Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1941. NEW SOUTH WALES CHANGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 138, 13 May 1941, Page 4

Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, MAY 13, 1941. NEW SOUTH WALES CHANGE

lx wliat some critics have described as a rush election the combined forces of the United Australia Party and the United Country Party have suffered a substantial defeat at the polls in New South Wales, and Labour conies into power for the first time in nine years, since Mr J. T. Lang was dismissed from office on a constitutional issue by the Governor of tbe day. Labour’s margin over the MairBruxner Government may prove to be a record one —yet a few days ago Sydney cablegrams stated that very little interest was being taken in the issue. In looking for reasons for the bi[>' change that has taken place one may first give attention to this so-called lack of interest. It may be that Government supporters, who are not so well organised as the Labour forces, _ rrfl VC the election less thought than usual because of the war, and against this it can readily be imagined that the customary Labour organisations functioned well, for there is less disruption among them now than there has been for some years. It may be a case of apathy on the one hand (“let the war, not elections, be the first consideration ’) against consolidated organisation. Again, what is termed the swing of the pendulum, an uncertain tactor in politics, may have been due in the public mind. Further, Mr Mair, the defeated Premier, expedited the campaign because, he said, of the war situation. Those who believe that the war should come first in all things perhaps resented the fact that even a rush campaign should be undertaken. There are broader points than the foregoing, however, to be reckoned with. The manifesto of each party emphasised the need for the strongest war effort to be made; the Mair-Bruxner Government claimed to provide what was essential it the war is to be won —harmonious co-opera-tion with the Government at Canberra. It has a good record to its credit in prosecuting the war in this the chief industrial State of Australia; but Labour based its charges on inefficiency and alleged that what is being done to-day, or what the Government aimed to do, should have been done within the past ten years. The cables relate that some Press critics contend the people were utterly dissatisfied with the Government’s complacency. Another factor in the election result may have been the reaction to unpopular legislation and decrees imposed by the war. Summing up the reasons for the preferment of Labour as far as they can be observed at‘-this distance, it may be said that the chief ones appear to be the lack of interest on the part of the electors opposed to Labour, the latter’s urge for a greater war effort, and "its better party organisation.