TYPICAL FIGURES

Northern Advocate, 17 September 1934, Page 6

TYPICAL FIGURES

STRENGTH OF UNITEDS

SHOWN IN PRIMARY VOTES

SOME BIG MAJORITIES. NUMBER OF NEW MEMBERS. SYDNEY, September 16. The following figures are typical of the strength, of the United Australia Party in many electorates yesterday.

The Postmaster-General, Mr R. A. Parkhill, has an absolute majority of 18.000 at Warringah, New South Wales, the Minister of Commerce, Mr F. H. Stewart, has an absolute majority of 12.000 at Parramatta, New South Wales, and Mr W. M. Hughes has an absolute majority of 14,000 in North Sydney.

So far the primary votes alone have been counted in the various States, and the position of the doubtful seats will not be known in some instances until the end of next week.

The Country Party has not done quite so well. Reports from the smaller States indicate that there will be only trifling changes in the party’s representation, which probably will not exceed three new places.

New members in the House of Representatives so far include the following:—

Victoria: Messrs. M. Blackburn, F. Brennan, and A. Brakeford, all Federal Labour; and Mr R. G. Menzies, United Australia. New South Wales: Messrs. T, Mutch and W. McCall, United Australia; J. Garden and D. Mulcahy, State Labour. Queensland: Mr D. Watson, Federal Labour. Western Australia: Mr J. Curtain, Federal Labour.

The feature of the polling in New South Wales, where most of the changes are occurring, is that State Labour, led by Mr J. A. Beasley, very nearly ousted the Federal Labour candidates, but the Lang-Beasley influence is not so noticeable in any of the other States.

LABOUR VARIATIONS. SLIPS IN NEW SOUTH WALES. MR GARDEN SCORES. (Received 9 a.m.) SYDNEY, September 16. The extent to which the Federal Labour Party’s vote slipped in New South Wales at yesterday’s election is best indicated by the heavy primary votes recorded at Cook for Mr J. S. Garden, secretary of the Sydney Trades and Labour Council, over Mr E. C. Riley. At present Mr Garden has more than a two to one majority. He has made previous unsuccessful attempts to obtain a seat in Parliament, but on this occasion has vanquished a difficult opponent, as Mr Riley’s father hitherto had held the Cook seat for many years and he had a strong personal following.

The position in Victoria is not less interesting, though there were no surprises there. Mr R. G. Menzies, who probably will succeed Mr J. G. Latham as Federal Attorney-General, obtained a heavy majority at Kooyong, and Messrs. Maurice Blackburn and Frank Brennan have retrieved the Bounce and Batman seats respectively for Federal Labour. Mr Blackburn retired from the Speakership of the Victorian Assembly to contest Bourke. Maribynong has rejected Mr J. E. Fenton, the veteran former Labour supporter, who,- with Mr Lyons, broke away from the Scull in Administration, an action which led to his downfall. Mr Fenton allied himself with the Australia Party at the last election, and just managed to win, but on this occasion he will be narrowly beaten by Mr A. F. Drakeford. Federal Labour, who is an engine driver.

DOUGLAS CREDIT GROUP.

BETTER THAN EXPECTED.

MAY EFFECT DISTRIBUTION,

(Received 9 a.m.) SYDNEY, September 16. Although in no instance did the Douglas Credit candidates at yesterday’s general election come within striking distance of success, they polled surprisingly well in some elector*

