STATE ELECTIONS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 81, 5 April 1941, Page 5

STATE ELECTIONS.

BITTER CAMPAIGNS. CLERGYMAN AS CANDIDATE. SYDNEY, April 1. The State elections in South Australia and Queensland last week-end resulted in little difference to the state of the. two Governments which were returned to power. lii South Australia the Liberal Country League Government, which is tho South Australian equivalent of the U.A.1 , ., made some gain, but did not get the clear majority for which it had hoped. The electors appear to have been unnnjved by the bitter argument conducted between the Premier and Opposition leader on the issue of- the 40-hour week, which was Labour's principal plank. The Premier declared that it would jeopardise the war effort. In Queensland, where politics, unfortunately, arc- always affected by sectarian bitterness, and where the Forgan Smith Government has latterly become anathema to much «t its Labour following because, of its growing trend towards dictatorial methods, a very bitter campaign wae waged—again with little effect on the polling figures. The Forgan Smith Government had aroused widespread resentment by ite Public Safety Act, which, in effect, would make four Cabinet Ministers complete dictators in Queensland in time of emergency, and by its sudden decision last November to enforce eight o'clock closing of hotels, which led to three nights oi wild rioting by civilians and soldiers in Brisbane'. However, the loyalty of the mass of the Labour banner apparently was sufficient to overcome their distrust of Labours leader.

A well-known Sydney clergyman, ltcv. D. P. Macdonald, minister of Mosnian Presbyterian Church, announced in his pulpit on Sunday that he would stand for as an Independent 1".A.1 , , candidate at the forthcoming New South Wales elections. He said he would resign his ministerial charge of the church the day the Premier announced the election date. He said he would later give his. reasons for his decision, Mr. Macdonald has 'been minister of the Mo*man church for 26 years, and hae belonge4 to the Mosman branch of the U.A.1 , , for a good many years. He is well known for addresses on war and international problems. In the last war he served in France as a chaplain.

Commenting on Mr. Macdonald's decision, l!ev. Stewart Watte, now acting rector of Casino Church of England, said: "Would to God more ministers with a broad outlook would go into politics! Mr. Macdonald is right in trying to bring the Church into the arena of practical problems.' , Mr. Watts, who was a very liberal editor of the "Church Standard" until he was dismissed from that pewt, announced laet October that he would offer himself to the Labour party a's a candidate at,- the next State election.

It is 24 years sincp a minister of the ( Imivh sat in the is.S.W. Parliament. In mill thfl pnwent Crown Prowntor, Mr. T. S. Crawford, then Presbyterian minister at C'ampsie, won Mnrrirkvillc as it l.n'bour candidate and represented the .-ent for rieven yenrs. I~nt.il lie nvdjjned from the Church in 1911 .Mr. Crawford was always referred to in Parliament as tho "Rev. Mr." — 1