FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Inangahua Times, 21 December 1931, Page 2

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

(Per United Press Assn.) LABOUR GOVERNMENT DEFEATED BIG WIN- for united and COUNTRY PARTIES SYDNEY, East Night. The Sculli n Government is defeated. The strength of the Parties in the House is as follows: Scullinites 14 Langite-Labour (all N.S.W.) .... 10 United Australian Party ........ 31 Country Party 14 Doubtful 6 All Party leaders were elected. Hughes retained North Sydney. The Ministers, Theodore and Maloney are defeated. The return of the Attorney-General, Brennan, is precarious.

HEAVY POLLING SYDNEY, Last Night. Favoured with fine, though dull* weather locally, the polling was heavy hut passed without incident. Returns from West Australia and some places in Queensland electorates are so scattered that collection of the figures Is most difficult. Of those practically complete, some remain doubtful because country votes and distribution of preferences may affect the final placings in one or two seats; also, though it is plain which Party will win the seat, the actual candidate to occupy it is not clear till preferences are allotted.

POSITION SUMMARISED The position in the House, summarised when the counting ceased, was, that the Government had only fourteen definite followers of its own Party. Dang Planners numbered ten, all of Sydney or the vicinity. United Australia and United Country Parties mustered fortyfive and six seats are doubtful.

HOW .THE STATES VOTED By States’ results, It would appear) to he:— NEW SOUTH WALES Federal Labour 3 Langites 10 United Australia 8 Countryites 7 Doubtful o VICTORIA Federal Labour 4 Langites o United Australia 8 Countryites 1 Doubtful 1 SOUTH AUSTRALIA Federal Labour 2 Langites o United Australia 4 Countryites 0 Doubtful 1 TASMANIA Federal Labour o Langites q United Australia 5 Countryites 0 Doubtful 0 QUEENSLAND Federal Labour : 5 Langites 0 United Australia 3 Countryites 1 Doubtful 1 WEST AUSTRALIA Federal Labour 0 Langites 0 United Australia 0 Countryites 2 Doubtful 3 In New South Wales, the Government retained Darling (unless the second preferences depart from the plan) and Newcastle. Langites won Barton, where Eldridge, who htd deserted Martin, defeated the sitting candidate, Tully. Dailey was taken by Rosevear from Theodore.

Cook was taken by J. S. Garden from the Ministerialist, E. C. Riley, though preferences may possibly upset the position. Lang seat was won by Mulcahey from a Scullinite, Long. Reid was won by Ganden from a Ministerialist, Coleman.

In South Sydney, J. Stewart seems to have the Government supporter, E. Riley, beaten. East Sydney Is held by Ward, Hum! by James, Werriwa by Lazzarini, though he is hard pressed and West Sydney by Beasley, leader of the Federal Lang Planners. United Australia won Edenmonaro and Parramatta from Labour -nid retained North Sydney (W. M. Hughes), Parkes, Robertson, Warrlngah and Wentwoth.

In the last named, the sitting member, Marks, who figured i n the revolt with Hughes, which wrecked the Bruce Government, was beaten by two to one by a political newcomer, Harrison, un der the same banner.

The Country Party captured Calare, where Thorby, former State Minister of Agriculture, ousted Gibbons, framer of a financial “plan” last year and Gwyder from the Federal Labour. Bruce scored 36700 to the Federal Labour candidate's 11900. Senate returns here and in other States are very backward. The Sun Newspaper credits the combined Opposition with 48 seats, combined Labour with nineteen, Indepen

dent one, doubtful seven. The paj.tr conMders, chiefly, the L.fenc-, McNeil; the Minister ot Health, Cunningham, and ihe Assistant Minister a c also doomed.

As a large amount ot counting is yet to be done, c’ose contests are not easv to forecast.

Upon Cabinet makers newspapers are already busy. One suggested that the team be led by Mr L'<ns, with Lyons as P'ime Minis’er and Minister of Tixternai Afl irs ; Mr Bruce, Treasurer, Mr I.atham, Attorney* General, an • l ari Page, Minister of Health, Mr Glasgow, Minister of Defence, Mr Gullett, Minister for Trade and Customs ; Mr Prowse, Works and Railways ; Hughes, Post-master-Gene- al : Mr Parkhill, Home and Territories ; Mr Paterson, Markets and Migration, with Mr Fearce as leader of the Senate.

An early reshuffle anticipates giving ’h* leadership to Mr Bruce, the High Court seat to Mr Latham and a portfolio to Mr Holman. The Sun suggests, on present figures, Fe’eral Labour will gain two seals in the Senate, both in Queensland.