ates. Their leaders are much encouraged, and declare it will stimulate them to greater action. The distribution of Douglas Credit candidates’ preferences will have an important bearing on the doubtful contests. UNITED PARTY’S MANDATE. SMALL DROP IN MAJORITY. (Received 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Pay. Of 2,966,143 votes so far counted the parties received the following: United Australia 1,154,762 Country Party 296,683 Federal Labour 793,412 State Labour 466,472 Douglas Credit 144,736 Communists 41,498 The remainder are for Socialists and Independents. The “Sydney Morning Herald’’ gives the state of parties as follows: United Australia SI United Country 11 Federal Labour 15 State Labour 7 Doubtful 10 The “Labour Daily” says: “The State Labour Party has a certain 10 seats and possibly 12.” POLITICAL CONSCIENCE. LEADERS GRATIFIED. MR LANG OPTIMISTIC. (Received 9 a.m.) SYDNEY, September 16. The secretary of the United Australia Party in Sydney, Mr H. Horsfield, describes the outcome of the election as “a political miracle.” He said this evening he would not be in the least surprised if the party won 37 seats. Whatever ground it had lost in New South Wales was due solely to the distribution of boundaries. The State Premier, Mr B. S. Stevens, said he regarded the poll as the best test possible of the real political conscience of the Australian electors at the present moment. The result was most gratifying. Mr J. T. Lang, Leader of the State Opposition, said he was extremely pleased that the State Labour candidates had done so well in New South Wales. This convinced him that his party would triumph at the forthcoming State elections.

LONDON PRESS VIEWS. GENERAL SATISFACTION. LONDON, September 16. The “Observer,” commenting on the Federal election, says:—“The swing of the pendulum did not go far in the polling and the reduction of Mr Lyons’ strength was less than it seemed natural to expect. The main significance of the election is that the Commonwealth has vetoed the ambition of both the Labour factions—Federal and State—to relieve the bankers of their responsibilities.” The “Sunday Times” expresses the opinion that with results which are satisfactory on the whole, a revival of interest in Australian stock is assured.

“The Times,” in a leader, says the Australian election was . fought so much on the issue of financial methods, regarding which there is complete unanimity between Mr Lyons and the Country Party, that it seems clear Australian policy will be guided for three years by principles that already have done so much to restore her credit.

SURPRISING REVERSAL THE WERRIWA SEAT (Received 11 a.m.) SYDNEY. This Day. The surprise of the latest count is the reversal of the lead in Werriwa, of Mr T. D. Mutch, formerly State Minister of Education, and U.A.P. candidate. On the figures it now appears that the seat will go to Mr H. P. Lazzarini, the State Labour candidate. The seat last election was won by the Country Party.

CANADIAN COMMENT GRATIFICATION EXPRESSED (Received 10.30 a.m.) VANCOUVER, September 16. General gratification that the Lyons Government will retain power is expressed in Canada, where Australia’s remarkable recovery under his guidance is widely quoted as an example to Canada and the United States.

EFFECT OF THE VICTORY EDITORIAL OPINIONS (Received 11.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, This Day. The “Sydney Morning Herald,” commenting editorially on the Federal elections, says: “As the Labour Party has discarded its old ideas, so the workers everywhere are discarding the Labour Party. It no longer represents them. It belies the name it bore when they gave it their allegiance. “There is, in this State at all events, no longer a Labour Party. What abrogates the title to itself is a coterie grasping at power for aggrandisement for one section of the workers as against all other sections, and. in a mistaken sense of loyalty to the name of Labour, men with naturally noth ing but goodwill in their hearts allow themselves to be dragooned into what, in a country where no privilege is recognised, must always be a hopeless class war.

“Interpreted in its right meaning, this election was not a defeat oi Labour. It was a victory—a victory for the majority of the people, which is the same thing in the country as a majority of workers.” The “Labour Daily,” in a leader, says: ‘.‘The result of the voting affords every reason for the Labour Party in Now South Wales to look forward to the Immediate future with the greatest optimism. Labour demonstrated on Saturday that it has consolidated its front during the past 18 months, so that today it has a united movement prepared to accept an undiluted Labour policy.”

“ENCOURAGING VICTORY.”

COMMENT BY MR FORBES

(Prom Our Parliamentary Special.)

WELLINGTON. This Day

“The victory of the Lyons Government at the poll," commented the Prime Minister. Mr Forbes, this morning. “is very encouraging, as a recognition by the Australian people of the courageous way that the Government faced the difficulties of the depression, entailing as it did a programme of drastic, unpopular measures, involving sacrifices by all sections of the community. “It is a tribute to the eommonsonse of the Australian people that they can distinguish between solid performance and illusory promises. The contest was between a Labour Party which was in office at the beginning of the depression and the Government that had to take over the unsolved problems from them. Tins makes the result all the more significant, as it shows that the people of Australia are determined to stand by responsible government.”