# 1908 New Zealand general election

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.

## 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. 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The Second Ballot Act of 1908, which did not apply to the Maori electorates, was repealed in 1913.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.
Election results :
| Party | Candidates | Total votes | Percentage | Seats won | Change |
| Liberal | 108 | 315,220 | 58.7 | 50 | -8 |
| Conservative | 53 | 149,286 | 27.8 | 26 | +10 |
| Ind. Labour League | 11 | 16,974 | 3.1 | 1 | +1 |
| Socialist | 5 | 2,521 | 0.6 | 0 | ±0 |
| Independent | 45 | 50,478 | 9.4 | 3 | -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 :
| Electorate | Incumbent | Incumbent | Winner | Winner | Majority | Runner up |
| General electorates ||||||||
| Ashburton | | John McLachlan | | William Nosworthy | 747† | Frederick Flatman |
| Auckland Central | | Alfred Kidd | | Albert Glover | 2,540 | Alfred Kidd |
| Auckland East | | Frederick Baume | Frederick Baume | Frederick Baume | 1,096 | William Richardson |
| Auckland West | | Charles Poole | Charles Poole | Charles Poole | 1,455 | Robert Thompson |
| Avon | | William Tanner | | George Warren Russell | 541† | William Tanner |
| Awarua | | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | Joseph Ward | 2,183 | William Morris |
| Bay of Islands | | Robert Houston | | Vernon Reed | 265 | John Charles Johnson |
| Bay of Plenty | | William Herries | | William MacDonald | 446† | James Gow |
| Bruce | | James Allen | James Allen | James Allen | 1,393 | Joseph Mosley |
| Buller | | James Colvin | James Colvin | James Colvin | 997 | Fergus Ferguson Munro |
| Chalmers | | Edmund Allen | | Edward Henry Clark | 226 | Edmund Allen |
| Christchurch East | | Thomas Davey | Thomas Davey | Thomas Davey | 1,666 | James McCombs |
| Christchurch North | | Charles Gray | | Tommy Taylor | 1,698 | Charles Gray |
| Christchurch South | | Harry Ell | Harry Ell | Harry Ell | 1,273 | Jim Thorn |
| Clutha | | Alexander Malcolm | Alexander Malcolm | 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 | New electorate | | John A. Millar | 2,447 | Jim Munro |
| Eden | | John Bollard | John Bollard | John Bollard | 2,164 | John Shackelford |
| Egmont | | William Thomas Jennings | | Bradshaw Dive | 249 | George Wake |
| Ellesmere | | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | Heaton Rhodes | 902 | George Rennie |
| Franklin | | William Massey | William Massey | William Massey | 1,187 | John McLarin |
| Geraldine | | Frederick Flatman | | Thomas Buxton | 92 | William Jeffries |
| Gisborne | New electorate | New electorate | | James Carroll | 734 | George Darton |
| Grey | | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | Arthur Guinness | 1,115 | James Kerr |
| Grey Lynn | | George Fowlds | George Fowlds | George Fowlds | 889 | Oliver Nicholson |
| Hawke's Bay | | Alfred Dillon | Alfred Dillon | Alfred Dillon | 704 | William Russell |
| Hurunui | | Andrew Rutherford | | George Forbes | 597 | Obed Clothier |
| Hutt | | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | Thomas Wilford | 1,538 | Richard Shortt |
| Invercargill | | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | Josiah Hanan | 848 | Arthur Paape |
| Kaiapoi | | David Buddo | David Buddo | David Buddo | 77 | Richard Moore |
| Kaipara | | John Stallworthy | John Stallworthy | John Stallworthy | 283 | Alfred Harding |
| Lyttelton | | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | George Laurenson | 803 | Henry Thacker |
| Manawatu | | John Stevens | | Edward Newman | 585 | John Stevens |
| Manukau | | Frederic Lang | Frederic Lang | Frederic Lang | 1,369 | Alfred Creamer |
| Marsden | | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | Francis Mander | 704 | James Harrison |
