S. AFRICAN ELECTIONS

Greymouth Evening Star, 20 May 1938, Page 7

S. AFRICAN ELECTIONS

GOVT.’S EASY WIN UNITY POLICY SUPPORTED [BY CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] CAPE TOWN, May 19. Tn the South African General Election, after the counting of votes in the urban areas, the state of the parties is: United (Government) 51, Republican 0, Dominion G, Labour 3, Independents I. Counting in rural areas is in progress. It is anticipated that when the counting has concluded the United Party will have more than 90 seats. Four members, all of the United Party (the present Government) were elected unopposed, leaving 354 candidates for 14(1 seats, all of which the United Party has contested. The largest Opposition group of candidates was that of the Republican Party, the self-styled “purified Nationalists." with 104 candidates, led by Dr. D. F. Makin. This party’s programme included the establishment of an independent republic. The state of the parties at the dissolution of Parliament was:—Government. 117, Republicans 20. Dominion 5. Labour 4, and Independents 4.

LATEST FIGURES (Reed. Mav 20 10 a.m.) CAPETOWN, May 19. The state of the parties now is: United Party SO Nationalists Dominion 7 Labour 3 Socialist 1 Three ministers. Smuts. Kemp and Reitz, were returned. Smuts secured seventy-five per cent, of the votes in his electorate. The result of the election is accepted as a definite victory for the unity of the two races, and the policy of the United Party. The defeateds include Colonel Stallard. and C. W. Coulter the Dominion Party’s leader and Deputy Leader. The Dominion Party won two Durban seats from the Government which is attributable to the English-speaking province’s reaction against the introduction of the Africans’ national anthem, also the fear that the Government will abolish the term. British subject. The Nationalists were never strong in Urban areas. The real test of their opposition will be revealed after the rural counting.

The “Cape Times” in an editorial says: The results show that the United Party triumphed by the sheer commonsense and loyalty of the great leaders. If the rural vote goes similarly, we may well believe the last has been heard of the Dominion Party’s heresy, and the severest check given to the Nationalists’ dangerous and detestable racialism.