LYONS WINS

Grey River Argus, 17 September 1934, Page 5

LYONS WINS

FEDERAL ELECTIONS LABOUR GAINS Country Party Losses DOUGLAS CREDIT VOTE GOOD. SEVEN NEW LABOUR MEN. FIVE SEATS IN DOUBT. (Aus <Sr- N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY, September 15. The Prime Minister (Mr J. A. (Lyons), his Ministers, and the majority of the influential newspapers are confident of a substantial victory for the anti-Labour forces, in the Federal election to-day, though whether the Government will obtain a clear majority over all the parties as it did at the last election is a matter for conjecture. The Government expects to retain more than 95 per cent of its seats, and also to capture two from the Country Party in electorates where there is strained feeling about the tariff.

Labour expects to win back a few seats lost at the last election—two in New South Wales, two in Victoria, and one in Western Australia. On the other hand, they may lose two in New South Wales and one in Queensland because of the redistribution of boundaries. In order to obtain a majority over the other parties the combined Labour factions require double their presentstrength of 19. THE ISSUES. The outstanding issue in the election is the socialisation of credit, advocated by the combined Federal and State Labour forces. Whatever slight difference of opinion exists between the United Australian Party and the United Country Party relates to the tariff. Exactly what part will be played by Douglas Credit candidates at the poll remains to be seen, but the consensus of opinion is that they will prejudice Labour’s chances where the margin is likely to be narrow. LAST PARLIAMENT. The party position in the last Parliament was:— United Australia Party .. .. 38 United Country Party . . . . 16 Federal Labour Party . . . . 14 Beasley or Lang Labour group 5 Independents 2 Total 75 The new House of Representatives because of the elimination of the Angas seat in South Australia, will have only 74 members.

Government Majority Reduced

BALANCE CHANGED. INTERESTING UPSHOT LIKELY. (Received September 16, at 6.30 p'.ni.) SYDNEY, September 16. With its former large majority negligib’y reduced, the Lyons (love, •mient yesterday received an unequivocal mandate to carry on At. most the United Australia Paotty 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 arc Labour strongholds, and were won during the 1931 landslide, and are now reverting to Labour, as the Prime Minister has anticipated. When the counting ceased early this morning, the. position appeared as follows:— - United Australia Party . . . . 34 United Country Party .. .. 12 Federal Labour Party . . . . 16 N.S.W S’tate Labour Party .. 7 Doubtful 5 Other parties 0 The former Hou>s<e 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 court on the suppoywt 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 LANGITES’ SUCCESS. 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 candidate, but the Lang-Beas-ley influence is not noticeable in any other States. COUNTRY PARTY LOSSES. GOVERNMENT SUCCESS. (Received September 16 at 6.35 pm.) SYDNEY, September 16. The Postmaster-General Mr A. Parkhill, lias a huge majority of twentyeight thousand. The Minister of Commerce, Mr F. II Stewart, has an absolute majority of twelve thousand. Hon. W. M. Hughes has an absolute majority of four thousand. These figures are typical of the strength of

the Un it ml Australia. Party polling in many electorates. The Country Party, however, has not done quite so well. IN THE SMALLER STATES. SYDNEY, September 16. 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. SENATE VOTING. SYDNEY. September 16. Owing to the smallness of the early returns and to the large nunil-'er of Candidates in the field for the Senate, it will net be possible to indicate tho outcome fop several days, although here again the Government forces arc making a strong showing. N.S.W. CHANGES. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY. September 16. The extent 'to which the Federal Labour Party vote slipped 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 nt present having more than a two to one majority. Mr Garden has made previous unsucces >ful attempts to obtain a seat in Parliament. On this ckcasion he has vanquished a difficult opponent, as Air 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 relaltes to Mr T D. Mutch, a former State Minister for Education in the Lang regime. He defeated a strong opponent. Mr 11. Lazzarini. who is a Lang supporter, or State Labour nominee, for Werriwa. At last election, this seat was won by the Country Party. PRJME MINISTER’S COMMENT. HOPES OF HIS PARTY. (Aus. & N.Z. Cable Assn.) SYDNEY. September 16. The Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. J. A. Lyons, is having an easy victory in Wilmot. Tasmania. It was his fiftyfifth birthday yesterday. He said: “I certainly am experiencing many happy returns. My party '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 lt,heniseives to adventurers in the unchartered and tempestuous h'eas of financial experiment. 1 The campaign directors of the United Australia Party go the length of predicting thait the Prime Minister will probably have a personal following of thirty-seven, losing only one seat, when the tinal 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 the Baitman seats in Victoria, but they will gain the Corangamite seat in Victoria, and Werriwa in New South Wale.s from the Country Party. Thus they will have thirty-seven seats, or half of the total membership of the new House. ONE MINISTER IN DOUBT SYDNEY, September 16. 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 tho last minute, owing to the fact that the preferences invariably have to decide the issue. The primary votes alone have been so far counted in the various State*’, and the position of the doubtful scats will not be known in some instances until the end of next week. LABOUR GAINS IN VICTORIA SYDNEY, September 16. The election position in Victoria was not. less interesting that in New South Wales, though there are no surprises. Mr R. G. Menzies, kite Victorian At-torney-General, who probably will succeed Mr Latham as Federal AttorneyGeneral, has obtained a heavy majority in Kooyong. The Labourites, Mr Maurice Blackburn, and Mr Frank Brennan, have retrieved the Bourke and Batman seats in Victoria for the Federal Labour Party. Mr Blackburn retired ficm the Speakership of the Victorian Assembly to contest the 80-urke Federal seat.

Maribyrnong, Victoria, has rejected Mr J. E. Fenton, the veteran ex-Lab-our member, who, with Mr Lyons, broke away from the Scullin Administratis and so led to its downfall. Mr Fenton allied h'imself with the United Australia Party, last election, and he just managed to win, but on this occasion he will be narrowly beaten by A. S. Drakeford, Federal Labour candidate. NEW MEMBERS SYDNEY, September 16 The new members so far elected include the following:—Victor'ia:Mr M. Blackburn (Federal Labour). Mr F. Brennan (Federal Labour). Mr A. Drakeford (Federal Labour). Mr R. G. Menzies (United Australia). New South Wales:— Mr.T. Mutch (United Australia). Mr W McC’all (United Australia). Mr J. Garden (State labour). Mr D. Mulcahy (State Labour). Queensland: — Mr D. Watson Federal Labour). Went Australia:— Mr J Curtain (Federal Labour). DOUBTFUL SEATS. There are five seats .still remaining in doubt. These are:— Catare and Djarl ing, in New South Wales; the Adelaide seat in South Australia; and the

Franklin seat and Bass *eat in Tasmania DOUGLAS CREDIT CANDIDATES. FILLIP FOR THEIR MOVEMENT. SYDNEY. September IG. I.n 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 arc 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. LONDON PRESS COMMENT. THE BANKERS' RESPITE. LONDON, September 15. The “ Observer’’ says: “The swing of the pendulum has not gone far in the Australian polling, and the reduction in Mr Lyons's' strength is less than it seemed natural to expect in the elections. The main significance is that the Commonwealth has vetoed the ambition of both of the Labour factors, Federal and State, to re 1 ? eve 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.