The Hawera Star.
TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1924. THE ELECTION IN BRITAIN.
Delivered every evening by 5 o’clocK In, Hawera, Manaia, Normanby, Okaiawa, Eltbam, Mangatoki, Kaponga, Awatuna, Opunake, Otakeho, Manutabi, Alton, Ifurleyville, Patea, • Waverley, Mokoia, Whakamara, Ohangai, Meremere, Fraser Road, and Ararata. , ■
While the people of New Zealand, are asleep to-morrow night Britain will he in the throes of an election that will .probably live in history. The cable messages during the last fortnight have contained the views of some of the leading candidates upon the questions of the day, but the information available is far too meagre to enable one at this distance to foretell with confidence what the results of the poll will be. Labour held office for some nine months because of the lack of will on the .part of the Liberals and Conservatives to turn Mr MacDonald out, but the Russian Treaty and the abandonment of the Campbell prosecution were regarded as too serious to let pass, and the Government was forced to go to the country. What the country thinks upon these matters will be told by the election results. When the campaign opened Labour appeared to be more confident of victory than it has been during the last few days. The Conservatives, however, appear to be very hopeful. Sir George Younger, one of the shrewdest judges in matters political in Great Britain, was reported a few days ago as prophesying a Conservative victory. The Labour and Conservative Parties expect to gain in strength, and, while the former has appealed for Liberal support, the latter have acquiesced in pacts with the Liberals in some constituencies to prevent triangular contests. It seems therefore that the hope of Labour and Conservative rests in the appeal of each to the Liberals, and obviously if Mr MacDonald and Mr Baldwin both add to their strength, as they believe they will, the Liberal Party will be weaker than it was in the last Parliament. On the other hand there may be many voters who, having voted on former occasions for Labour or Conservative, may decide to vote Liberal at the present election, in order to avoid the effects of Socialism or the Conservative policy, but it would be Temarltable if Mr Asquith ’s party did secure sufficient support to place him in power. The Conservatives will have to gain fifty seats to secure a majority, and their chances appear to be the most promising, for Labour will require to secure 117 more seats than it holds at present if it is t.o stay in office. The action of extremists interrupting Conservative and Liberal election meetings is not likely to help Labour, for the average British citizen likes fair play, and Labour will probably lose some votes as a result of howling down anti-Labour candidates by Communists. Judging from the information available it seems probable that the Conservatives will be returned to power, but they may have to depend upon some Liberal support to retain office. The deciding factor will be how the people who have formerly been Liberals vote on this occasion. Each of the other two parties is trying to secure their support, but no one can tell to what extent there will be any response to the appeals. Again it may happen that some former Conservative supporters may vote for Liberal ’ candidates, and Liberals who at the last election voted for Labour may return to the party which they forsook temporarily. Throughout the Empire the results
will be awaited with great interest, for tho people in the Dominions realise that the election is of special importance to the nation at the present time, when so many difficult problems await solution. It is for the majority of the electors to say whether Conservative, Liberal or Labour principles are to be applied in the efforts to find solutions.
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Bibliographic details
Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 28 October 1924, Page 4
Word Count
637The Hawera Star. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1924. THE ELECTION IN BRITAIN. Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 28 October 1924, Page 4
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