
George Thomson |
|
|
Alfred Barclay |
| Dunedin South |
|
James Frederick Arnold |
|
Thomas Sidey |
1,830 |
|
Robert Rutherford Douglas |
| Dunedin West |
(new electorate) |
|
John A. Millar |
2,447 |
|
James Wright Munro |
| Eden |
|
John Bollard |
|
|
John Shackelford |
| Egmont |
|
William Thomas Jennings |
|
Bradshaw Dive |
|
|
George Wake |
| Ellesmere |
|
Heaton Rhodes |
|
|
George Rennie |
| Franklin |
|
William Massey |
1,187 |
|
John McLarin |
| Geraldine |
|
Frederick Flatman |
|
Thomas Buxton |
|
|
William Jeffries |
| Gisborne |
(new electorate) |
|
James Carroll |
|
|
George Darton |
| Grey |
|
Arthur Guinness |
|
|
James Kerr[nb 3] |
| Grey Lynn |
|
George Fowlds |
|
|
Oliver Nicholson |
| Hawke's Bay |
|
Alfred Dillon |
704 |
|
William Russell |
| Hurunui |
|
Andrew Rutherford |
|
George Forbes |
597 |
|
Obed Clothier |
| Hutt |
|
Thomas Wilford |
1,538 |
|
Richard Shortt |
| Invercargill |
|
Josiah Hanan |
848 |
|
Arthur Paape |
| Kaiapoi |
|
David Buddo |
|
|
Richard Moore |
| Kaipara |
|
John Stallworthy |
|
|
Alfred Harding |
| Lyttelton |
|
George Laurenson |
|
|
Henry Thacker |
| Manawatu |
|
John Stevens |
|
Edward Newman |
|
|
John Stevens |
| Manukau |
|
Frederic Lang |
|
|
Alfred Creamer |
| Marsden |
|
Francis Mander |
|
|
James Harrison |
| Masterton |
|
Alexander Hogg |
|
|
John Hunter |
| Mataura |
|
Robert McNab |
|
George Anderson |
|
|
Robert McNab |
| Motueka |
|
Roderick McKenzie |
|
|
Frederick Smith |
| Napier |
|
Alfred Fraser |
|
Vigor Brown |
1,035 |
|
Alfred Fraser |
| Nelson |
|
John Graham |
14 |
|
Harry Atmore |
| Oamaru |
|
Thomas Young Duncan |
|
|
James Mitchell |
| Ohinemuri |
|
Hugh Poland |
† |
|
Frederick Haselden |
| Oroua |
|
Frank Lethbridge |
|
David Guthrie |
|
|
Owen Pleasants |
| Otaki |
|
William Hughes Field |
|
William Hughes Field |
|
|
Byron Brown |
| Palmerston |
|
William Wood |
|
David Buick |
† |
|
William Wood |
| Patea |
|
Walter Symes |
|
George Pearce |
|
|
Charles E. Major |
| Rangitikei |
|
Arthur Remington |
|
|
Robert William Smith |
| Riccarton |
|
George Witty |
|
|
George Sheat |
| Selwyn |
|
Charles Hardy |
|
|
Joseph Ivess |
| Stratford |
(new electorate) |
|
John Hine |
|
|
Walter Symes |
| Taieri |
|
Donald Reid |
|
Thomas Mackenzie |
|
|
John Thomas Johnson |
| Taumarunui |
(new electorate) |
|
William Thomas Jennings |
|
|
William Bowater |
| Tauranga |
(new electorate) |
|
William Herries |
|
|
James Alexander Young |
| Thames |
|
James McGowan |
|
|
Ernest Deeble |
| Timaru |
|
William Hall-Jones |
|
James Craigie |
† |
|
William David Campbell |
| Tuapeka |
|
William Chapple |
|
Robert Scott |
† |
|
John MacPherson |
| Wairarapa |
|
J. T. Marryat Hornsby |
|
Walter Clarke Buchanan |
|
|
J. T. Marryat Hornsby |
| Wairau |
|
Charles H. Mills |
|
John Duncan |
|
|
Robert McArtney |
| Waitaki |
|
William Steward |
|
|
Francis Henry Smith |
| Wakatipu |
|
William Fraser |
|
|
Andrew Martin |
| Pahiatua |
|
Robert Beatson Ross |
|
|
James Cooper |
| Parnell |
|
Frank Lawry |
219 |
|
Edward George Britton Moss |
| Taranaki |
|
Henry Okey |
|
|
William Malone |
| Waikato |
|
Henry Greenslade |
493 |
|
Allen Bell |
| Waipawa |
|
Charles Hall |
50 |
|
George Hunter |
| Waitemata |
|
Ewen Alison |
|
Leonard Phillips |
903† |
|
William Joseph Napier |
| Wallace |
|
John Charles Thomson |
|
|
Dugald MacPherson |
| Wanganui |
|
James Thomas Hogan |
742† |
|
George Hutchison |
| Wellington Central |
|
Francis Fisher |
143 |
|
Thomas Hislop |
| Wellington East |
|
John Aitken |
|
David McLaren |
427† |
|
Arthur Richmond Atkinson |
| Wellington North |
|
Charles Hayward Izard |
|
Alexander Herdman |
† |
|
Frederick Bolton |
| Wellington South |
(new electorate) |
|
Robert Alexander Wright |
† |
|
William Barber |
| Wellington Suburbs |
(new electorate) |
|
John Luke |
1,148† |
|
John Edward Fitzgerald |
| Westland |
|
Tom Seddon |
|
|
Henry Michel |
| Māori electorates[nb 4] |
| Eastern Maori |
|
Apirana Ngata |
|
|
Tiki Paaka |
| Northern Maori |
|
Hone Heke |
|
|
Hare te Rangi |
| Southern Maori |
|
Tame Parata |
|
|
Teone Hopere Wharewiti Uru |
| Western Maori |
|
Henare Kaihau |
757 |
|
Pepene Eketone |
Table footnotes:
- ↑ † in Majority column depicts electorates in which a second ballot was held.
- ↑ Harry Ell was previously associated with the Liberal Party.
- ↑ For some biographical details of James Kerr refer to his father's article
- ↑ 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
- A boundary redistribution resulted in the abolition of seven seats:
- At the same time, seven new seats came into being:
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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