1924 Southern Rhodesian general election explained

Election Name:1924 Southern Rhodesian general election
Country:Southern Rhodesia
Type:parliamentary
Ongoing:no
Previous Election:1920 Southern Rhodesian Legislative Council election
Previous Year:1920
Next Election:1928 Southern Rhodesian general election
Next Year:1928
Majority Seats:16
Election Date:29 April 1924
Leader1:Charles Coghlan
Leader Since1:1923
Party1:Rhodesia Party
Leaders Seat1:Bulawayo North
Seats1:26
Popular Vote1:13,987
Percentage1:58.33%
Leader2:Lawrence John Walter Keller
Leader Since2:1923
Party2:Rhodesia Labour Party
Leaders Seat2:Bulawayo South
(Unelected)
Seats2:0
Popular Vote2:3,527
Percentage2:14.71%
Premier
Posttitle:Subsequent Premier
Before Election:Charles Coghlan
Before Party:Rhodesia Party
After Election:Charles Coghlan
After Party:Rhodesia Party

General elections were held in Southern Rhodesia on 29 April 1924, the first elections to the new Legislative Assembly following the granting of responsible government to the colony. The result was a comprehensive victory for the Rhodesia Party, which had been formed by the supporters of responsible government, who won 26 out of the 30 seats.

Electoral system

No change was made to the basic electoral procedure which continued to be the single non-transferable vote, or First past the post system, cast by means of the secret ballot.

The Letters Patent granting the colony the right to self-government in 1923 made no change to the pre-existing franchise. The law provided that voters must have been resident in Southern Rhodesia for at least six months, and have the ability to complete the claim form for the electoral register in their own handwriting if the registrar required, and to write from dictation 50 words in the English language. In addition, voters had to meet one of three criteria for their financial means: either occupy property worth £150 in their Electoral District, or own a registered mining claim within the colony (for which residence was not required), or receive annual salary of £100 in the colony.

The Letters Patent created a legislative assembly with 30 members, and for simplicity the 15 electoral districts set the previous year for the Legislative Council were used for the new assembly, but with each district returning two members. Voters were therefore entitled to two votes.

Political parties

Since the previous election, and the grant of responsible government, the Responsible Government Association had organised itself under the leadership of Sir Charles Coghlan into the Rhodesia Party and been appointed as the new government. In addition the Rhodesia Labour Party, which had been formed some years before, entered into the election. However a substantial number of candidates fought as Independents on their own record. In general these candidates represented small farmers, small businesses and mining interests.

Campaign

The Labour Party had supported the Responsible Government Association in its campaign for a separate government for the colony, and in opposition to union with South Africa, and members of both parties hoped to reach agreement on an allocation of seats between them so that they did not oppose each other. Negotiations were unsuccessful and where candidates of the parties were fighting for seats, the fight between them became bitter. The independent candidates were also in opposition to the 'establishment' party and many stressed the need for a strong opposition in the new Assembly.

