1904 East Perth state by-election

November 2022 November 2022 1904 East Perth state by-election Western Australia by-election no 1904 Western Australian state election 1904 state election 1905 Western Australian state election 1905 state election 1904 09 20 y 2,286 John Hardwick Ministerialist 1,251 55.3 John Curran Labor 1,013 44.7 MP Walter James John Hardwick Ministerialist Ministerialist A by-election for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly seat of East Perth was held on 20 October 1904. It was triggered by the resignation of former Ministerialist Premier Walter James, who was appointed to take up the role of Agent General for Western Australia. The election was won by Ministerialist candidate John Hardwick, who beat the Labor Party's John Curran. Background thumb|right|upright|Walter James, the member for East Perth from 1894 to 1904 and the premier of Western Australia from 1902 to 1904|alt=Black and white portrait Walter James had been the member for East Perth in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly since 1894, and served as the premier and attorney-general as part of the Ministerialists from July 1902.Hunt Lyall James, Sir Walter Hartwell (1863–1943) https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/james-sir-walter-hartwell-6824 Australian Dictionary of Biography 25 November 2022 1983 Previous election results 1904 Western Australian state election: East Perth Ministerial (WA) Walter James 1,396 52.7 –10.0 Labour WA Edward Casson 1,253 47.3 +47.3 2,649 98.4 –0.7 42 1.6 +0.7 2,695 38.7 –0.9 Ministerial (WA) –10.0 Resignation of Walter James In August 1904, two months after the 1904 state election, the James Government was defeated in a motion of no confidence. He was replaced as premier by Henry Daglish of the Labor Party. The following month, Daglish offered James the role of Agent General for Western Australia representing the state in London.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25362959 Position Of Agent-General The West Australian 22 September 1904 25 November 2022 7 National Library of AustraliaButtfield 1979 115 It was unanimously agreed that James was suited for the position, but some were sceptical of Daglish's motives,Buttfield 1979 115 believing that he was trying to get his main political rival out of parliament and was possibly trying to have the Labor Party win the ensuing by-election.Buttfield 1979 116 The move also saw disillusion grow within the Labor Party's rank-and-file, as one of their main attacks on James during his premiership was that he gave cabinet positions out as bribes to gain support, similar to what Daglish was doing now.Buttfield 1979 116http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article57195605 Bribing Walter James The Sunday Times 25 September 1904 26 November 2022 4 National Library of Australia On 30 September, James formally resigned.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25363746 The East Perth Seat The West Australian 1 October 1904 25 November 2022 7 National Library of Australia On 4 October, the Legislative Assembly passed a motion that the seat be declared vacant, and so the speaker issued a writ for the election. 12 October was set at the due date for nominations, Thursday, 20 October was set as the day of the election, and 24 October for the return of the writ.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25364027 The East Perth Constituency The West Australian 5 October 1904 25 November 2022 6 National Library of Australia Candidates Ministerialist John Hardwick, a Perth City councillor and James's campaign manager for the 1904 election, was selected by the East Perth Electoral league and endorsed by the National Political league.Buttfield 1979 119 Labor Edward Casson, who was Labor's candidate for East Perth at the 1904 state election, declined requests for him to be Labor's candidate, saying that "in view of the existing circumstances in regard to the political situation, I cannot see my way clear to do so".Buttfield 1979 116http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25363293 State Politics The West Australian 26 September 1904 25 November 2022 5 National Library of Australia This was in reference to the Daglish Ministry abandoning several Labor principles that they were elected on.Buttfield 1979 116 Other potential Labor candidates were: J. J. Curran, secretary of the Coastal Trades and Labour Council J. Fabre, secretary of the Hotel, Restaurant, and Caterers' Employees' Union Con O'Brien, member of the Legislative Council from 1901 to 1904 H. Courtney, president of the East Perth branch of the Political Labor Party J. Healy, unsuccessful candidate for the seat of Canning at the 1904 state election W. Eales W. Somerville Curran was viewed as the most likely candidate to be selected, as he had lived in East Perth ever since he moved to Western Australia. Nominations closed at 6pm on 26 September, with Curran, Fabre, O'Brien, Courtney, and Healy as the nominations.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25363357 State Politics The West Australian 27 September 1904 25 November 2022 5 National Library of Australia On 30 September, each nomination gave a speech, after which East Perth branch members voted. The winning candidate had to receive an absolute majority. In the first ballot, Curran was three short of a majority, and so O'Brien and Healy dropped out. Curran was two short of a majority after the second ballot, and Fabre and Courtney were tied, so the chairman gave his casting vote to Fabre. In the final ballot, Curran received a majority of the votes, and so he was selected as Labor's candidate for the by-election. Campaign Hardwick primarily campaigned on local issues, however, members of the former James Ministry, such as Hector Rason, John Marquis Hopkins and Henry Gregory, campaigned on issues affecting the state.Buttfield 1979 119 Results 1904 East Perth state by-electionButtfield 1979 120http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article25365321 East Perth Election The West Australian 21 October 1904 26 November 2022 7 National Library of Australia Ministerial (WA) John Hardwick 1,251 55.3 N/A Labor WA John Curran 1,013 44.7 -2.6 2,264 99.0 +0.6 21 1.0 -0.6 2,285 32.8 -5.9 Ministerial (WA) Ministerial (WA) N/A The by-election had four polling places. See also Electoral results for the district of East Perth List of Western Australian state by-elections References Bibliography Buttfield E. S. 1979 The Daglish Ministry 1904-5 : Western Australia's first Labor Government MA 115–120 University of Western Australia https://onesearch.library.uwa.edu.au/permalink/61UWA_INST/1vk1d8f/alma9963778902101 Category:1904 elections in Australia Category:1900s in Perth, Western Australia Category:October 1904 in Australia Category:Western Australian state by-elections