FOR SOUND FINANCE

Taranaki Daily News, 5 March 1935, Page 7

FOR SOUND FINANCE

VOTES CAST IN VICTORIA

DEDUCTION BY PREMIER

LITTLE CHANGE IN HOUSE

STOCK MARKETS RESPOND

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright

Melbourne, March 4.

With only absent and postal votes to be counted in the majority of the electorates it is apparent that, with the exception of the Minister of Education, Mr. Pennington, all members of the Cabinet will be returned in the Victorian elections. The deputy-Premier, Mr. I. Macfarlane, now has a lead of 436 votes from Colonel Herring (Independent United votes still to be counted it is expected that Mr. Macfarlane will be unseated.

Despite the threatened opposition of public servants in Kew, the Minister of Transport, Mr. W. S. Kent Hughes, had a sweeping win from his Labour opponent, Mr. T. Botsman, polling nearly twice the number of votes of Mr. Botsman.

The Premier, Sir Stanley Argyle, said the result of the election was a gratifying demonstration of the people’s confidence that after three years of stress, during which the National Ministry had performed many unpleasant tasks and the people had to make great sacrifices, there should be so few changes in the personnel of the Assembly. The results showed that the people of Victoria had for the second time overwhelmingly expressed their desire for sound finance. The Labour leader, Mr. T. Tunnecliffe, said the figures indicated dearly that the Ministry had lost support in several constituencies. There had been a considerable increase in the Labour vote everywhere. The state of the parties is:— Country 19 United Australia 26 Labour , 17 Independent 3 The result at the previous election, in May, 1932, was:— United Australia 32 Country 14 Labour 16 .Independent 3

The improved tone continued on the Australian stock exchanges to-day, the results of the elections being regarded as a favourable factor.