Results

By constituency

Constituency
Electorate and turnout
CandidatePartyVotes
BULAWAYO CENTRAL
1,493 (54.8%)
Francis Leslie HadfieldRP420
James CowdenRP397
Septimus Leonard John SteggallLab249
Harry Joseph SonnenbergInd217
William George Durbin MorsmanLab194
Frederick FisherInd159
BULAWAYO DISTRICT
1,253 (62.3%)
Frederic Philip MennellRP499
Alexander Robert ThomsonRP492
Harry Herbert DaviesLab335
George Walter PriceLab234
BULAWAYO NORTH
1,490 (62.9%)
Sir Charles Patrick John CoghlanRP830
Robert James HudsonRP771
William DaviesLab274
BULAWAYO SOUTH
1,486 (69.0%)
Charles Folliot BirneyRP631
Henry Robert BarbourRP469
Lawrence John Walter KellerLab408
George MitchellInd303
Robert John DentLab241
EASTERN
1,617 (64.2%)
Charles Edward GilfillanInd590
John Louis MartinInd576
Lewis Aloys MacDonald HastingsRP552
William Matthias LongdenRP359
GWELO
1,456 (66.0%)
David Campbell Duncan MunroRP572
Max DanzigerRP527
John Charles Jesser CoopeInd401
James Henry EdwardsInd257
James White RossLab165
HARTLEY
1,519 (58.2%)
Sir Ernest William Sanders MontaguInd426
Osmond Charteris Du PortRP422
Richard Wright AlbertsonInd379
Burton Ireland CollingsRP275
Robert Hawker FutterInd267
MAZOE
1,351 (50.4%)
Sir Francis James NewtonRP624
John Wallace DownieRP579
William MartinLab159
MIDLANDS
1,321 (70.6%)
Robert Dunipace GilchristRP415
William James BoggieRP307
John AustenInd307
Henry Tyndall BrettInd260
William HarrisonLab184
Miss Ellen Constance SteedmanInd150
Walter Douglas Douglas-JonesInd130
George Alexander CampbellLab111
NORTHERN
1,387 (54.7%)
William Muter LeggateRP612
James Murdoch EatonRP608
John McChleryInd296
SALISBURY NORTH
1,876
Percival Donald Leslie FynnRPunopposed
Godfrey Martin HugginsRPunopposed
SALISBURY SOUTH
1,454 (58.1%)
Harry BertinRP595
George Frederick ElcombeRP433
Milton Evan ClevelandInd329
George Harold JohnsonInd208
Albert Edward WetherillLab125
UMTALI
1,598 (60.1%)
Charles EickhoffRP506
Mrs. Ethel Tawse JollieRP404
William Robb LoveLab378
James Allin MethuenLab299
Francis Rudolph MyburghInd206
Thomas Benjamin HulleyInd130
VICTORIA
1,353 (52.0%)
Howard Unwin MoffatRP539
Lucius Knapp RobinsonRP469
John Albert HallidayInd399
WESTERN
1,282 (51.8%)
Robert Alexander FletcherInd476
John Parke RichardsonRP375
William Elliot ThomasRP306
William Edward GreenLab171

Note: As the Midlands result was a tie between Boggie and Austen, the election was determined by a drawing of lots, which was supervised by a Judge of the High Court, on 15 May 1924.

Changes during the Assembly

Mazoe

Sir Francis Newton resigned on 26 August 1924 on appointment as High Commissioner of the United Kingdom to Southern Rhodesia, precipitating a byelection in his electoral district which was held on 26 September 1924.

Constituency
Electorate and turnout
CandidatePartyVotes
MAZOE
1,351 (53.6%)
Percy Sidney InskippRP394
John William DunlopInd RP330

Salisbury South

George Elcombe resigned his seat on 10 January 1927 and a byelection was held on 8 March 1927.

Constituency
Electorate and turnout
CandidatePartyVotes
SALISBURY SOUTH
1,454 (64.9%)
Frank William Frederick JohnsonInd406
John William DunlopLab362
Burton Ireland CollingsRP175

Bulawayo North

Sir Charles Coghlan died on 28 August 1927 and a byelection was held on 18 November 1927.

ConstituencyCandidatePartyVotes
BULAWAYO NORTHAllan Ross WelshRP549
Edward Jonathan DaviesLab377

Midlands

William James Boggie died on 8 February 1928 and a byelection was held on 18 April 1928.

Constituency
Electorate and turnout
CandidatePartyVotes
MIDLANDS
1,374 (47.5%)
Arthur James TaylorRP352
Alexander Louis Wynand Koch WorsthornePP301

Defections

There were a number of changes within the assembly. Robert Dunipace Gilchrist 'crossed the floor' to sit as an opposition Independent in 1925. He was followed in May 1927 by Francis Leslie Hadfield and Max Danziger. In June 1927, the Progressive Party was formed by Harry Bertin, Robert Alexander Fletcher, Robert Dunipace Gilchrist, George Edward Gilfillan, Francis Leslie Hadfield, Frank William Frederick Johnson, John Louis Martin, Frederic Philip Mennell and Sir Ernest William Sanders Montagu. This party campaigned for a pro-white immigration policy, the development of Matabeleland, and establishing African reserves. It was opposed to monopolies, and sought reform and depoliticisation of the Civil Service.

References