ONLY ONE ISSUE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LV, Issue 17605, 22 October 1931, Page 5

ONLY ONE ISSUE

THE BRITISH ELECTIONS FREE HAND FOR GOVERNMENT ADDRESSES BY LEADERS (British Official Wireless.) Rec. noon. RUGBY, Oct. 21. . Although in several constituencies efforts are being made to force the electors to regard protection versus free trade as the central issue of the election, the leaders of the National Government repudiate all attempts to tie the hands of the Government regarding the measures that may he considered necessary to correct the adverse balance of trade. Mr.. Baldwin was cheered by an audience of 4COO at Leeds 'Town Hall, when be declared that the Labor Government had had a great chance which it Lad thrown away and it would be a long time before they would get another, lie* expressed the hollowness of the cry against the bankers, and paid a tribute to the services of Mr. Montagu Norman.

“Harmony ” lie said, “must prevail in the National Ministry. There lies before us one, two, maybe, more years of arduous work that will not bring Labor or Toryism into conflict. No conflict is possible while we arc wrestling with the finances of the country.” The loudest cheer greeted his reference to tariffs, wherein Mr. Baldwin .laid that,he could profess his faith without, violation of the spirit of the Premier’s manifesto. Referring to the right of Parliament to impose a permanent tariff, •Mr: Baldwin said no Parliament could impose anything permanently. He was prepared to examine and use tariff in the light of all the circumstances. and with the utmost care and impartiality, and was confident of receiving from the Liberals'in the Government unbiased consideration of the question, but this was not the fundamental issue of the election. LABOR POLICY DEFENDED

The Prime Minister, in a message to Sir Donald MaeLcan, expresses amazement that in the present crisis he is being opposed by a Conservative tariff reformer and urges support of the National Government by all, irrespective of party. • The Labor Party, on the other hand, bolieves that the Government, if predominantly Conservative, will demand protection, and in a broadcast message last night Mr. -William Graham urged the electors to resist the return of a tariff Government. He repudiated the suggestion that a Labor victory would mean ruin, and denied allegations that Labor would attack the savings of the people. He stated in detail the Labor programme, and declared that it guaranteed to balance the budget on sound lines, and that thero would bo no Inflation. It sought international peace, and also the greatest freedom of trade. Mr. MacDonald, who i s making ;i short tour outside his own constituency, yesterday spoke in support of liis son, Mr. Malcolm MacDonald, the National Labor candidate for Bassetlaw, and to-morrow will speak in Derby for Mr. J. 11. Thomas. He is saving time by flying whenever wcathor conditions permit. Interviewed to-day, the Prime Minister, referring to issues raised in the course of the campaign, other than those laid down in his manifesto, said: “I want to make it quite clear that the appeal which is being made is for a National Government, and whatever the predominant political party m that National Government may be, it will still remain a national and not a party one, and no party will have the right to forget its origin and the appeal upon which it was elected, and turn round in the House of Commons and say, whether Labor, or Liberal, or Conservative, ‘Wo are going to pursue our own policy irrespective of the colleagues with whoso co-operation the election was fought on the national issue. f “I believe in the honor of my colleagues of all parties,” added Mr. MacDonald. ‘‘Until the crisis is settled they will not turn tho national majority into a party one.” PREMIER'S HARD BATTLE

The Prime Minister’s fight at Seahare is most interesting. Mr. MacDonald himself did not expect any difficulty in retaining the seat, but is now surprised at the strength of the opposition. Durhamites are highly critical folk, and Mr. MacDonald was never their ideal type of a . candidate. Ilis polished diction, aestheticism and occasional dreaminess and idealism stands in contrast to the bluff oratory and uncompromising realism of his opponent, Mr. W. Coxon. No two candidates could bo more dissimilar. Another obstacle Mr. MacDonald is facing is that his opponent was formerly his agent and, therefore, knows all the ropes. One reliable observer from tho north says: “The Prime Minister’s return is doubtful. The figures for the 1929 election show the combined votes of the Conservative and Liberal candidates as 12,087. There are no Liberal and Conservative candidates at this election and, therefore, those 12,087 votes should go to Mr. MacDonald. The question remains how many of his 35,615 Labor votes in 1929 he can now retain. It appears that ho must hold a third of these in order to win. This will leave Mr. Coxon 23,744, against which Mr. MacDonald will have 12,087 Conservative and Liberal votes, plus 11,871 Labor votes, a total of 23,958, giving him a majority of 214. Thus Mr. MacDonald’s retention of a third of the Labor votes in a constituency where the promise to restore the dole cuts means votes, would represent a considerable effort.”