NO FIRE

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 65, 14 September 1934, Page 5

NO FIRE

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

QUIETEST ON RECORD |

RADIO GIVEN THE BLAME

(From "The Post's" Representative.) . SYDNEY, September 8.; 3 Next Saturday the people of Aus- ; tralia will be asked to decide the fate I of the present Government, but to the D casual observer there is practically 3 nothing to indicate that such a momen- . tous day is approaching. As a matter of fj»ct, the present election campaign I . is easily the quietest on record. Gone; . apparently, aro the days of those hectic meetings still clear in the memory of > most voters of today. It may be that tlie people regard the result of the election as a foregone conclusion. Certainly, everything points to a return.to power,- of tho party led'by the present Prime Minister (Mr. Lyons), but there may: be an clement of danger in the present apathy of the electors. The ■politicians of all parties are rinding it difficult to attract people to their meetings,' and in some instances iv the suburbs of Sydney meetings have been cancelled, for the simple reasons that electors would not venture out in the bleak nights that have been the rulo for more than a week. When meetings have been held they have lacked lire. The main issue is that of banking policy —political versus private control—and perhaps it is that such a subject is not conducive to enthusiasm. WIRELESS PROPAGANDA. In most quarters it is agreed that the lack of manifested' animation is largely attributed to the employment of the radio as the spe.echmaking means of reaching the electors. It can hardly .be expected that the average elector will venture out on a cold, wet night to seek his political knowledge in a draughty hall or on a street corner when he is able to sit by his fireside and turn the dial of his receiver. The radio has been used more than ever before in a political campaign, and each party- has already spent a fortune in this connection. Many of the most capable speakers have made records of the points of their speeches, and these are put over the air at all times during the day and night. It is impossible to escape them, except by tuning into the national stations, which confined their political sessions to the policy speeches of the leaders. The election issues have" even been dramatised, and many a sordid drama, emanating from the propaganda office of the Lang Labour Party, has been broadcast. Those plays last for about half an hour, and generally include an attack on the proprietary banks. MR. LYONS CONFIDENT; Tho lack of interest is not confined to any particular State. It is general throughout Australia. Even the meetings held by the Prime Minister have been quiet,'almost sullen, affairs, but Mr. Lyons is as enthusiastic as ever he was; He has travelled by aeroplane a great deal, and has, in consequence, been able to .reach many centres which otherwise would have beba beyond his reach ,in the short time allotted to tho campaign., Mr. Lyons is the one leader who has expressed complete confidence in .the result, and there are many reasons why he should be confident. Those who have travelled with him say that, there is no sign whatever of a swing against ithei Government. Since the election- campaign started there have been two by-elections, one in New South. Wales (a country district) and one in Victoria. In each instance the representative of the United Australia Party-has been returned. In the case of the New South Wales .election the U.A.P. man had an absolute majority over the Country Party candidate, and in Victoria'the Labour vote in the electorate was greatly reduced, compared with the result two years ago. It is considered that the Victorian result is specially significant, signifying a certain TLA.P. victory in that State. LANG AND DOUGLAS PARTIES. The Lang Labour Party is bound to score in tho metropolitan seats around Sydney, but it is equally certain that its success will bo confined to those areas. The Lang Party seems_ to have given up all hope of establishing itself in the other States, and there are no signs of an abatement of the Labour faction fight in New South Wales. The followers of the Douglas Credit Party seem-to be increasing, but it is doubtful whether they will be successful in returning a 'single .member. Their Senate vote in New South Wales will be a'real-test for their power, and this will be watched with keen interest. In Queensland, where there is a Labour Government, the fights will be mostly straight-out: ones . between Labour and non-Labour candidates, and latest reports indicate the possibility of U.A.P. victories. Tasmania is still so proud of the; fact that Mr. Lyons, is the first Tasmanian Prime Minister that the people there are not likely to vote in a way that would embarrass him in the least.' , ■ "j.' ■ ■ • '