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Evening Post, Volume CXIII, Issue 40, 17 February 1932, Page 7

, blunter man than Mr. McCall, a man , with greater appeal. The marvel is . that Mr. McCall was able to go so close I to victory. As things turned out the Lang Party . won back East Sydney, but the victory, _ in the circumstances, is not in the least , significant. Of course, Mr. Lang and , his followers say that already there • has been a swing to the Lang Planners, | but when they say that they must L have their tongues in their cheeks. Three years ago East Sydney >was over- , whelniingly Labour; on Saturday the | Lang Labour man had to be content with a majority of about 240. AVhen Labour won East Sydney at the Gene- ; ral Election in 1929 the late Mr. John ; West had a majority of more than 14,000 on primary votes alone. At a by-election in 1931 the Labour major- : ity was reduced to 3000. At the 1 last General Election Labour was in front on primary votes, but | lost the seat when the preferences were ! distributed. On Saturday Labour scor- " ed only 1215 more primary votes than ■ the United Party, so any suggestion of a swing to the Lang Plan would be difficult to justify. There were two Labour candidates at Saturday's by-election—Mr. E. J. Ward (Lang Plan) and Mr. L. L. Cunningham (Federal Labour). The result was one of the worst reverses in the history of the Federal Labour Party. Mr. Cunningham was a Min-1 ister in the Scullin Government, yet it is certain that he will lose his deposit. The meagre total has filled the Federal • Labour Party with alarm, and has ron- • dered almost hopeless the aim of the . Federal Labour Party to secure control ■ of the movement in New South "Wales. It can be said with certainty now • that there is only one Labour Party in • New South Wales, and that is the party [ which subscribes to the wild ideas of , Mr. Lang. ( Except that Mr. Ward's victory will i convert to a minority the TJ.A.P. major•- --• ity of one over all parties, the result • of the by-election can have little effect ■ on the immediate political future of ; Australia. It is extremely unlikely i that the Country Party will oppose . the Government on any matter except : the tariff, and even on the tariff ques- ■ tion would not bo prepared to throw i Mr. Lyons out of office.