WOOING THE ELECTORS

Northern Advocate, 16 October 1931, Page 5

WOOING THE ELECTORS

BRITISH CAMPAIGNING LIBERALS AT LOGGERHEADS. THREE-CORNERED CONTEST. (United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.) (Received 9 a.m.) LONDON, October 15, The Prime Minister, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, speaking at Blaekwall colliery, made the first confession of strain. He admitted that he was feeling weary after two years in harness, and found a light like this a tremendous test, not only of mental, but of physical endurance. “I wanted the Labour Government

to remain in office and to face the tacts manfully, but it would not, and I declined to run away,” he said. Sir Herbert Samuel’s supporters continue to complain of the Conservative opposition at Darwen. The Liberal headquarters have issued a list of .120 candidates, including the 37 followers of Sir John Simon. If all stand it will result in perhaps 70 three-cornered contests, but the list may prove optimistic. Money is not plentiful, and the deposit of £l5O may not be forthcoming in all caees. Colonel Tweed, who is described as “Mr Lloyd George’s political adviser,” states that the followers of Sir John Simon, by their own action, have ceased to be members of tho Liberal Party, and are to be regarded as Liberal-Unionists.

. The Independent Labour Party has issued a list of 19 candidates, stating that they will contest the election independently of any other organisation, Mr J. H. Thomas, speaking at Derby, said he had no hesitation in announcing that he would restore the cuts in unemployment relief, which affy?cted 2,000,000 workers. The “Daily Herald” describes these as the meanest cuts of all.

Rear-Admiral Dewar, formerly commander of the Royal Oak, has been adopted as Labour candidate for Portsmouth North.

Mr Lloyd George telegraphed as follows, to his wife, who is campaigning in the Carnarvon boroughs: “I am prepared to support this or any other Government which I feel convinced is doing-its. best, regardless of party advantage, .to advance the interests of the nation, and to extricate it from its difficulties. I decline to walk with mv eyes open into the tariff tram” LABOUR MANIFESTO. PATRIOTIC MOTIVES.

NOMINATIONS CLOSE TODAY. (British Official Wireless.) (Received 12.30 p.m.) RUGBY, October 15. . In 23 more constituencies yesterday candidates withdrew to avoid splitting of the National Government vote. Tomorrow is nomination day, and lastmoment efforts are being made to add to this number in the remaining cases where local political organisations have hitherto resisted the appeals of the National Party leaders for a united front to the Opposition candidates.

The imminence of nomination day has led to many further arrangements to prevent cut-throat contests, including the Liberal withdrawal from Finsbury to give Mr. G. M. Gillett, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, a straight-out fight againfct Labour.

Last night it was Labour’s turn to broadcast its case to the nation, and Mr, J. R. Clynes was chosen as spokesman. He denied that the Labour Ministers had run away from their posts, and said that it required more courage to resist the pressure which they had faced than to surrender to that pressure. To meet the reasonable demands of the unemployed would be the best insurance for national safety. “Doles” and relief were not features of the Socialist state, but were symptoms of disorganised capitalism. He insisted that the motives and the policy of the Labour Party were as honourable and as patriotic as those of its opponents. The election campaign so far has been conducted very calmly. Meetings have been well attended and speakers have suffered little interruption. Mr, MacDonald, who has been in his contitueney throughout the week, will rest during the week-end, and on Tuesday, in company with his daughter, Miss Ishbel, will make a tour by air of other constituencies. He will speak at Bassetlaw in support of his son Malcolm, who is a member of the National Government and the Labour candidate at Bassetlaw, and also at Lichfield and at Derby, whore the Government candidate is Mr. J. H. Thomas. He is due to return by air to Seaham on Friday, where he will remain until after the election.

Mr. Nevill Chamberlain, denying that the Conservatives were putting party before the nation, said he was confident that if they had gone to the country on their own programme they would have gained a working majority, but they threw in their weight to avert a catastrophe. He believed that a tariff would be followed by the placing in Britain of such a volume of orders as might even prove to be the selfstarter of the world engine.

The National Union of Manufacturers has issued a manifesto which urges the immediate introduction of an emergency tariff and the subsequent adjustment of duties. An organised mob, booing and catcalling howled down Mr, MacDonald at a meeting at Shotton colliery, Sea-

ham. Mr. MacDonald tried for a quarter of an hour to speak, but finally the meeting had to be abandoned. TARIFFS WITH DOMINIONS. VIEWS OP SIR NEWTON MOORE. (Per Press Association.—Copyright.) WELLINGTON, This Day. An interesting survey of Imperial questions, with special reference to the economic conditions in Britain, was made by Major-General Sir Newton Moore at a luncheon tendered to him. in Parliament Buildings by members of the Empire Parliamentary Association. Sir Newton intimated that in the forthcoming British general elections he was according support' to the National Government on the lines of Mr Baldwin’s manifesto. “I recognise the overwhelming necessity at this time of national crisis of balancing the Budget' and effecting every possible economy, and I await with confidence the verdict which will confirm in office the Government comprised of trusted leaders of all the parties,” said Sir Newton. “It’s whole policy will include a fuller rfte of the Empire’s immense resources without delay. “Mr Baldwin’s views that an Imperial. Conference should be called without delay after the election has my complete endorsement, and I know from the knowledge I have gained in my Empire tour that it will be welcomed by responsible Ministers in the different Dominions. I am absolutely satisfied that .a reciprocal tariff with the different Dominions will prevent foreigners securing and retaining the trade which Britain and the other parts of the Empire have enjoyed.”

Sir Newton Moore maintained that the imposition of tariffs in Britain, if necessary, would provide a weapon with which to bargain with foreign countries for reductions in their tariffs for British goods.

The last general election in Britain was held on May 30, 1920, The contest was a three-party one in the full sense of the term. Only in seven constituencies was a candidate allowed to go in unopposed, as compared with 32 in 1924. For the other 608 seats in the House of Commons candidates stood as follows: —Conservatives 590, Labour 570, Liberal 512, Communist 25, others 31. The total number of candidates therefore (exclusive of the seven elected unopposed) was 1728, as against 1428 in 1924. There were 69 women /candidates, of whom 13 were elected. The final result of the election was as follows: —Labour 287 seats, Conservatives 201, Liberals 59, others 8. The “others” comprised four Irish Nationalists, who usually voted with the Labour Party and four Independents who usually voted with the Conservatives. Besides capturing more than 130 seats from the Conservatives, the Labour Party won 17 from the Liberals, and in return lost two — both to Conservatives. Of the 25 Communist candidates, not one was successful and 21 forfeited their deposit. The total Communist vote was little more than 50,000. About 80 per cent, of the electors went to the poll. The votes cast for the three parties were as follow: —Conservative 8,664,243, Labour 8,360,883, Liberal 5,300,947. Whereas the verdict of the electors was clearly against the Conservative Government, it was not so clearly in favour of any other party. Consequently Mr Baldwin might have remained in office, as he had done in 1923, till it was confirmed by Parliament. He was advised to do so by some of his colleagues, in order, as they said, that the Liberals might have the responsibility of putting Labour in office. However, Mr Baldwin preferred to bow to the plain intention of the majority of the electorate, and on June 4 he placed his resignation in the hands of the King. Having gone so far, he had no option but to recommend Mr MacDonald as his successor. The task of forming a Cabinet was accepted by Mr MacDonald, who included as his chief colleagues, Mr Philip Snowden, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Mr Arthur Henderson, Foreign Secretary, and Mr J. H. Thomas, Lord Privy Seal, who later relinquished that portfolio and became Secretary of State for the Dominions.