IS IT AN OMEN?

Gisborne Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 10854, 25 March 1929, Page 5

IS IT AN OMEN?

THREE MORE ' BY-ELECTIONS

GOVERNMENT LOSES , TWO . 'SEATS ;/ v *

YOUNG* WOMAN LAIJO RITE WINS NORTH LANARK

Unitod Press Assn, by El. Tel. Copyright (Australian Press Association.> LONDON, March 22. Three by-elections were , held yes. terday, and in two instances the Government sustained losses of seats formerly hold, the third being retained with! a reduced majority. At Holland there was a Liberal victory, the positions of the previous elections being entirely reversed. At North Lanark a,woman Labor candidate was returned with an overwhelming /majority. *' The seat, however, had been hold by Labor prior to the last General Election. The Government 1 hold the Bath seat with a reduced vote of nearly 5000.

Tlie North! Lanark by-election, ow. ing to Sir Alex Sprot’s -death, resulted :- i

Miss Jennie . Lea (Lab.) 15,711 Lord Scone (C 011.) 9,13*3

■ Miss Mitchell (Lib.)... 2,485 This is a Labor gain. Mliss Mitchell forfeits her deposit. Rolling at the last election l was as follows: Sir Alex Sprot (Con.) 13,880; J. Sullivan (Lab.) 11,852. Miss Jennie Lee is the 20-year-old daughter of a Scottish miner. Sho attended an elementary school, and her parents managed, with characteristic Scottish frugality, to send her to Edinburgh University. There she took a degree in Arts with honors, and the degree of Bachelor of Laws. She won also a, travelling scholarship on tho Continent. She is now engaged as a school mistress. Owing to Mr A. W. Dean’s death, a by-election was held at Holland-with-Boston, resulting:— ,

Rl in dell (Lib.) 13.000 White (Lab.) 9,294 Ya ruler burg (Con.) 8,257 Dennis (Inde.) 3,541 This is a Liberal gain, tho voting at the last electon being: A. W. Dean (Con.) 15,459, G. R. IT White (Lab.) 10,689; R. P. Winfrey (Lib.) 6115.

(Received March 24, 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 23

Mr Blinded, the new Liberal member for Holland-with-Boston. is Lhe son of an agricultural laborer. He began life as ail. errand boy and is now managing director ol; Blintlolls Limited boot factory at Grimsby.

(Australian Press Association., (Received March 24. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON, .March 23

The week’s miniature general election was a black one for the Government. It fought all five hv-elec-tions which were Conservative seats and retained only two, and tlio.rw won, were with remarkably reduced majorities. Indeed, it is difficult for the Government to take consolation from any of the numerous by-elec-tions during the life of the present Government. Those seats which it held had been with considerably reduced majorities, while it suffered a net loss of fifteen seats, twelve to Labor arid three to lhe Liberals. The most recent contests make it as clear as can reasonably he expected that Labor is stronger to-day in industrial Britain than at any period in history. Labor’s sweeping victory lor North Lanark, where Miss .Jennie Tee won by 15.735 voles against the Conservative’s 9.L33 and the Liberal's 2-188, may he accepted as a reasonably dear index of the feelings o( industrial centres. But that the Socialist tide* runs feebly in rural and semirural areas is abundantly clear from the Holland result, whore the Liberals secured 13,(101) votes, Labor 9291, Conservatives 8257, and tho Independent 35-11 - r lhe Conservatives thus lost 7600 votes, while the Liberals increased their total by an equal number. Here, then. Liberalism has administered a resounding blow to the Government, just as ri did at Eddislmry yesterday, which, even in tho Free Trade election ol 1923 remained Conservative.

Lalioi* confesses open disappointment at the failure in rural centres, but Conservatism lias cause not so mill'll for disappointment as foi alarm. It is apparent that, while rural England is refusing to swallow the Socialism medicine, it is definitely easting around for a new doctor who seems opportunely to have arrived in tho lighting personality ol Mr Lloyd George. There are many indications. however, that Liberals have not been left alone to administer succour to the ruralitist. Labor with tho lessons learned in the. past months, is likely to withdraw large forces from the safer industrial centos and concentrate on the countryside. But the increase in the Liberal votes is causing many who preached that Liberalism was a, spent force hurriedly to re-east their views. Ministerial organs do not seek to deny tho defeatism over apparent Conservatives. Even Mr Baldwin made ail onslaught on wavciei's aurl grousers and people with cold feet.

“Liberalism has taken, the centre of the stage, becaaiso both parties paid it evidently the sincere compliment of concentrating criticism thereupon. It will be a.n election with the gloves off. Air Lloyd George is the target.”

Lord Birkenhead Bays: “Air Lloyd George reminds me of a very active wasp beneath an inverted tumbler.’ Lord A 1 el (Lett «ays lie lias become till' jackanapes of British, polities. Sir Jloynson Hicks asks: “Is Air Lloyd George tho only man of brains in the world?” Mr Baldwin says Ins feet are no longer on thci ground. Meanwhile Mr Lloyd Georgy is busy telegraphing to Liberal victors iir picturesque language such as “the finger of doom” and “Toryism, is discredited and cannot be repaired.” The Manchester Guardian, editorally welcoming the Liberal victories, speaks of the country’s weariness of the present Government and its protracted futility. The Morning Post says it passes comprehension what tho farmers expect from Liberalism ; also how they can again, trust Lloyd George, “tho arch deceiver of the .rustic maiden.”

The Daily Express says: “To cry all is well in the face of such electrifying results is neither loyalty nor common sense. The question on everyone’s lips is: “Is there time for the Government to save itself?” The real battlo is coining on the question whether tho Government will cuter like, conquerors or a. beaten force?” ■

Whatever the outcome of tho general election, the by-elections in the past month have produced these significant figures: Labor 92,828 votes, Conservative 73,3*31, Liberal 58,068

AIR. BALDWIN HEADING FDR DISASTER.

COUNTRY WANTS ROTO UNEMPLOYMENT POLICY.

United Proas Assn, by El. Tol. Copyright (Australian Press Association.) (Received March 25. 1.10 a.m.) LONDON / March 23.;

Mr. Garvin, in tbV Observer., referring to the week’s ‘by-elections, says it had • been expected there would be a bad result, but not so had: The country demands something .which Cabinet; has refused—a bold constructive nob'cV dealing with unemployment. Mr. Baldwin at present is he:ul'ng for a d saster nearly as black as in 1922. It .is no'longer

a questionoi' losing one hundred seats The real danger is of losing ldo. ' : ; LIBER AL 'CAMPAIGN. 'PEN THOUSAND MEETINGS NEXT MONTH. United Tress Assn by El. Tel. Copyright fAustralian Tress Association.) (Received March 24. A.A p.m.) . I,ON DON. March 2d. The Liberals'arc holding ten thousand meetings in April throughout’ the- country. ,