AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 17 September 1934, Page 7

AUSTRALIAN ELECTIONS

GOVT.’S EASY WIN MAJORITY LITTLE CHANGED (BY CABLE—PBESS ASSN. —COPYBIGHT.] SYDNEY, September 16. With its former large majority negligibly reduced, the Lyons Government yesterday received an unequivocal mandate to carry on. At most the United Australia Party may lose four seats. The Country Party may also lose four seats. The losses of the non-Labour Parties will be due entirely to the fact the seats lost are Labour strongholds, and were won during the 1931 laudslide. and are now reverting to Labour, as the Prime Minister anticipated. When the counting eeased early this morning, the position appeared as follows:-— United Australia Party • .. 34 United Country Party .. 12 Federal Labour Party .. .. 16 N.S.W. State Labour Party .. 7 Doubtful ' 5 Other Parties 0 The former House of Representatives comprised: United Australia Party 38; United Country Party 16; Federal Labour 14: State Labour 5; Independents 2. The Lyons Government hitherto had an absolute majority over all of the other parties (38 seats in a House of 75), with the result, it was unnecessary officially to coalesce with the Country Party. Now, however, the latter Party holds the balance of power, and interesting political developments are regarded as inevitable. It was unofficially stated last night that the Government could count on the support of the Country Party. Yet a peculiarity of the situation is that the Country Party is likely to lose a couple of its seats to the rival United Australia Party. A feature of the polling in New South Wales, where most of the changes are occurring, is that the State Labour group, led by Mr Beasley, has very nearly ousted the Federal Labour candidates, but the LangBeasley influence is not noticeable in any other States. The Postmaster-General, Mr A. Parkhill, has a huge majority of 18,000. The Minister of Commerce, Mr F. H. Stewart, has an absolute majority of 12,000. Mr W. M. Hughes has an absolute majority of 4,000. These figures are typical of the strength of the United Australia Party polling in many electorates. The Country Party, however, has not done so well. In the smaller States, the reports indicate that there will be only trifling changes in the Party representation. Probably these will not exceed three new faces. Owing to the smallness of the early returns and to the large number of candidates in the field for the Senate, it will not be. possible to indicate the outcome for several days, although here again the Government forces are making a. strong showing. “MANY HAPPY RETURNS.” MR LYONS’ BIRTHDAY GIFT. SYDNEY, September 16. The Prime Minister, Mr J. A. Lyons, is having an easy victory in Wilmot, Tasmania. It. was his fifty-fifth birthday yesterday. He said: “I certainly am experiencing many happy returns. My partv is still overwhelmingly the largest in the House of Representatives. The Government, has received a magnificent expression of confidence. We shall go forward with the task of placing Australia completely on her feet.” “It is quite apparent,” Mr Lyons added, “that the people are not prepared to trust, themselves to adventurers. in the unchartered and tempestuous seas of financial experiment.” The campaign directors of the United Australia Party go to the length of predicting that the Piime Minister will probably have a personal following of thirty-seven, losing only one seat, when the final returns are in hand their analysis is as follows:—The United Australia Party have already lost the Lang seat in New South Wales, and they have also lost tlie Batman seats in Victoria, but they will gain the Corangamite seat in Victoria and Werriwa in New South Wales from the Country Party. Thus they will have thirty-seven seats, or half of the total membership of the new House. All of the Ministers, with the possible exception of Mr J. A. Guy, the Assistant Minister of Customs, will be returned. Mr Guy’s position is usually in doubt until the last minute, owing to the fact that the preferences invariably have to decide the issue. Tlie primary votes alone have been so far counted in the various states, and the position of the doubtful seats will not be known in some instances until the end of next week.

MR GARDEN’S WIN. SYDNEY. September 16. The extent to which the Federal Labour Party vote -—pped in New South Wales is best indicated by a heavy primary vote recorded for Mr J. S. Garden (Secretary of the Sydney Trades and Labour Council) over Mr E. C. Riley, the former at present having more than a two to one majority. Mr Garden has made previous unsuccessful attempts to obtain a seat in Parliament. On this occasion he has vanquished a difficult opponent, as Mr Riley’s father had hitherto held the Cook seat for many years, and had a -strong personal following. A notable victory for the United Australia. Party in New South Wales relates to Mr T. D. Mutch, a former State Minister for Education in the (Lang regime. He defeated a strong -opponent, Mr H. Lazzarini, who is a Lang supporter, or State Labour nominee. for Werriwa. At last election, this seat was won by the Country Party. “A POLITICAL MIRACLE” (Rec. September 17, 8 a.m.) SYDNEY, September 16. Additional results in all States appear to strengthen the position of the I United Australian Party, and when

'counting' ceased- to-night; the* apprbxi--mate state of parties was: — United Australian Party .. 36 United Country .. .. 12 Federal Labour .. • • 15 State Labour .. . • 8 Doubtful 3 | H. Horsefield, Secretary of the United Australia Party, Sydney, described the outcome as a political miracle. He would not. be the least surprised if the party won 37 seats. Whatever ground was lost, in this State was due solely to redistribution of boundaries. Premier Stevens regards the poll as the best test possible of the real political conscience of Australian electors at the present moment. The result was most gratifying. Mr. Lang, Leader of the State Opposition was extremely pleased that State Labour candidates have done so well in N.S.W.. It convinces him that his party should triumph in the forthcoming State elections. IN VICTORIA. SYDNEY, September 16. The election position in Victoria was not less interesting than in New South Wales, though there are no surprises. Mr R. G. Menzies, late Victorian Attorney-General, who probably will succeed Mr Leatham as Federal Attorney-General, has obtained a heavy majority in Kooyong. Mr Maurice Blackburn, and Mr Frank Brennan, have retrieved the Bourke and Batman seats in Victoria for the Federal Labour Party. Mr Blackburn retired from the Speaker- , ship of the Victorian Assembly to contest the Bourke seat. Maribyrnong has rejected Mr J. E. . Fenton, the veteran ex-Labour member, who, with Mr Lyons, broke away • from the Scullin Administration and ( so led to its downfall. Mr Fenton al- , lied 'himself with the United Aus- ■ tralia Party last election, and he , just managed to win, but on this oecasion he will be narrowly beaten by ■ A. S. Drakeford, Federal Labour can- ( didate. i

