Southern Rhodesian general election, 1939
Southern Rhodesian general election, 1939
|
| 14 April 1939 (1939-04-14) |
|
|
All 30 seats to the Legislative Assembly
16 seats needed for a majority |
| Turnout |
76.7% |
| |
First party |
Second party |
Third party |
| |
|
 |
|
| Leader |
Godfrey Huggins |
Harry Davies |
|
| Party |
United |
Labour |
Reform |
| Leader's seat |
Salisbury North |
Hillside |
|
| Last election |
24 seats, 61.9% |
5 seats, 26.9% |
1 seat, 11.2% |
| Seats before |
24 |
5 |
1 |
| Seats won |
23 |
7 |
0 |
| Seat change |
 1 |
 2 |
1 |
| Popular vote |
11,161 |
7,353 |
2,773 |
| Percentage |
50.4% |
33.2% |
12.5% |
| Swing |
11.5 |
6.3% |
1.3% |
|
|
|
The Southern Rhodesia general election of 14 April 1939 was the fifth election since the colony of Southern Rhodesia was granted self-government. Prime Minister Godfrey Huggins' United Party government were re-elected in a landslide. The election was called slightly earlier than the deadline as Huggins feared the German invasion of Czechoslovakia would lead to European War.
Franchise and electoral procedure
In 1937, a new Electoral Act was passed. The franchise was extended slightly to those who were not British subjects but who had been in active wartime service in the armed forces. Electors were also required to have lived for three months in their electoral districts. The requirement for qualifying for the vote on the basis of receiving salary or wages of £100 per annum was extended also to people with income of £100 per annum, a change which principally benefited those who had investment income but few assets. Voters were also no longer required to demonstrate proficiency in English through a dictation test. The postal vote, which had been introduced in 1928, was extended in 1937 to all voters living more than 25 miles away from the nearest polling station. Finally, those who had drawn government rations were disenfranchised.
Electoral districts
A boundary revision in 1938 enabled the elimination of the four remaining double-member electoral districts as the Colony was split into 30 single-member districts.
Summary result
Electorate: 28,894 (in contested seats, 28,032)
Turnout: 76.7%
Results
Avondale
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
United |
Harry Bertin |
571 |
|
N/A |
|
Labour |
Colin Ross McLachlan |
217 |
|
N/A |
| Majority |
354 |
|
N/A |
| Turnout |
962 |
82.9 |
N/A |
| |
United win (new seat) |
Eastern
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
United |
Jacobus Petrus De Kock |
399 |
|
|
|
Union Party |
Douglas Abrahamson |
199 |
|
|
|
Labour |
Reginald Herbert Bruce Dickson |
182 |
|
|
| Majority |
|
|
|
| Turnout |
1,004 |
77.7 |
|
|
United hold |
Swing |
|
|
Highlands
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
United |
Leslie Benjamin Fereday |
447 |
|
|
|
Labour |
William Frith Wilson |
267 |
|
|
|
Reform |
John Arthur Douglas Hawksley |
68 |
|
|
| Majority |
|
|
|
| Turnout |
953 |
82.1 |
|
| |
United win (new seat) |
Marandellas
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
United |
William Henry Ralston |
366 |
|
|
|
Labour |
Alexander Aitken Draper |
148 |
|
|
|
Reform |
Alfred William Vincent Crawley |
147 |
|
|
| Majority |
|
|
|
| Turnout |
891 |
74.2 |
|
|
United hold |
Swing |
|
|
Salisbury Central
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
United |
Edgar Pope Vernall |
408 |
|
|
|
Labour |
Gladys Maasdorp |
288 |
|
|
|
Reform |
George Harry Stone |
139 |
|
|
| Majority |
|
|
|
| Turnout |
1,089 |
76.4 |
|
| |
United win (new seat) |
Salisbury City
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
