NEW SOUTH WALES ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 152, 24 March 1938, Page 15

NEW SOUTH WALES ELECTIONS

Voting On Saturday LITTLE CHANGE LIKELY IN STATE OF PARTIES (Received March 24, 12.30 a.m.) Sydney, March 23. The New South Wales elections to be held on Saturday have created little stir in the community. Even the opening speeches of the leaders failed to arouse much enthusiasm. The electors have the choice of two main parties, Government and Labour, but inside these parties are divisions. The Government party comprises the United Australia Party and the United Country Party. Labour consists of the Australian Labour Party and the Industrial, or “rebel,” group. Candidates numbering 191 have been nominated for 90 seats, comprising 54 U.A.P., 30 U.C.P., 61 Labour, six Industrial Labour, 36 Independents, and four Communists. Nineteen candidates have 'been elected unopposed, which is a record. They include the Minister of Health, Mr. H. P. Fitzsimmons, and the Speaker, Mr. R. W. D. Weaver. There are no Labour candidates for 20 seats, and 12 seats will be contested by the rival Labour groups. The faction fight in the Labour ranks has added interest to the campaign. The Leader of the Opposition, Mr. J. T. Lang, is opposed at Auburn by Mr. J. Hooke, a rebel, and the contest promises to be very close. Both the Premier, Mr. B. S. B. Stevens, and Mr. Lang, made whirlwind tours of the country electorates, and radio has played a prominent part, but the Lang group has suffered through the control of the Labour radio station and also the Labour newspaper being in the hands of the Industrial group. Mr. Laug Hopeful. The indications are that there will be little change in the State of the parties in the new House, but Mr. Lang is hopeful that there will be a swing to Labour especially in the country, basing this view on the results of the Federal election. Mr. Stevens has one opponent in his electorate, Croydon, but this candidate announced his withdrawal too late to have his name deleted from the ballot paper, so the Premier’s return is assured. The Colonial Secretary, Captain F. A. Chaffey’s, hold on Tamworth is doubtful. His Labour opponent is putting up strong opposition. There is also more than a possibility that the Minister of Lands, Mr. C. A. Sinclair, will be defeated in Namoi by his Labour opponent, Mr. E. Hogan in a straight-out contest. The other Ministers are likely to be returned. The Minister who is having the hardest struggle is Mr. E. S. Spooner in Ryde. He is Minister of Works and Local Government, and there is much opposition to what has been described as his dictatorial methods. His refusal to authorise the construction of a railway in his own electorate also brought him disfavour with a section of his constituents. He has two opponents, a Labourite and an Independent. Both are suburban mayors. Mr. Heffron, the leader of the industrial group, is confident of success and that Mr. Lang’s influence in the State Labour movement will be ended.