FIERCE ELECTION FIGHT

Hokitika Guardian, 25 October 1930, Page 7

FIERCE ELECTION FIGHT

\ NEW SOUTH WALES CAMPAIGN.

.FRUIT AND EGGS. 1 SYDNEY, October 9. The ;New South Wales election campaign is developing into a real oldtime battle, which is not surprising seeing the bitterness that has been created in some of the electorates. It would seem that the blind followers of Labour are prepared to go to any extreme to prevent the airing of any other political thought. At recent Nationalist meetings, eggs and fruit have been used freely and a sitting Nationalist had the doubtful honour of stepping the first egg thrown during the campaign. Most of the other eggs and ' the over-ripe fruit have missed their mark, for political protagonists are notoriously bad shots.

Most of the disturbances have been so well planned as to suggest that they are the work of some supreme command. Such tactics are not likely to win the Labour Party many friends, and it is difficult to imagine why they are resorted to. They are not attempted iil Nationalist strongholds but in Labour strongholds, bo that, in any case, they must be quite ineffective, Those Nationalists who are fighting Labour on Labour ground are having a bad time, but theirs is a forlorn hope at the best. Elsewhere the Nationalists appear to be gaining ground. MR BAVIN’S PART'. The Premier (Mr Bavin) seems to realise the importance of this election, and when it is remembered how ill he has been it is surprising that lie is able to stand up so well to the battle. He is this week making an extensive tour of the country districts, and he has had most enthusiastic meetings, which augur well for the success of his cause. He has concentrated not so much on the Labour Party itself, as on the Leader of the State Opposition (Mr Lang), who is certainly the central figure of Labour’s campaign. Mr Bavin has little' quarrel with the more moderate elements of Labour, and he seems anxious to give the Federal Labour Government credit for endeavouring to meet the critical situation that has developed in Australia’s finances. A s the campaign proceeds it is plain that Mr Lang does not see eye to eye with, the Federal Cabinet. He persists in ignoring facts, and says that he will continue to borrow money despite the Bank of England, Sir Otto Niemeyer, and anybody else. He is still silent as to the field in which he will borrow, and it is taken for granted that lie haa eyes on the United States, where once before he borrowed a substantial Slim. * TWO 1 POLICIES.

Mr Bavin accuses Mr Lang of having one policy for the cities and another for the country. At a great meeting in one of the big country centres the other night he had his crowd rocking with laughter at his picture of Mr Lang trying to please both sections. “He raises the loyal cheers of his suburban followers in the city,” he said, “with one set of promises, and then rushes off to the rural centres in an endeavour to repeat the performance with another set. To the city audiences he promises to reduce the price of foodstuffs which they have to buy to a minimum, if only he is returned. Then he asks the country electors to place him in power on the promise that if they do so, he will obtain the maximum price fcir the foodtsuffs that they have- to sell. It tends to make you a little suspicious, doesn’t it? Mr Lang could only recolcile those two promises if lie were a magician. Otherwise they must he taken as on a par with his mythical millions.” FEDERAL GOVERNMENT’S ECONOMIES.

It is significant that the Federal Government has refrained from announcing exactly what its economies—planned to save £4,000,000 —will be. It is felt that Mr Lang has put some pressure on the Government to withhold announcements until after the State Election, especially those which have anything to do with wage reductions. And if the Federal Government is to balance its Budget, as it proposes, to do, wage reductions will be an essential part of the policy. Of course, wage reductions are distinctly distasteful to Labour. Actually t.he New South Wales campaign is delaying the rehabilitation of Australian finances, for the delay is serious, especially as the first quarter of the current financial year has already passed without any of the major eno comics being put into effect.

As yet there is no sign that the elections well result in a- landslide. Competent observes are forescasting a return of the Bavin Government.