PARLIAMENT OF ULSTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20264, 25 May 1929, Page 11

PARLIAMENT OF ULSTER.

GENERAL ELECTION POLL.

VICTORY FOR GOVERNMENT.

SAFE MAJORITY OF SEATS, Australian Press Association—United Service LONDON, May 23. The general election in Northern Ireland was held yesterday. The latest returns give the present state of paities for tho new House of Commons (52 seats) to bo:— Unionists .. 34 Nationalists •• •• ..11 Independent Unionists .. 2 Labour .• • • • • 1 Tho Unionists and tho Nationalists have each won a scat from Labour. The Parliament of Northern Ireland consists ot a Senate of two ex-officio and 24 elected members and a House of Commons of 52 elected members. Tho state of parties in tho Lower House after tho last general election, in April, 1925, was. Unionists Nationalists .. ■* •• Independent Unionists •» 4 Labour -• • • •• ~ Republicans • • • • • • Farmers' Party •• •• 1 Parliament was dissolved in the last week of April. It was at first assumed that Viscount Craigavon, tho Prime Minister, would not take that step until after tho general election for the British Parliament, and there was considerable surprise when it became known that he had decided to ask a verdict of the people of tho sis counties before the British election. The prospects of a Labour victory in Great Britain gravely alarmed the Northern Government, and Lord Craigayon considered that such a victory, if it came, would have a material affect in Northern Ireland and influence voters who would otherwise have been indifferent to vote against tho official Unionist candidates loi the Northern Parliament. In order to counteract that the Government decided to secure its decision first. Northern Ireland is, of course, represented in tho British Parliament by 15 members, and will, therefore, tako part in two general elections in one month. Lord Craigavon has now been in power for eight years. Commenting on the position in Ulster early in April tho Belfast correspondent of the Manchester Guardian said: Ihe industrial position is deplorable, apart from tho shipbuilding industry, which is good and agriculturists are complaining bitterly. Lord Craigavon has trouble with the Temperance party owing to his opposition to further temperance legislation in the next Parliament, lhat party is threatening to oppose a number of official Unionist candidates. _ lhere will also be Independent Unionist candidates, mostlv prominent business men. The ground for their opposition is mainly the extravagance of the Government. At the first election in 1921 and the second in 1925 the Prime Minister made the issue one between Northern Ireland and the Free State. _ The bounnary problem, however, has since been scttlo.d, and Lord Craigavon finds himself in the position of being without a bogy with which to frighten tho electors into supporting him. However, several membeis of the Government have tried their best to create a new fear in the minds of their supporters by suggesting that the Northern Parliament under a Coalition Go\ornrnent would ask the British Parliament to bring about the union of Northern Ireland and tho Free State. Ihis appeal is not likely to have much success. Another issue at the election will bo the working of tho Education Act of 1923. Under tho Act thero are two kinds of schools, transferred and voluntary. Tho transferred schools are under tho absolute control of the Ministry of Education, and are managed by special bodies called regional committees in the counties and by the Education Committee of the Bel fast Corporation. The control of the voluntary schools is still retained by the churches, but in a number of cases are managed by what is known as a Four and Two Committee, four members selected by the managers and two by the Regional Committee or Education Committee. The full cost of the transferred school is, of course, borne by the Government, while a proportion of tho cost of building and maintenance charges is contributed by the Ministry of Education end local 'authorities to Ihe Four and Two schools. For some time past a joint committee of the Protestant Churches and the Orange Order has been negotiating with the Government for an amendment of the Act. Tho views of the committee aro embodied in a questionnaire sent by the committee to all Unionist candidates and prospective candidates at the forthcoming election. 'I he questions aro: — 1. In view of ihe fact that tlio Koman Catholic Church is not transferring any schools, are you in favour of amending the Education Act so as to prevent schools built for and attended by Protestants coining under Roman Catholic management, and to prevent teachers for Protestant children being appointed by committees composed in whole or in part of Roman Catholics.

2. In view of the fact that the Roman Catholic Church is not transferring any school property and is being endowed out of public funds, are you in favour of amending tho Education Act so as to prevent the Protestant Churches being divested of their property, and so weakened by tho operation of the Act ? 3. Are you in favour of amending tho Education Act in other respects along tho lines indicated by the United Committee of the Protestant Churches and of the Grand Orange Lodge, which they consider absolutely necessary to secure justice to the Protestant Churches and safeguard the Protestant faith of tho rising generation in Ulster ?