| Masterton | | Alexander Hogg | Alexander Hogg | Alexander Hogg | 1,248 | John Hunter |
| Mataura | | Robert McNab | | George Anderson | 366 | Robert McNab |
| Motueka | | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | Roderick McKenzie | 1,501 | Frederick Smith |
| Napier | | Alfred Fraser | | Vigor Brown | 1,035 | Alfred Fraser |
| Nelson | | John Graham | John Graham | John Graham | 14 | Harry Atmore |
| Oamaru | | Thomas Young Duncan | Thomas Young Duncan | Thomas Young Duncan | 613 | James Mitchell |
| Ohinemuri | | Hugh Poland | Hugh Poland | Hugh Poland | 692† | Frederick Haselden |
| Oroua | | Frank Lethbridge | | David Guthrie | 941 | Owen Pleasants |
| Otaki | | William Hughes Field | | William Hughes Field | 93 | Byron Brown |
| Pahiatua | | Robert Beatson Ross | Robert Beatson Ross | Robert Beatson Ross | 264 | James Cooper |
| Palmerston | | William Wood | | David Buick | 81† | William Wood |
| Parnell | | Frank Lawry | Frank Lawry | Frank Lawry | 219 | Edward George Britton Moss |
| Patea | | Walter Symes | | George Pearce | 252 | Charles E. Major |
| Rangitikei | | Arthur Remington | Arthur Remington | Arthur Remington | 158 | Robert William Smith |
| Riccarton | | George Witty | George Witty | George Witty | 1,600 | George Sheat |
| Selwyn | | Charles Hardy | Charles Hardy | Charles Hardy | 383 | Joseph Ivess |
| Stratford | New electorate | New electorate | | John Hine | 724 | Walter Symes |
| Taranaki | | Henry Okey | Henry Okey | Henry Okey | 1,295 | William Malone |
| Taieri | | Donald Reid | | Thomas Mackenzie | 521 | John Thomas Johnson |
| Taumarunui | New electorate | New electorate | | William Thomas Jennings | 1,850 | William Bowater |
| Tauranga | New electorate | New electorate | | William Herries | 1,303 | James Alexander Young |
| Thames | | James McGowan | James McGowan | James McGowan | 2,100 | Ernest 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 | Henry Greenslade | Henry Greenslade | 493 | Allen Bell |
| Waipawa | | Charles Hall | Charles Hall | Charles Hall | 50 | George Hunter |
| Waitaki | | William Steward | William Steward | William Steward | 329 | Francis Henry Smith |
| Waitemata | | Ewen Alison | | Leonard Phillips | 903† | William Joseph Napier |
| Wakatipu | | William Fraser | William Fraser | William Fraser | 1,151 | Andrew Martin |
| Wallace | | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | John Charles Thomson | 1,346 | Dugald MacPherson |
| Wanganui | | James Thomas Hogan | James Thomas Hogan | James Thomas Hogan | 742† | George Hutchison |
| Wellington Central | | Francis Fisher | Francis Fisher | 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 | New electorate | | Robert Wright | 558† | William Barber |
| Wellington Suburbs | New electorate | New electorate | | John Luke | 1,148† | John Edward Fitzgerald |
| Westland | | Tom Seddon | Tom Seddon | Tom Seddon | 110 | Henry Michel |
| Māori electorates ||||||||
| Eastern Maori | | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | Āpirana Ngata | 3,010 | Tiki Paaka |
| Northern Maori | | Hone Heke | Hone Heke | Hone Heke | 1,045 | Hare te Rangi |
| Southern Maori | | Tame Parata | Tame Parata | Tame Parata | 7 | Teone Hopere Wharewiti Uru |
| Western Maori | | Henare Kaihau | Henare Kaihau | 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:
** Caversham, held by Thomas Sidey
** Courtenay, held by Charles Lewis
** Hawera, held by Charles E. Major
** Mount Ida, held by John MacPherson
** Newtown, held by William Barber
** Waiapu, held by James Carroll
** Waikouaiti, held by Thomas Mackenzie
* At the same time, seven new seats came into being:
** Dunedin West
** Gisborne
** Stratford
** Taumarunui
** Tauranga
** Wellington South
** Wellington Suburbs