STATE ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1932, Page 5

STATE ELECTIONS

BEING HELD TO-DAY , N.S.W. GOVERNMENT HOPES. (Australian Brens Association.) SYDNEY, June 10. i General are being held in l the sister States of New South Wales l and .Queensland to-rnoriow, and .they - are creating the kecncvt of interest I throughout Australia, j ! The Coinmoinvoa.th Ministry, for . obvmu.j jx-a. oils, is hoping for the, ret turn of the Gove, nmeiits, which are i pledged to the carrying out of the Premiers’ Plan for the rehabilitation , of national finances, which already bar; partly been accomplished. I The parly organise., s for the - Government side predict tlrat the New • South Wales Labour Party will lose practically every one of its seats in the, country and that it also will lone several seats in the metropolis. The Government organisers put it j that in eight or ten of the contests in 1930, the majorities were so narj row in favour of Labour that it will he quite a simple process to swing them away from Labour on this occasion, and that the people who will do the tl’iok comprise those of the | middle class and small business) men who, in 1930, were deluded by Mr Lang’s lavish promises, LANG PARTY CONFIDENT. OF ITS RETURN TO POWER. < SYDNEY, June 10. 1 Despite the orgy of political capital ' which his opponents have, made out of Mr Lang’s hectic career, his party are .supremely confident that Labour 1 is going to be returned to power. • I The New • South Wales Labour , Party argue that, to win the enemy must swing over 179,535 votes, which j they declare to be an impossibility. The New South Wales Labour Party having won fifteen seats in the general elections of 1930 are now counting on winning ten more seats. STRUGGLE AGAINST BIG ODDS. LANG THE CENTRAL FIGURE. t SYDNEY, June 10. j That Mr Lang’s relations with the ( Commonwealth are strained to tho 1 uttermost is common knowledge. In deed, he would give the Federal Government no quarter ,and he certainly | c would get no quarter front the Federal Government if he, were to be returned. .

Mr Lang’s policy makes it quite clear that, if returned, he will launch the biggest offensive in the history of the State on the hanks and other financial interest with his mortgage taxation measure. Originally, he stated that the ten to twelve, millions thus to he obtained would help to pay the overseas bondholders their interest, but now be explains that the money would be devoted to the, providing of employment, and that whatever is left over would go to the bondholders ar; interest, \

It is safe to say that no other Premier has received such raking from the newspapers as Mr Lang lias done, and that no pol’itiean since the late Sir George Reid has been caricatured to the same extent or purpose as Mr Lang has been,

LYON’S THREAT TO LANG. 'SYDNEY, June 10. The Prime Minister, Rt, Hon. J. A. Lyons, addressed a huge rally in the Sydney Town Hall. The Prime Minister announced: “If Mr Lang is put back again we will tie him up, as wo tied him up before! I have already said, on several occasions, that while the Lang blight remains, there is no hope for Australia, and that such an incubus will have to be removed.” PROSPECTS IN QUEENSLAND. LABOUR MULL GAIN.

‘BRISBANE, June 10. Impartial observers say that a close contest is inevitable in the Queensland State elections to-morrow. The Labour. Opposition has so muen leeway to make up that a of votes would be necesasry to give tlmm the reins of office In the last Parliament tho state of parties was a* follows :—• Country - Progressive - Nationalist Coalition 44 seats; Labour Party 20 seats; Independents 2. Tho Re-distribution Act reduced tho number of seats by ten, leaving the state of parties as follows: - Progres-‘sivc-Natibna.U.st-Coialjtioii 41 ; 'Labour Party Hi; Independents 2. The Labour Party must, therefore gain thirteen seats to secure a majority.

It is expected tint the Labour Party will score heavily in the north and also the contra! districts, and also in the Brisbane Metropolitan area. The Government should hold its own in Darling Downs and on the, south coast.

It is regarded as unlikely that Dm Government will gain any .scuts anywhere. Toe geimr'l belief i.-: that the Government's majority is likely to be reduced, but whether it will vanish altogether will bo determined on polling day. balancing federal budget. SYDNEY, June 10. The total revenue received by the

Commonwealth for the past eleven months of the present financial year is £61,8-16,000 of which £7,620,000 represents receipts 'from the sales tax,

It is expected that the deficit at the end of tlie year will he very slight. There k even a. strong possibility of a small surplus, especially if the New South Wales interest payments qre met in the near future.

DEFENCE DEPARTMENT DENIAL. IN CONCERT WITH NEW GUARD. (Received this dnv at, 9.25 a.m) SYDNEY, Juno 11. The Prime Minister has received a report from- the Defence Department arising out of th e allegation on May 14 by Mr Beasley, M.P., leader of the Lang group in the House ot Representatives, to the. effect that the Defence Department had been acting in conceit with the New Guard. The report states that there is not the slightest foundation for the allegations. On the contrary, the activities of the New Guard were a soure e of anxiety to the Defence Department, which was forced to take steps t’o safeguard its property, while, in no instance, was the New Guard in possession of confidential information in regard to defence stores, arms and ammunition.

LOAN FOR UNEMPLOYED. NINE PARTIES FOR ELECTION. BRISBANE. June 11In addition to 'having uo - .sympathy with the Premiers’ Plan as at present drawn up, the Labour Leader, Mr Kurgan Smith, promises to raise a "revivir. loan” for (lie absorption of the unemployed. This money is supposed to cmne from the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. The Premier, -Mr .Motile, has now ascertained that the t ompauv has not, been approached upon such a matter.

The nine parties contesting the election are; —Government, Country and Progressive, Nationalist, Official Labour, 1 1, dependents, Queensland Parly, Communists, Lang Planners, Dougins Credits System Ad'•oca tea, and Independent EnmiorY Party. ELI'.CI’IGN DAY BEK'NS FINE S'"’» ' , .1 iiue 11 The weather lor election day is •' ll ’ arid cool. At midnight, polling bnul.i workers in a number of suburbs had taken up |1 air positions in preparations for tlm big day.