ELECTION TO-DAY

Taranaki Daily News, 11 June 1932, Page 5

ELECTION TO-DAY

N.S.W. AND QUEENSLAND

LAST EFFORTS IN CAMPAIGN

RELATIONS VERY STRAINED

INTENTION OE MR. LYONS

WOULD TIE LANG UP AGAIN

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. T. 45 p.m. Sydney, June 10. Elections are to be held, in the States of New South Wales and Queensland to-morrow, and they are creating the keenest interest throughout Australia. The Commonwealth Ministry for obvious reasons is hoping for the retmui of Governments pledged to the carrying out of the Premiers’ Plan for the rehabilitation of the national finances, which has already been partly accomplished. Addressing a huge rally in the Sydney Town Hall the Federal Prime Minister, Mr. J. A. Lyons, announced that “If Mr. Lang is put back again we will tie him up as we tied him up before. I have already said on several occasions that while the Lang blight remains there is no hope for Australia, and the incubus will have to be removed.” That Mr. Lang’s relations with the Commonwealth are strained to the uttermost is common knowledge; indeed, he would give the Federal Government no quarter, and certainly would get none if he were returned. Mr. Lang’s policy makes it quite

clear that he will, if returned, launch the biggest offensive in the history of x the State on the banks and other financial interests with his mortgage taxation measure. Originally he stated that £10,000,000 to £12,000,000 would thus be obtained which would help to pay overseas bondholders’ interest, but now he explains that the money would be devoted to providing employment and whatever was left over would go to the bondholders.

-RAKING FROM NEWSPAPERS.

It is safe to say that no other Premier has received such a raking from the newspapers, and no politician since the late Sir George Reid has been caricatured to the same extent or purpose as Mr. Lang. Despite the orgy of poEtical capital his opponents have made out of Mr. Lang’s hectic career, his party is supremely confident that Labour will be returned to power. Labour argues that to win the enemy must swing over 179,535. votes, which is an Impossibility. Labour, having won 15 seats in 1930, now counts on winning 10 more.

(Party organisers for the Government side, however, predict that Labour will lose practically every seat in the country, also several in the metropolis. They put it that in. eight or ten contests in 1930 the majorities were so narrow in favour of Labour that it is quite a simple process to swing them •cway from Labour on this occasion, and that the people who will do the trick comprise the' middle-class and small business men, who in 1930 were deluded by Mr. Lang’s lavish promises. Impartial observers say a close contest is inevitable in the Queensland elections. The Labour Opposition has so much leeway to make up that a big swing is necessary to give them the reins of office. In the last Parliament the parties were: Country-Progressive-Nationalist 44, Labour 26, Independents 2. The Redistribution Act reduced the number of seats by 10, leaving the parties: Country-Progressive-Nationalist 41, Labour 19, Independents 2. Labour must therefore gain 13 seats >to secure a majority. It is expected Labour will score heavily in the north and central districts, also in the metropolitan area. The Government should hold its own on the Darling Downs and the South Coast, but it is regarded as unlikely to gain seats anywhere. The general belief is that its majority is likely to be reduced, but whether it will vanish altogether will be determined on polling day.

In addition to having, no sympathy with the Premiers’ plan as at present drawn the Labour leader, Mr. Forgan Smith, promises to raise a "revival loan” for the absorption of the unemployed. This money is supposed to come from the Colonial Sugar Refining Company. The Premier, Mr. A. E. Moore, has ascertained that the company has not been approached upon such a matter.

The nine’ parties contesting the election are: Government, Country and Progressive Nationalist, Official Labour, Independents, Queensland Party, Communists, Land Planners, Douglas Credits System advocates and Independent Farmers’ Party.