LYONS VICTORY

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIV, Issue 235, 17 September 1934, Page 7

LYONS VICTORY

MANDATE TO CARRY ON Australian Federal Elections CHANGES IN N.S.W. By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright SYDNEY, September 16. With its former large majority negligibly reduced, the Lyons Government yesterday received an unequivocal mandate to carry on. At most, it may lose four seats, and the Country Party also four, which will be due entirely to the fact that these seats, which are Labour strongholds, wore won during the 1031 landslide and are now reverting to Labour, as the Prime Minister anticipated. When counting ceased to-night the position appeared as follows:—

The Government hitherto has had an absolute majority over all other parties, with the result that it. was unnecessary officially to coalesce with the Country Party. Now, however, the latter party holds the balance of power and iner•sting political developments are re garded as inevitable. It was unofficially stated last night that the Government, could count on ths support of the Country Party which, peculiarly, is likely to lose a couple of its seats at the hand of the rival United Australia Party. A feature of the polling in New South Wales, where most of the changes are occurring, is that Stato Labour, led by Mr Beasley, very nearly ousted file Federal Labour candidates, but the Lang-Beasley influence was uot noticeable in any other States. The whole of the Ministers, with the possible exception of Mr J. A. Guy, assistant Minister of Customs, will be returned. Mr Guy’s position is in doubt until the last minute owing to the fact that preferences invariably have to decide the issue. PREMIER'S BIRTHDAY. So far primary votes alone have been Counted in the various States and the position of doubtful seats will not be known in some instances until the end •f next week. The Prime Minister is having an easy victory in Wilmot, Tasmania. It was his fifty-fifth birthday yesterday. He •aid: “I am certainly experiencing many happy returns. My party is still overwhelmingly the largest in ths House of Representatives. The Government has received a magnificent expression of confidence. We shall go | forward with our task of placing Aus tralia completely on her feet. •'lt is quite apparent,” Mr Lyons added, “that the people are not prepared to trust themselves to adventurers in the uncharted and tempestuous seas of financial experiments. ' ’ Campaign directors of the United Australia Party go the length of predicting that the Primo Minister will probably have a personal following of 37, losing only one scat when the final returns are to hand. Their analysis is as follows; — Tho United Australia Party has already definitely lost the Lang scat in New South Wales, the Mary by mung, and Batman seats, in Victoria, but will gain Obrangamite in Victoria and Wernwa in New South Wales, from the Country Party Thus it will have 37, or halt the total membership of the new House Although in no instance did Douglas Credit candidates conic within striking distance of success they polled surprisingly well in some electorates and their leaders are much encouraged and declare that it will stimulate them to greater action. The distribution of their candidates’ preferences will have an important bearing in doubtful contest* MR. GARDEN IN. The extent to which the Federal Labour vote has slipped in New South Wales is best indicated by the heavy primary votes recorded for Mr J. S. Garden, secretary of the Sydney Trades and Labour Cotiacil, over Mr. E. C. Riley, the former at present having more than a two-to-one majority. Mr Garden has made previous unsuccessful attempts to obtain a seat in Parliament. On this occasion he has vanquished a difficult opponent, as Mr Riley « fath er hitherto has held the Cook sent for many years ami hail a -troue |>er«omil following A notable victory lui th- United Australia Party tu New South Wales U that of Mr D. I>. Mitch, former State Minister for Edration in the Lang regime. He defeated a strong opponent, Mr H. P. Lazzarini, who is a Lang suporter or State Labour item-

