EVE OF THE ELECTION

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 676, 30 May 1929, Page 1

EVE OF THE ELECTION

All the Parties Confident

labour expects a good win

Conservatives See No Landslide

fDAY is election day in Britain. The people have a momentous decision to make, and no one can tell which party will triumph. It is one of the greatest battles in Britain’s political history. The Conservatives expect to lose many seats, but still anticipate a majority over Labour and the Liberals. Labour expects to have a majority over the Conservatives and the Liberals. The Liberals expect to win between 90 and 100 seats, and Mr. Lloyd George says he does not anticipate that any party will have a clear majority over the other two. Such were the prophecies on election eve. British Official Wireless

peed. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Wednesday. The address by Mr. Ramsay Macponald. Leader of the Labour Party, >ras broadcast last night in accordance with the arrangement. On the previous night Sir John Simon spoke on behalf of the Liberals, and the last of thees addresses will be delivered tonight by the Prime Minister, Mr. Stanley Baldwin, as Leader of the Conservative Party. Mr. MacDonald, whose voice is suffering from fatigue, caused by the heavy campaigning work of the past fortnight, referred at the outset to the extension of the franchise to women over 21, and declared that his experience, which agreed with that of others to whom he had spoken, was that the women w-ere taking their responsibility seriously. Among the many subjects he discussed were those of international peace and the problem of unemployment. Regarding international peace he said the Government had not made the most of its opportunities. There would be no security until the Great Powers agreed to settle the disputes which had hitherto led to war, by conciliation and arbitration. LABOUR AND UNEMPLOYMENT Referring to domestic questions, he said it was satisfactory to And that both the Conservative and Liberal parties now recognised the obligation of the community to those suffering from unemployment, and he claimed that it was Labour that had forced upon the older parties this recognition. Unemployment, however, could not he decreased by relief work nor by piecework of any kind. They must develop the national resources and improve these so that there would be increased employment. This must be accompanied by a reorganisation of transport, including the making of roads, reconditioning of railways and equipment, payment of pensions to enable more aged workers to retire, and the raising of the school age with necessary maintenance grants. The Labour programme for dealing with unemployment was not a programme of relief works upon which the capital spent would be mainly lost to the country. It was a programme designed to add to the wealth and efficiency of the nation, and to open the way to the markets of the foreign Empire and Home markets. Labour aimed at raising wages through the machinery of the International Labour Office at Geneva through international agreements like rhe Washington Convention. NOT A CLASS PARTY He repudiated the suggestion tha the Labour Party was merely a class Party. Great public services hae been organised to bring all section! of the community within the meaninj of national unity, and Labour aimee at further development of these ser vices, and in process of time extension of the nationalisation of industry, of which the public utility services, the Post Office and the Electricity Commission, were present examples. The election candidates delivered their last speeches today, the polling taking place tomorrow. Speaking at Preston, Mr. Baldwin repeated his previous declaration that his policy was not one of promises. He said: "We prefer deeds to words. 1 have never tried to raise the cheers of the crowd, but I have tried to do something during the last four or five years, and I am determined to go on. Whatever the verdict, I am not one to complain. I shall accept It cheerfully.” Mr. Lloyd George reiterated his conviction that the Government was doomed, and declared again that the Uheral Party could and would conquer unemployment. Mr. MacDonald asked the electors for a record majority for his party.

He said: “We want 10,000,000 votes, j and no minority Government.” t PARTIES CONFIDENT j The respective parly headquarters f each expresses confidence in the result. At Conservative headquarters it was stated that there have been no indications of a landslide anywhere. The ■ belief is maintained that the Conserva- , tives will have a clear majority of 52 ; seats over the two other parties. The Liberal headquarters say that in the past week prospects have improved 60 per cent., and they were good before that. “The utmost enthusiasm and hope prevail. We have the most reason to be hopeful of any of the parties.’ The Labour headquarters say: “The return from all parts of the country in- j dicate that the industrial districts will give our party the majority. What is i more surprising is that the rural con- \ stituents are giving us the lead this time, even in Devon and Cornwall, j where the other parties have previously had matters to themselves. The candidates and agents are full of ex- j pectancy. In London we shall capture enough seats to create a record for the J Labour Party. We do not only hope to win back those which we lost at the last General Election, but also constituencies in West London are showiug signs of support. We believe some will be won. We expect to have in the new Parliament a majority over the Conservatives and Liberals. A Labour Government will certainly succeed the Baldwin Administration.” CONSERVATIVE LOSSES At the last election in 1924, the state of the parties was: Conservatives 413 Labour 150 Liberals 40 Irish Nationalist 1 Independents 4 The Conservatives had a clear majority of 223 over the Labourites and Liberals combined. The Conservatives, now anticipating a clear majority of 52 over the Labourites and Liberals, admit that they expect a loss of a considerable number of seats. At the last election many Liberals voted for the Conservatives as a result of the Zinovieff letter, with the object of defeating the Labourites, and a large proportion of these Liberals’ votes are now expected to go back to the Liberal Party. On the Stock Exchange, there have i been for the last two months dealings . in election forecasts. These have throughout anticipated a considerable ' reduction in the number of Conservative seats. Today’s Stock Exchange quotations are: Conservatives • 269 Labour 3 -j6 Liberals 98 ‘ Independents 1 I Other election matter will be found on Page 9.

2ND BATTERY TO DISBAND

DECISION OF HEADQUARTERS (From Our Own Correspondent) HAMILTON, Today. In response to a petition signed by all officers and men of the Second Battery, Hamilton, advice has been leceived from Major-General R. Toung that the question of disbanding the battery has received consideration, but the decision to do so cannot be re- ' Colonel Pvmon, Director of Artillery, wroto saying that the reason for the disbandment was the shortage of ra ings More men were required bj. other units, and the artillery was one battery over strength. The final parade wil Ibe when Colonel J. E. Duigan and Major j x. Baxter, officers commandin s , will address the unit.