LYONS GETS MANDATE TO CARRY ON.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 17 September 1934, Page 7

LYONS GETS MANDATE TO CARRY ON.

But Country Party Holds Balance of Power.

Government May Lose Four Seats.

Received Sunday, 7 p.m,

SYDNEY, Sept. 16

With its former large majority ncgiibly reduced, the Lyons Government yesterday received an unequivocal mandate to carry on. At the most it may lose four seats and the Country Party also four, which will be due entirely to the fact that these seats, Labour strongholds, were won during the 1931 landslide and are now reverting to Labour, as the Prime Minister 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 STATE LABOUR PARTY .. 7 DOUBTFUL SEATS .. 5 OTHER PARTIES

The former House of Eeprcsontativcs comprised: United Australia Party, 38; United Country, 1(5; Federal Labour, 14; State Labour, 5; Independents, 2.

The Government has hitherto had an absolute majority over all the other parties, with the result that it has been 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 might that the Government could count on the support of . the Country Party, which peculiarly is likely to lose a couple of its seats at the expense of the rival United Australia Party. A feature of the polling in New South Wales, where most . of the changes are occurring, is that State Labour, led by Mr. Beasley, has very nearly ousted Federal Labour candidates, but the Lang-Boaslcy influence is not noticeable in any of the other States.

The whole of the Ministers, with the possible exception of Mr. J. A. Guy, assistant Minister tor Customs, will bo returned. Mr. Guy’s position is usually in doubt until the last minute, owing to the fact that preferences invariably have to decide the issue.

So far the primary votes alone have teen counted in the various States and the position of the doubtful seats will not be known in some instances until the end of next week. Will Go Forward With Work.

The Prime Minister had an easy victory in Wilmot (Tasmania) on his 55th birthday. Yesterday he said: “I am certainly 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 and we shall go forward with the task of placing Australia completely on its feet. “It 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 experiment.'”

The campaign directors of the United Australia Party go to the length of predicting that the Prime Minister will probably have a personal following of 37, losing only one seat, when the final returns are in hand. Their analysis is as follows: —The United Australia Party has already definitely lost the Lang seat in New South Wales and the Maribyrnong and Batman seats in Victoria, but will gain Corangamite (Victoria) and Werriwa (New South Wales) from the Country Party. It will thus have 37 seats, or half the total membership of the new House. Although in no instance did Douglas Credit candidates come within striking distance of success, they polled surprising!/well in some electorates and their leaders, much .encouraged, declare that this will stimulate, them to greater action. The distribution of their candidates ’ preferences will have an important bearing in doubtfql contests. Mr. Garden Gets In. The extent to which the Pe.deral Labour vote has slipped in New South Wales is best indicated by the primary votes recorded for Mr. J. S. Garden, secretary of the Sydney Trades and Labour Council, over Mr. E. C. Riley, the former at present having more than a two to one majority. Mr, Garden made previous, unsuccessful attempts to obtain a seat in Parliament, On this occasion he has. vanquished a difficult opponent, as Mr. Riley’s father had hitherto held the Cook scat for many years and had a strong personal following.

As Far as Expected

A notable victory for the United

Australia Party in New South Wales relates to Mr. T. D. Mutch, the former State Minister for Education in the Lang regime. He defeated a strong opponent, Mr. H. P. Lazzarini, who is a Lang supporter, or State Labour nominee, for Wcrriwa, which at the last election was won by the Country Party. The position in Victoria is not less interesting, though there were no surprises.

Mr. E. G, Mcnzics, who will probably succeed Mr. J. G. Latham as Federal Attorney-General, obtained a heavy majority at Kooyong, while -Messrs. Maurice Blackburn and Frank Brennan have retrieved the Bourko and Barman scats for Federal Labour. Mr, Blackburn retired from the Speakership of the Victorian Assembly to contest Bourkc.

Maribyrnong has rejected Mr. J. E. Fenton, the veteran ex-Labour member, who, with Mr. Lyons, broke away from the Sculliu administration and led to its downfall. Mr. Fenton allied himself with the United Australia Party at the last election and just managed to win, but/on this oecaison he will be narrowly beaten by Mr. A. S. Brakeford (Federal Labour). Some Big Majorities.

The Postmaster-General (Mr. A. Parkhill) has the huge majority of 28,000; the Minister for Commerce (Mr. F. H. Stewart) an absolute majority of 12,000, and Mr. AV. M. Hughes 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 the smaller States indicate that there will be only trifling changes in that party’s representation and will probably not exceed three new faces.

Owing to the smallness of the returns and the 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. New members so far include the following:— Victoria: Messrs, M. Blackburn, F. Brennan and A. Drakeford (Federal Labour), and R. 6. Menzies (United Australia). New South Wales; Messrs. T. Mutch and W. McCall (United Australia). .1. Garden and B. Mulcahy (State Labour).

Queensland: D. Watson (Federal Labour). West Australia; Mr. J. Curtain (Federal Labour). The doubtful seats are Calare and Darling, in New South Wales, the Adelaide seat, in South Australia, and the Franklin and Bass seats in Tasmania.

Swing of Pendulum Not Gone

COMMENT FROM LONDON Received Sunday, 7 p.m. LONDON, Sept. 17. The Observer says: "The swing of the pendulum has not gone far in the Australian polling and the reduction in Mr. Lyons' strength is less than it seemed natural to expect. The election’s main significance is that the Commonwealth has vetoed the ambition of both the Labour factions, Federal and State, to relieve the bankers of their responsibilities.” The Sunday Times expresses the opinion, with the results satisfactory on the whole, that a revival of interest in Australian stocks is assured.