COSGRAVE REGIME ENDED

Hawera Star, Volume LI, 20 February 1932, Page 5

COSGRAVE REGIME ENDED

INDICATIONS IN IRELAND ADVANCE OF REPUBLICANS ABSOLUTE MAJORITY DOUBTED. PROGRESS OF POLL RETURNS., Received 10.30 a.in., to-day. LONDON, Feb. 19. Progressive returns of the Irish Free State elections received to-night showed the state of parties as : Government 37 Republicans 47 Independents 10 Labour 'i The “Guardian’s” Dublin correspondent says that one apparent certainty at the. present stage of the Free State election returns is that the Cosgrave regime has ended. Everyone is praying fervently rather than hopefully that nothing worse will come in its place. It is improbable that Mr De Valera will obtain an absolute majority though there, are indications he will have from 70 to 75 seats and Labour, which is anti-Cqsgrave, six to eight. There is no likelihood of a Fianna Fail-Labour coalition. All responsibility of office would be thrown on Mr. De Valera. . The Communist candidates in Dublin, Messrs. Larkin and Froy forfeited their deposits. Mr. Cosgrave complained of the vagaries of proportional representation, but be has reason now to bless it ebcanse it enabled some of his candidates to scrape home from near the bottom of the poll. The total Government poll in j'.orth Dublin was 36,000 against the De Valera party’s 25.000. The highest poll for the whole Free State was Mr. Cosgrave’s, nevertheless the Government; candidates appear to have chopped votes almost everywhere. The electors rewarded Labour’s alliance with the Republicans with i lie defeat of many Labour candidates. All the Communist candidates were rejected. Mr Cosgrave increased his vote by 1000. while Mr. De Valera’s vote dropped 1400. Tbe Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr. Alfred Byrne, was elected as an independent supporter of the Government. Mr. Dan Breen (Republican), the I.R.A. veteran, was elected in Tipperarv. The following are among those elected: Dublin City North. Mrs. Collins O’Driscoll (Government); Longford (Westmeath L General Maeeoin (Government) ; Cork, Mr. R. S. Antony; Tipperary. Mr. D. Morrissey. Both tbe latter are Independent Labourites who were expelled from the party in October for supporting the Fffblic Safety Bill.