GOVERNMENT WIN

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 36, 11 August 1930, Page 17

GOVERNMENT WIN

BY-ELECTION IN NEW SOUTH WALES

STRAW IN THE WIND

(From "Ttie Post's" Representative.) SYDNEY, 31st July. Possibly no Government ever faced the people on more unpopular issues than was the case with the National Government in New South Wales on the occasion of tho by-election in Lane Cove, an electorate which takes in a large suburban area on tho northern side of Sydney Harbour. First of all there was tho re-injyoduetion of tho 48----hour week, then the cut in the salaries of-the Civil servants, and finally the wage-tax of 3d in the Si. More than these, the Government was riot in a position to make any promises such as most "Governments make at election time. All it could promise was that the purse-strings would be drawn tighter than ever. Yet in these circumstances tho Government scored a substantial victory, even though it was represented in the field by a comparatively weak candidate, and certainly, by a candidate unknown in the electorate and even unknown in politics.

Before polling-day the by-election was spoken of as a political barometer of unusual interest in view of the State General Elections that will take place in about tiiree .months' time. Now the National victory has been achieved it is spoken of as a straw in the wind. The Nationalists were opposed by three candidates, but only two of these may be taken into account —the official Labour man and the representative of the new party, the Australian Party, led by Mr, W. M. Hughes. It was the first time that the Australian Party had contested a State seat, and it did not come out with flying colours. The first preferences were allotted as follows: • ■ Nationalists- ....;.-.... 5642 Labour ..., 4032. Australian Party .... 3344 Independent 31 This meant that the Australian 'Party was eliminated early in the.count, and with most of the Australian Party preferences going to the Nationalists, the latter ended up with more than 2000 votes to spare; It is important to note that tho Australian Party had the assistance of Mr. Hughes throughout tho campaign, and as he is such a wonderful campaigner, surprise was expressed that the party did' not do bettor. It does not augur well for the future of the Australian Party, and thero aro some people in North Sydney who say that the result of the by-election spells' the defeat of Mr. Hughes in North Sydney at tho next General Election in the Federal sphere. Labour wont into tho campaign with a general condemnation of the Nationalist policy to meet the current depression, but found it impossible to break down a general belief that tho Nationalists are doing their utmost to carry the . State through. There are many who hold that the fearless way in which the Government is meeting the situation has won for it many friends. A few months ago political students were saying that the Bavin Government was j doomed, but there has now been a swing in tho opposite direction, particularly when it is remembered that some thou- j sands of electors in the Lane. Cove electorate are Civil servants who have been most hardly hit as a result of the Nationalist policy. Labour's defeat does not prevent tho Labour Party from claiming a moral vifctory. Labour defeats are always that. There are thousands who would have been prepared to say that a Labour victory would have been distinctly immoral.