mee tor Werriwa, winch last election was won by the Country Party. The position in Victoria is not leas interesting, though there are no surprises Mr R. G. Menzies, who will probably succeed Mr J. G. Latham as Federal Attoiney-Geueral, obtained a heavy majority at Kooyong, while Mr Maurice Blackburn and Mr Frank Brennan have retrieved the Hourke and Batman seats for Federal Labour Mr Blackburn retired from the Speakship ot the Victorian Assembly to contest Hourke. Maribyrnong fins rejected Mr J E. Fenton, the veteran Labour e-mem-ber, who, with Mr Lyons, broke away from the Scullin administration and led to its downfall. Mr Fenton allied himself with the United Australia Party last election and just managed to win, but on this occasion will be narrowly beaten by Mr A. S. Drakefold, Federal Labour. The Postmaster-General, Mr A. Parkhill, has a huge majority of I 18,000, The Minister of Commerce, Mr F. H. Stewart, has an absolute majority of 12,000. Mr W. M. Hughes has an absolute majority, of 4000. These figures are typical of the strength of the United Australia Party polling in many electorates. The Country Party, however, has not done quite so well. Reports from smaller States indicate that there will bo only trilling changes in the party's representation and there probably will not be more than three new faces. NEW FACES. The new members so tar include the following: Victoria: M. Blackburn, F. Brennan, A. Drakeford (Federal Labour); R. G. Menzies (United Australia). New South Wales: T. Mutch, W. McCall (United Australia), J. Garden, D. Mulcahy (State Labour). Queensland: D. Watson (Federal Labour). West Australia: J. Curtain (Federal Labour). Doubtful seats are Calare and Aiding, in New South Wales, the Adelaide seat in South Australia and the Franklin and Bass seats in Tasmania Owing to the smallness of the returns and large number of candidates in the field for the Senate it will not be possible to indicate the outcome for several days although, here again, the Government forces are making a strong showing. Mr H. Horsefield, secretary of the United Australian Party, Sydney, described the outcome as a political miracle. He would not be surprised if the party won 37 seats. Whatever ground was lost in this State was due solely to the redistribution of boundaries. The Premier, Mr B S. B. Stevens, regards the poll as the best test possible of the real political conscience of Australian electors at the present moment. The result is, he says, most gratifying. Mr J. T. Lang, leader of the State Opposition, is extremely pleased that State Labour candidates have done so well in New South Wales, which convinces him that his party should triumph at the forthcoming State elections. PENDULUM’S SWING Labour Schemes Vetoed LONDON, September 16. The “Observer” says: “The swing of the pendulum has not gone far in the Australian polling and the reduction of Mr. Lyons's strength is less than seemed natural to expect. The election's main significance is that, the Commonwealth has vetoed the ambition of both Labour factions, Federal and State, to relieve bankers of their responsibilities.” The “Sunday Times” expresses the opinion that with the results satisfactory on the whole a revival of interest in Australian stocks is assured. MR. FORBES’S COMMENT Encouraging Victory (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 17. Commenting on the Australian election the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, said that the victory o! the Lyons Government was very encouraging as a recognition by the Australian people of the courageous way in which the Commonwealth Government bad faced the difficulties of the depression, entailing a programme of unpopular and drastic measures, and involving sacrifices by all sections of the community. It was a tribute to the oommonsense of the Commonwealth that they could distinguish between a solid performance and illusory promises, said Mr Forbes. The contest was between a Labour party which was in office at the beginning of the depression, and a Government that had to take over unsolved problems from them. This made the result all the more significant, ns it showed that the people of Australia were determined to stand by stable and responsible government. The Kt. Hon. J. G. Coates remarked that it. appeared from the returns available that the Australian people had giien a complete answer to (he sn call cd monetary cranks who had' been putting forward quack remedies. In common with the rest of the world Australia had been passing through au entirely new set of circumstances. It was evident the people of the Commonwealth appreciated what had been done by the Government to meet the position. It was too early yet to discuss tho effect the election would have on the question of importation pf Australian .fruit into Newt Zealand,

United Australia Party .. 36 United Country Party .. .. . 12 federal Labour . 15 State Labour . s Doubtful „ .. 3 Other Parties . . Nil The former House of Representatives Comprised:— United Australia Party .. .. . 3S United Country . 16 Federal Labour .. .. . 14 State Labour • 5 Independents .. .. .. .. . 2