ELECTION IN CANADA

Hokitika Guardian, 6 June 1930, Page 8

ELECTION IN CANADA

MAIN -IS,SITES INDICATED: AUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND TREATIES. OTTAWA, June 1. With the election date set and the decks cleared lor the impending political battle in Canada, something of cue diverse forces at work to create an important division of opinion over tne Australian and New Zealand treaties stand out in clearer perspective. To begin with, it was generally agreed in political circles that the Tory opposition to the Australian treaty was frankly an effort to garner a few votes in the Prairie provinces. While the Canadian farmers were concentrating on wheat because it was more profitable than dairy and mixed farming there was little outcry against imported butter, but the tune was ■hanged when the market fell out of wheat. In British Columbia, where die treaty was generally popular, sheep breeders were likely to attack it. They want a prohibitive duty on Australian land), claiming that they were now practically in a position to supply domestic needs. In East Canada, the treaties were seen strictly in commercial terms, since that section was not a producer of primary products and saw better business because of the facts. It appeared ■ to lie' clear that the industrial East, having very much at stake in the Aus tralian treaty, would throw its weight against those primary producers in the West who were making an outcry against the pact irrespective of whether their claims were real or illusory. As the election campaign proceeded it was expected that the Australian and New Zealand treaties would loom very large, but because the inclination seemed to lie to make political material 011% of what should be strictly an economic and business consideration, both Parties , would have to be extremely cautious in their utterances, oeeause the treaties might prove to be a two-edged sword. Other important issues in the election were the Budget of the Minister for Finance, Mr C. A. Dunning, which had been recently very much criticised. Mr Mackenzie King’s alleged reflection on Sir Wilfred Laurior in his introduction to the biography of that statesman since repudiated by him, which nevertheless might lose him some seats' in Quebec, and the business depression, which despite claims of improvement, had been generally unchanged since the American relapse of last autumn. [The Prime Minister. Mr W. L. Mackenzie King (Liberal) took office on September 25th, 1926, his Party being returned at the General Elections held earlier in that month. The composition of the Kou.se of Commons on that date was as under:—• Liberals H 8 Conservatives 91 Liberal Progressives ... 11 United Farmers, Alberta 11 Progressives 9 Labour 3 Independents 9 Mr R. P>. Bennett is the Leader of the Opposition.]