Reed 9 a.m Sydney, This day The Beasley candidates polled fairly heavily in Sydney and the Metropolitan electorates, where the Lang influence is strong, but in the other States they were not treated seriously. Jock Garden, chief exponent of the Lang plan after Beasley, contested the Cook seat against the veteran Labourite, E. C. Riley, who is a Scullin supporter. An extremely close strugg'e ensured, and the result is likely to remain in doubt for some days.

Similar contests are going on in Barton, South Sydney, and Werriwa, where there is a battle royal ia between the Official Federal Labour and the Beasley Labour factions, the communtiv looking on with the greaiest interest. The Minister of Defence in MacQuarrie, if beaten, will owe bis defeat to the intercession of a Lang candidate.

Wizard Smith’s Backer Victorious An interesting outcome is that of the Parramatta electorate, where F. H. Stewart, at the fiist time of asking, triumphed by a tremendous majority over his three opponents, including two brands of Labour. Stewart, who is an anti-Labourite, is Wizard Smith's backer of the land speed record in New Zealand. Theodore's Defeat Theodore, who is thoroughly reconciled to bis crushing defeat in Dailey, states he is forsaking politics for something more congenial, bat ha does not state the nature of his future activities. Ex-Ministers Re-Elected Among the new members elected are the former Prime Minister, Mr Bruce; a former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Sir LittltoD Groom ; an ex-Minister of Home ’Affairs, C. Abbot; exPremier of New South Wales. W. A. Holman; and the Former State Minister of Agriculture, H. Thorby. The Party Voting Re;d 10 55 a.m When the counting ceased last night the total votes for each party were :

United Australia Party 1,226,50+ United Country Party ... 315.207 Federal Labour ... 732,679 Beasley, Labour ... 302,679 Independents ... 141,451 Communists ... 7,868

Lyons’ Comment Mr Lyons said the result is a severe condemnation of the policy of the Government also of the Lang Plan. The electors bv their verdict have stopped the financial and economic disaster, There was • difficult task ahead which must be tackled with courag e and determination. Our aim will be to restore confidence and order, so that industry may begin to again emp'oy those who to-day are out of work. Lang’a Opinion Mr Lang declares the election results mean that the people have given the private barking system of the past a chance to justify itself. Labour’s long flight is a national one because nationalisation in banking is just round the corner.

Beasley Considers Result Satisfactory Mr Beasley says our taro is coming, because our policy is tbe only one that can save the people of this country. We feel that the results, so far as New Sooth Wales are concerned, are very satisfactory to the State Labour Party. It Is apparent the achievement of our policy is near at hand. Tbe United Australia Party will fail to solve tbe problems and provide employment with the same manner as tbe Scullin-Theodore Government and also the Conservatives in England have failed.

Aggregate Voting Rt-c 11 20 n m When the Senate count ceased the grand aggregate of tbe United Party wa< 460,772 and of the federal and Beasley Labour groups 425.757.

It was anticipated that the U-iited Australia Party candidatewill sweep the polls except in Qn e*isla «d. Warn »he new Senators take the’r places ear'v in July n«x' the United /.ustralia Party sbou d have 26 in a house of 36. It iexppc'»d »ha’ P-irli«nien» will meet before the end of February, and. owing to urgent business may meet as earlv as 3'd February.

Mr ScuLin is likely to interview the Governor General this week. A Banker’s Opinion Thrmas Buctciand, Chairman of the Bank of New’ Sotrh Wales sad “Under this new Gnverncment, confidence will be res»o"ed and *be reh»bilita?i n of the country will be seriou-lv undertaken TMs should mean a return eventually to better times. I expect the stock share market will show an upward tendency immediately.

liCi * Newspaper Opinion - - - - M' The Herald editorially says that the elections have established beyond all question Australia’s refusal to have anything to do with the Inflation of currency. The Scullin Government has revealed itself as the weakest, in the face of its responsibilities, that Australia has ever since. The inequalities in the electoral distributions magnify the Langlte success.

Brisbane Courier’s Comment Victory for Broadminded Reed 1 40 p.m Brisbane This day The Courier comments that the victory of the Australiao National and Country parties is complete, and is an indication of the swing from Scullin ism, Langism and Communism, the most daDgerons elem nt in Australia’s make op. The r* al recovery of the Commonwealth will begin with the inauguration of a new Government. In every State where Labour was regarded as invincible it has been condemned, except in Queensland. The victory for broadminded and sane Nationalism has been unqualified.