SEE-SAW VOTING.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 84, 10 April 1933, Page 7

SEE-SAW VOTING.

WEST AUSTRALIA POLL

Government Beaten, But Policy Of Secession Carried. LABOUR BACK TO POWER. tCTnited P.A.—Electric Telegraph-Copyright) (Received 10.30 a.m.) , PERTH, this day. By a two-to-one majority, West Australians voted in favour of secession from the Commonwealth. On the other hand, the Nationalist party, which led the secession campaign, was defeated and the Labour party returned to power with a substantial majority. The voting Avas as follow:— For secession 69,930 Against 36,933 The voting on the proposed convention to consider an alteration of the Constitution of the Commonwealth was as follows:— In favour 42,475 Against 56,228

Sir Harrison Moore, the Commonwealth constitutional authority, points out that the vote for secession has no legal effect, but stands only as an exrjression of opinion. The state of the parties is as follows:— Labour «... 30 Country party 12 Nationalist ...... 8 Labour held 24 seats in the last Parliament, the United Australian party 13 and the Country party 12. The Premier, Sir James Mitchell, was defeated after 28 years' service in Parliament as representative of Northam. The Minister of Mines, Mr. John Scadden, was defeated at Maylands. The Prime Minister, Mr. J. A. Lyons, expresses disappointment at the result of the West Australian referendum. He says the people declined to listen to reason and are determined to vent their feelings on the eastern States.

The convention will be held, nevertheless, to consider the best means of helping the various States. West Australia's part ih it will depend upon herself.

On his formation of a National Ministry in 1930—for the second time in hie career -r-Sir James Mitohell had a majority of one, with which he retained power for three years. Personally, a large man with a bluff nature and a voice to quell any mob, Sir James makes his greatest claim to history's notice through his onceridiculed plan to make West Australia a great wheat-producing country. For many years he forced Parliament to think along those lines, he induced thousands of dis-

appointeft goTC-eeeKers to settTe on the land, until he had the so-called "arid West," a belt of 500 miles long and 200 miles wide, yielding more grain per head of population than any other nation in the world,, with livings for 10,000 farmers. He fought taxation "rebellions," political apathy, also mice plagues and emu devastations, but he made the land the staple wealth of the State. In Parliament since 1905, Sir James is one of the last of the "old-timers" in Australian politics. He has for many years urged secession from Canberra as the only means to secure comparative taxation freedom for West Australia. It appears rather ironic that this great aim of his should come into being on the occasion of his enforced departure from the scene of his triumph, at the demand of a fickle public.