United |
Jacob Hendrik Smit |
519 |
|
|
|
Labour |
Alec Pelham |
276 |
|
|
| Majority |
|
|
|
| Turnout |
1,012 |
78.6 |
|
| |
United win (new seat) |
Salisbury Gardens
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
United |
Sir Percival Donald Leslie Fynn |
410 |
|
|
|
Reform |
Lancelot Middleton Foggin |
155 |
|
|
|
Labour |
Rex Atherton Rawstorne |
111 |
|
|
| Majority |
|
|
|
| Turnout |
966 |
76.4 |
|
| |
United win (new seat) |
Western
| Party |
Candidate |
Votes |
% |
± |
|
United |
Patrick Bissett Fletcher |
366 |
|
|
|
Labour |
Albert James Davies |
247 |
|
|
|
Reform |
Wilfred Denton Estment |
93 |
|
|
| Majority |
|
|
|
| Turnout |
894 |
79.0 |
|
| |
United win (new seat) |
Old Template
Constituency
Electorate and turnout |
Candidate |
Party |
Votes |
UMTALI NORTH
844 (83.8%) |
Edgar Cuthbert Fremantle Whitehead |
UP |
498 |
| Thomas Norris |
Lab |
209 |
UMTALI SOUTH
820 (76.1%) |
James Brown Lister |
Lab |
401 |
| Matthew Henry Gibson |
Ind |
223 |
VICTORIA
1,014 (77.2%) |
†William Alexander Eustace Winterton |
UP |
497 |
| Robert Joseph Austin |
Lab |
286 |
|
Byelections
Salisbury Gardens
Sir Percival Fynn died on 25 April 1940. Owing to the war, normal party politics had been suspended and a joint selection conference including members of both the United Party and the Rhodesia Labour Party was included. Four candidates stood for the selection: Cecil Douglas Dryden (United Party), Mrs. Gladys Maasdorp (Rhodesia Labour Party), Arthur William Redfern (Independent) and O.P. Wheeler (Independent). Redfern was selected and returned unopposed on 26 June 1940.
Umtali North
Edgar Whitehead resigned from the Assembly on 24 June 1940. A byelection was held to replace him on 27 August 1940.
Constituency
Electorate and turnout |
Candidate |
Party |
Votes |
UMTALI NORTH
821 (53.8%) |
Tom Ian Finlay Wilson |
UP |
312 |
| Thomas Norris |
Lab |
130 |
Hartley
Hugh Volant Wheeler resigned on 30 June 1940. A byelection was held in his constituency on 27 August 1940.
Constituency
Electorate and turnout |
Candidate |
Party |
Votes |
HARTLEY
943 (49.9%) |
William Muter Leggate |
RP |
247 |
| Tom Cecil Leonard Howard |
Ind |
120 |
| Leonard Tolcher Tracey |
Ind |
104 |
Lomagundi
Lewis Aloys MacDonald Hastings resigned on 30 June 1940. A byelection was held in his constituency on 27 August 1940.
Constituency
Electorate and turnout |
Candidate |
Party |
Votes |
LOMAGUNDI
827 (48.1%) |
George Henry Hackwill |
UP |
220 |
| Edward George Holman |
Ind |
178 |
Victoria
William Alexander Eustace Winterton resigned on 30 October 1940. A byelection was held on 10 December 1940.
Constituency
Electorate and turnout |
Candidate |
Party |
Votes |
VICTORIA
1,014 (61.4%) |
Walter Brumage Richards |
UP |
232 |
| Harry Joseph Filmer |
Lab |
228 |
| Richard Fraser Dott |
Ind National |
163 |
Insiza
Robert Clarkson Tredgold resigned on 28 February 1943. A byelection was held on 21 April 1943 to replace him.
| Constituency |
Candidate |
Party |
Votes |
| INSIZA |
Leslie Thomas Smith |
The Labour Party |
280 |
| Victor Henry Sauerman |
Lab |
197 |
| John Everett Chick |
UP |
151 |
References
- Source Book of Parliamentary Elections and Referenda in Southern Rhodesia 1898–1962 ed. by F.M.G. Willson (Department of Government, University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Salisbury 1963)
- Holders of Administrative and Ministerial Office 1894–1964 by F.M.G. Willson and G.C. Passmore, assisted by Margaret T. Mitchell (Source Book No. 3, Department of Government, University College of Rhodesia and Nyasaland, Salisbury 1966)
