Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16th., 1935. BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 16 November 1935, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 16th., 1935. BRITISH ELECTIONS.

CANDIDATES for New Zealand Parliamentary honours, who are downhearted because of small attendances at their election-cam-paign meetings, may find comfort in the fact that although similar apathy prevailed in the British campaign, the polling booths were well attended, despite unfavourable weather. Whv electors do not at-

tend campaign-meetings, unless “fun” is expected, or the speaker is a Party leader, is open to question. It may he that most of them have already decided for whom to vote, and nothing the other candidates may say will convert them, thus, no usefid object is served by attendance at the meetings. It may be they are satisfied with the summaries of tiie speeches published in the Press. Advocates of compulsory registration of electors will I note that in Britain, this system created anomalies, the limit being 1 reached when children from one! year old upward, had their names 1 placed on the roll, and were en-j

tilled to vote. It would be interesting to know how the one-year-old at Edinburgh managed to record liis choice, free and unfettered. Such an achievement was precocious, even for a Scot. The results throughout rhe Homeland, so far recorded at time of writing, were fairly much, as predicted, the Government majority being greater (han expected. Labour gained scats but not to the extent hoped for. The Parly’s debating strength, in the now House will be much greater. The Liberals fared badly. Sir. 11. Samuel being defeated, find little success being achieved elsewhere. The “Manchester Guardian,” the leading Liberal newspaper in Britain., has much to say about, the Government losses, but was discreet in its references to the rout of the Liberals. The National Government in 1931, had everything in its favour, and swept the board, the majorities being unusually heavy. The “National” Government, to-day, is practically Conservative, and its candidates had to face opposition, this time, where previously it secured co-operation. Glider all the circumstances, Mr. Baldwin, is probably more than satisfied with the extent of the Ministerial successes. Foreign countries must be impressed with the support given to the Government.

So far as individuals are concerned, there has little happened yet to cause surprise. Ministers generally, were re-elected, Mr. J. H. Thomas’s majority at Derby being more than predicted. The defeat of Air. MacDonald - may possibly mean his acceptance of / a peerage. The size of the Government majority will enable Air. Baldwin to be strong where Cabinet re-construe-tion is concerned, and it is to be hoped that there wall be a change in the Secretaryship for the Dominions. Air. Thomas is not specially equipped for this position, which he.has already held too long. What effect the Homeland results will have on the New Zealand pollings is a matter for conjecture. Probably, not much. Incidentally, it is an error of judgment for any New Zealand political party to feature Air. Baldwin in campaign advertisements. Wrong 1 impressions are thereby created, which might leaf! to misunderstandings later, should Labour be installed in office. Air. Baldwin’s statements were of course, addressed to Homeland electors only. He would not be so foolish as to express any public opinion on the Dominion controversy.