BIG SET-BACK.

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

BIG SET-BACK.

LABOUR UPHEAVAL.

Annihilation in Election in South Australia. PREMIERS' PLAN TRIUMPHS. (United P.A.-Electric Telegraph—Copyright) (Received 10.30 a.m.) ADELAIDE, this day. The South Australian Liberal and Country party, under the leadership of Mr. E. L. Butler, gained a sweeping victory in the general election on Saturday, and may have an absolute majority in the new Parliament. The probable composition of the new Legislative Assembly will be as follows :— Liberal-Country party 28 Parliamentary Labour .... 4 Australian Labour 7 Lang Labour 3 Singe Tax party 2 Independents ••• 2 Only about 50 per cent of the people exercised the franchise, and of these about 5 per cent recorded informal votes. In the Legislative Council the state of the parties will probably be:— Liberal-Country League ... 16 Australian Labour 1 Independent 2 Parliamentary Labour .... 1 The Australian Labour party won nine seats, but the Parliamentary Labour party was practically annihilated, only four of its members being returned, compared with 20 at the last election. The result is an outstanding triumph for the Premiers' Plan, for which Mr. Butler's party stood.

Twenty-live new members were elected, a feature of the election being the defeat of four Ministers, namely, Mr. J. Mclnnes, Commissioner of Public Works, Mr. W. J. Denny, AttorneyGeneral, Mr. S. It. Whiteford, Chief Secretary, and Mr. F. Staniford, Minister of Education.

The son of a Premier of South Australia, Mr. R. L. Butler enters upon his second tenure of the post held by his father nearly 30 years ago. He was Premier from 1927 until his defeat by Mr. L. L. Hill's Labour forces in 1930. Tall and athletic, clean-shaven and genial, Mr. Butler is noted for his frankness of speech, ill-befitting a politician of to-day. He is a great render, and one of the most ardent football "funs" in his State, having gained considerable fame in the game in his youth.

Mr. Hill held the Premiership until his adherence to the Premiers' Plan turned his Labour party from him, forcing his retirement last February. He accepted the post of Agent-General for the State in London, being succeeded as Premier by Mr. R. S. Richards.