VIEWS ON RESULT

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21907, 17 September 1934, Page 9

VIEWS ON RESULT

TEST OF ELECTORS "POLITICAL MIRACLE" MR. STEVENS GRATIFIED STATE LABOUR'S PROSPECTS By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright (Received September 17. 12.15 a.m.) SYDNEY, Sept. 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 he in the least surprised if the party won 37 seats. Whatever ground it had lost in New South Wales was due solely to the redistribution 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 should triumph at the forthcoming State elections.

LONDON COMMENT LABOUR AND BANKERS AMBITION VETOED (Received September 16, 6.35 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 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 stocks is assured.

ELECTION OF 1931 MR. J. A. LYONS' TRIUMPH HEAVY DEFEAT OF LABOUR The Lyons Government came into power as the result of the general election on December 19, 1931. That election was precipitated by the action of the small Lang Labour group in the House of Representatives, who moved what was virtually a vote of censure on the Labour Government, led by Mr. J. H. Scullin, through an attack made on the then Federal Treasurer, Mr. E. G. Theodore. Mr. Scullin secured a dissolution and put the issue to the people.

Two years after the Federal Labour Party fyid been elected with 47 members against the 28 that the other parties could muster it could only secure the return of 14 of its candidates. Mr. Theodore was defeated by a Lang candidate and other Ministers lost their seats. •- Neither South Australia nor Tasmania returned a Labour candidate and only in Queensland did Labour unseat a sitting member of the other parties. That election was a personal triumph for Mr. J. A. Lyons, who founded and still leads the United Australia Party.