ELECTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19202, 19 June 1924, Page 7

ELECTIONS IN SOUTH AFRICA.

THE EARLIER RETURNS. GENERAL SMUTS DEFEATED. PACT IN THE LEAD. Press Association —By Telegraph—Copyright. CAPE TOWN, June 17. Intense interest was shown in the elections to-day. Tho early returns show seven members of the South African Party elected, three Labour, and four Nationalists. The Nationalists gained the Pretoria Central seat, where Mr Kooth (Chairman of Committees) was defeated. Labour gained tho Germiston seat by a narrow margin. General Smuts was defeated in Pretoria. West, where Mr Hay (Labour) polled 1407 votes to the Prime Minister’s 10212. Another notable defeat is that of Sir Abo Bailey, in Krugersdorp.— Reuter. STATE OF THE PARTIES. THE LATEST RETURNS. CAPETOWN, Juno 17. (Received June 18, at 9 p.m.) The latest returns are as follows :- South African Party 2o Labour 18 Nationalists 12 Independent 1 •—Renter. HEAVY POLL RECORDED. LABOUR GAINS EIGHT SEATS. CAPETOWN, June 17. (Received June 18, at 9 p.m.) The polling showed an increase over tho last election. Tho Nationalist Pretonans defeated Sir Harry G ran man n. The Labourite, Mr Cresswell, was elected. Labour has gained the Turffontein, Urnbillo, North-east Rand Springs, and Boksbairg seats, making their total gains so far eight, while the South African Party gains three seats, the Nationalists three, and the Independent one.—Reuter. THE ELECTION CAMPAIGN. (VENDETTA AGAINST GENERAL SMUTS. (Fkom Oub Own Correspondent.) PIETERMARITZBURG, May 10. Nomination Day for the General Election has been fixed for the 22nd of this month, and the polling on June 17. In all General Elections since the Union was established in 1910 the South' African Party, led first by General Botha, and afterwards by General Smuts, has been tipped as a sure winner. Not so in this instance. For tho first time we have those two most incongruous elements acting together, Nationalists and Labour, with but one objective in common—tho downfall of General Smuts. To me it seems a rather sad spectacle to find such a political vendetta formed against General Smuts, who has done so much for South Africa and the Empire, the apostle of reconciliation, and a man recognised the world over as a statesman of transcendent genius. A few months ago a headmaster of a north country grammar school in the North of England expressed the remarkable opinion that brains were vastly over-rated, and that many people got along quite well without them. This must be tho opinion of those South Africans—and the Nationalist-Labour Pact represent perhaps the majority—who are willing to lose the services of General Smuts, and give the Premiership to General Hertzog, whose political career has given occasion for more distrust as to his statesmanship and sincerity than any other of our South African politicians. The Nationalist leader, with his lieutenants—the Rev. Hr Malan and Mr Tielman Roos, of the Transvaal—have been wintering together through the last 12 years in the shades of opposition, and they are Teverishly anxious—it is very apparent—to occupy the more comfortable quarters of the Ministerial fold. Now that Labour is allying itself with them, the Nationalists have the finest opportunity to attain to the seats of the miirhty that they have ever had. Other circumstances alt combine to help them. Reduction of wages in the Railway Department and tho obnoxious Medicine Tax, also grievances of civil servants and teachers, all make for resentment which may be given silent vent to in the polling booth unless they look further and consider whether they are not going to jump from the proverbial frying pan into the fire. In any case, I think the ensuing General Election is likely to prove a conspicuous signpost, of warning or otherwise, along the road of South African politics. THE PRIME MINISTER’S PROGRAMME. Both Government and Opposition leaders have announced their programmes for the future, and General Smuts's, of course, takes first place. It may be shortly stated in the following dozen sentences : Remission next year of Medicine Tax. Simplification of Tobacco Tax, which will be taken off or eased off as regards small producers. Additional railways. Trade Commissioner for North America. Promotion of cotton industry. Easier terms of payment for settlers. Taking over of surplus irrigation land for settlement. Finance! help for ail approved settlers. , Promotion ot manufacturing industries under special Minister of industries and Trades. Financial Aid for young industries with good chances of success. Construction of all railway rolling stock in tho Union. Development of technical education. GENERAL HERTZOG’H PROGRAMME. The Nationalist leader outlined his piogramme in addressing his constituents a week ago at Smithlield, Grange Free State. It embraces: Agricultural development and more sympathy with the farmer. A clear cut policy of development and protection of our own industries. A thorough and comprehensive attempt to solve tho condition of poverty and unemployment. A solution of" the native question, with' tho maintenance of civilisation and the protection of European civilised labour. Revision of our fiscal system. Protection of education against the attempt to undermine it. A State bank. THE POSITION OF LABOUR. Tho position of Labour under tho Nationalist-Labour pact seems to me to be a somewhat humiliating one. Labour hopes to return ten additional members to the Assembly. Their present number is 13. Yet Colonel Cresswell, tho Labour leadiy, in opening tho election campaign last week in the Durban Town Hall, had little to say except that they must trust General Hertzog respecting the pact, and that tho general was a most honourable man. But General Hertzog dishonoured his signature to the Constitution passed by the National Convention 15 years, and had to be discarded by General Botha on account of publicly expressed antiBritish sentiments. Tho pact ceases, says Colonel Cresswell, after the polling day. Then, if successful, the Nationalists obtain tho sweets of office, and Labour gets nothing except—at the most—possessing a dominating influence as between the two other parties. This unique position it is well to remember, is not proving so satisfactory to the Liberals in the British House of Commons as they had hoped. The two pact leaders arc certainly strange bedfellows, but the general, speaking at Newcastle, says: “1 do not care

what my bedfellow is so long as he is not going to sleep there, except for the purpose of turning the other fellow (Smuts) out.” As to Socialism, he added : ‘T do not care whether the Labour Party aro for or against private property so long as they assist us in chucking out this Government.” Scarcely dignified language for a possible future Premier to use. Wo seem likely to have enough invective and to spare, oven for a General Election. General Hertzog told tho electors of Smithlield that from General Smuts’s manifesto '‘egotistical arrogance radiated from practically every line,” and indirectly accused the Premier of permitting, of even encouraging, the Rand revolt, in order that he fhonld have the opportunity of putting it down with a heavy hand. A Government organ, on tho other hand, calls General Hertzog’s oration “a masterpiece of cheap invective, vulgarism, of calculated misrepresentation and distortion, of clumsy evasion and of vague promises.” It all' reminds one rather of Eatanswill.