RECENT ELECTION

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22318, 16 January 1936, Page 13

RECENT ELECTION

DEMOCRAT PARTY'S FATE ENGLISH JOURNALS' COMMENT Comment on the New Zealand general election and the Democrat Party is made by a number of English newspapers, as follows: The Star, London.—"Labour's victory in New Zealand follows the recent Liberal victory in Canada. Both show that the Dominions are up-and-coming, that they can think for themselves, and can contribute to that vigorous diversity of political thought which is the surest guarantee that the Commonwealth will remain a real, living force in worhl affairs. The Birmingham Post.—-"The new Democrat Party here would be called a party of 'die-hards.' Mr. Hislop, leader of the party, was at the bottom of the poll in Masterton; and not one of the party's 51 candidates was returned. These facts make it difficult to believe that the 'split vote anywhere played any important part in the defeat of the National Party. "The plain truth is that New Zealand, industrial New Zealand as well as agricultural New Zealand, has como to the conclusion that the ForbesCoates administration, so /far from moving too fast (as the Democratic Party declared), lias not moved and is not moving fast enough. But perhaps these same Nationalist leaders may be regretting, simultaneously, their own lack of courage, their lack of wisdom in trying to conciliate the Democrat 'die-hards.' It looks now as though Mr. Savage will do what Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates might have done one or even two years ago." The Western Daily Press, Bristol.— "The new Democrat Party, which was united chiefly by its dislike of the 'advanced' tendencies of the National Government, failed to secure a single seat. The result is a clear indication that public opinion in New Zealand is far more impatient of the slow pace of recovery, and far more ready to undertake new experiments, than most observers anticipated."