SOME NEW MEMBERS. SYDNEY, September' 16. The new members so far elected include the following: — VICTORIA. Mr M. Blackburn (Federal Labour). Mr F. Brennan (Feleral Labour). Mr A. Drakeford (Federal Labour). .Mr R. G. Menzies (United Australia). NEW SOUTH WALES. Mr T. Mutch (United Australia). Mr W. McCall (United Australia). Mi’ J. Garden (State Labour). Mr D. Mulcahy (State Labour). QUEENSLAND. Mr D. Watson (Federal Labour). WEST AUSTRALIA. Mr J. Curtain (Federal Labour). There are five seats still remaining in doubt. These are: Catare and Darling, in New South Wales; the Adelaide seat, in South Australia; and the* Franklin seat anti Lass se?t in Tasmania. DOUGLAS CREDIT. SYDNEY, September 16. In no instance did the Douglas Credit candidates come within striking distance of success. Nevertheless, they have polled surprisingly well in some electorates and their leaders are much encouraged. The voting they declare, will stimulate them to greater action. The distribution of their candidates’ preferences will have an important bearing in the doubtful contests.

SYDNEY PRESS OPINIONS. SYDNEY, Sepember 17. Of the 3,966,143 votes so fax* counted, the United Australia Party has secured 1,154,762; Country Party 296,683; Federal Labour 796,412; State Labour 466,472; Douglas Credit 144,736; Communists 41,498. The remainder are for Socialists and Independents. The “Herald” gives the state of the parties as follows; —United Australia Party 31; United Country Party 11; Federal Labour 15; State Labour 7; doubtful 10. The “Labour Daily” says:—State Labour has a certain ten seats ,and possibly twelve. The surprise of the latest count is the reversal of Mr. Mutch’s lead in Werriwa. On figures, it now appears that the seat will go to Mr. Lazzariti (State Labour). The “Herald”, in a leader, says: — As the Labour Party has discarded its old ideals, so the workers everywhere are discarding the Labour Party. It nd longer represents them. It belies the name it bore when they gave it their allegiance. There is in this State, ’at all events, no longer a Labour Party. What arrogates that title to itself is a coterie grasping at power for aggrandisement of one section of the workers as against all the other sections, and in a mistaken sense of loyalty to the name of Labour men, with naturally nothing but goodwill in their hearts, allow themselves to be dragooned into what in the country, where no privilege is recognised, must always be. a hopeless class war. Interpreted in its right meaning, this election was not a defeat of Labour. It was a victory,—a victory for the majority of the people, which is the same thing in this country, as the majority are workers. The “.Labour Daily,” in a leader, says ßesults of the voting afford every reason for the Labour Party in New South Wales to look forward to the immediate future with the greatest optimism. Labour demonstrated on Saturday that it had consolidated its front during the past eighteen months, so that to-day it has a united movement prepared to accept an undiluted Labour policy. LONDON PRESS OPINIONS. LONDON, September 15. The “Observer” says: “The swing ot the pendulum has not gone far in the Australian polling, and the reduction in Mi- Lyons’ strength is less than it seemed natural to expect in the elections. The main signiricance is that the Commonwealth has vetoed the ambition of both of the Labour factors, Federal and State, to. relieve the bankers of their responsibilities.” The “Sunday Times” expresses the opinion that with the result satisfactory on the whole, a revival-of interest in Australian stock is assured. A “Times” Leader says: The election was fought so much on the issue of the financial methods,. on which there is such complete unanimity of Mr. Lyons and the Country Party, that it seems clear the Australian policy will be guided for three years by prin-

.eiples which already have done so much to restore her credit. CANADA PLEASED. VANCOUVER, September 16. General gratification at Mr Lyons retaining power is expressed in Canada, where Australia’s remarkable recovery under his guidance is widely quoted as an example to Canada and the United States. FORBES-COATES COMMENT. WELLINGTON, September 17. Commenting on the Australian elections, Mr Forbes said the victory of the Lyons Government was very encouraging as a recognition- by the Australian people of the courageous way the Commonwealth Government had faced the difficulties of the depression, entailing a programme of unpopular and drastic measures, and involving sacrifices by all sections of the community. It was a tribute to the commonsense of the Commonwealth that thev could distinguish between a solid performance and illusory promises... The contest was between a Labour Party which was in office at the beginning of the depression, and a Government that had taken over unsolved problems from them; This made the result all the. more significant, as it showed that the people of Australia were determined to -stand by stable and responsible government. Mr Coates remarked it appeared from the return available that the Australian people had given a complete answer to the so-called monetary cranks, who had been putting forward quack remedies. In common with the rest' of the world, Australia had been passing through an entirely new set of circumstances. It was evident the people of the Commonwealth appreciated what had been done by the Government to meet the position.-. It was too early yet to discuss the effect the election would have on the question of importation of Australian fruit into | New Zealand.