Hailed As Pointer To British Conservative Win

Northern Advocate, 1 December 1949, Page 6

Hailed As Pointer To British Conservative Win

LONDON, Wed. (noon). —The British Press generally hailed the New Zealand election result as a pointer to a probable Conservative victory in the British general election early next year. The Daily Express said: “The people of New Zealand have rejected the philosophy of Socialism and many of its fruits with some degree of emphasis.

“They have preferred the National Party whose outlook is influenced by two main streams of thongnt, firstly, distrust of bureaucratic frustrations of controlled economy, coupled with a belief in the methods of free enterprise; secondly, a burning faith in the British Empire and a determination to seek its closer unity.” The newspaper said British politicians should look to the New Zealand result for a lesson.

without personal regret. "He personified the gallant effort of New Zealand and he worked ably and long to promote closer collaboration with all the British nations, particularly the neighbouring Commonwealth of Australia," the paper says. The Daily Telegraph said the plain fact was that the electorate had become weary of li years of Socialist rule.

“The British people should be willing to learn from the experience of their New Zealand brothers,” it added The defeat of Labour in the New Zealand elections was welcomed by some United Slates senators today as indicating a swing away from the Left.

"The defeat of Socialism in New Zealand is far more man of local concern," it said.

"It must give great encouragement to opponents of Socialism in Australia,

“It also has deep significance to Britain where the electorate will have a chance of following th-3 grand example in a matter of months, even weeks.” DAILY HERALD COMMENT. The Daily Herald said: "As socialists we deeply regret the result of this election. “It should spur us to ensuring that every worker shall understand our policy and give us a vote." The Daily Herald quotes its New Zealand correspondent for saying that New Zealanders who • tted Labour in 1935 because they were bankrupt and blamed the Tories for their plight, now criticised the Labour Government because it was preventing them from bringing into the country American cars they now had the money to buy. The paper added: “In Britain the fate of the Labour Government does not depend on a people who could buy imported luxuries, but on a realisation by the workers that their position and prospects are much better than ever before.” CANADIAN VIEWS.

Senator Alexander Smith (Republican, New Jersey) said the results indicated the line of Anglo-Saxon thought now.

The voters probably felt that Labour had gone too far. Senator Guy Gillets (Democrat Iowa) said many governments, while not going to the extreme Left, had swung towards the Left, but it was now apparent that this swing had reached its peak and was going back towards more conservative thougt “THEY’VE HAD ENOUGH.”

Under the heading “They’ve had enough,” the Daily Mail said; “So New Zealanders have ’'ad enough too. “After 14 years they have thrown out the Socialist Government with a loud, reverberating crash. ’ “When we seek reasons we find a startling resemblance to the conditions tile British people have also had to suffer since 1945.

“Nationalised services have grown slack and inefficient. “There has been an all-round deterioration in life and labout.

In Ottawa, Mr George Drew, leader of the Progressive Conservative Party, said today: “New Zealand has been held up to us as a bright, shining example of socialist experiment. “The result of the election shows that a majority of those who have tried socialism do not like it.”

“Above all, New Zealand, like Britain, is utterly weary of Socialist regulations restrictions which arc killing enterprise and imposing heavy burdens on the people, especially women.

“Wliat a warning to the British Socialists.

Canadian newspapers gave prominence to the New Zealand election results, although pre-election reports had not been prominently displayed. The Ottawa Journal’s headline was “Free enterprise victorious after 14year Labour regime."

“They affect to be confident of many more years’ power, but their sands are running out all over the world.” The Daily Mail said its special correspondent (Mr G. Ward Price), who tipped the New Zealand result on November 21, now says there is a strong possibility of a Socialist defeat in Australia on December 10.

The Ottawa Citizen use l the heading: "Labour whipped by Conservatives in New Zealand.”

Results came too late for editorial comment in the evening papers.

The Daily Mail concluded; “In Britain the trend is strong!:' against the Socialists, too, though the War Minister (Mr Shinwell) says: ‘The next election is in the bag for Labour.’

“It would be true, to say; 'What New Zealand does today, Britain may do tomorrow.’ ”

PENDULUM’S SWING

The Times says: "The simplest explanation of the result ,s probably the best—that the pendulum of party politics has continue! the long, slow swing.

"Tile pendulum swung against New Zealand Labour all the more easily because their main programme is now exhausted.

“The impetus behind Labour peter ed out.

"Having little more in the way of positive reforms to propose, the party was reduced in the campaign to reliance on the negative argument that the social services they created would be imperilled by the victory of their opponents." TRIBUTE TO FRASER.

The Times said il is impossible to part from Mr Fraser as the first Minister of the Crown in his country