' Cosgrave’s Lead

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 153, 19 September 1927, Page 1

' Cosgrave’s Lead

DAIL MAJORITY LOOKS SAFE Sixty Government Men Returned By Cable.—Press Association.—-Copyright Received 1.40 p.m. LONDON, Sunday. MR. FINIAN LYNCH, Minister of Fisheries, has been returned to the Dail for Kerry. The Government parties now have 60 elected, including 46 supporters of President Cosgrave. The Opposition has 61, including 38 De Valeraites and 10 Labour members. Other parties are unchanged.

TOHN JINKS, who achieved distinction by disappearing from the Dail, and who by his absence saved the Cosgrave Government from downfall in its recent crisis, was not re-elected for Sligo. The Republican leader, Mr. de Valera, has been elected for Clare. Mr. Baxter, leader of the Farmers’ Party, has been defeated in County Cavan. The newspapers predict another deadlock. Mr. Desmond Fitzgerald. Minister of Defence, was elected for Dublin County. Mr. Cosgrave also headed the poll for Carlow, Kilkenny, as well as for the Cork Citv seat. Mr. Michael Collins sister. Mrs. Driscoll (Government), was elected for Dublin City, North. MR. COSGRAVE’S RECORD . The latest figures indicate that the Government is not likely to secure the 61 hoped-for seats to give it a clear majority. What will happen in the case of another stalemate is not certain. but all the old alternatives are possible. At any rate Mr. Cosgrave’s appeal to the country will have no tragic consequences to himseli. His 17,397 votes for the Cork City seat constitute a record. His success at Kilkenny makes his the greatest personal triumph in the campaign. Ever since Mr. Jinks began his surprises the unexpected has continued to hap-

pen. For example, the almost total absence of bitterness. The surprises include the defeats of Messrs. Johnson and Baxter and the victory of Mr. Larkin. A COMPLEX SYSTEM The “Sunday Express” says even the Irish electors are bewildered by the complexity of proportional representation, which has been shown to be unj workable. The “Observer” says it seems the Irish voter is content to wait till the treaty and the oath are lost in some real division of political and economic interests. Even if there is little alteration in the state of parties, however, there will be much geological change.—A. and N.Z.-Sun.