SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XCVIII, Issue 18084, 20 June 1924, Page 7

SOUTH AFRICAN ELECTIONS.

Indecisive Result Feared. INDECISIVE RESULTS. DEFEAT OF GENERAL SMUTS deplored.

CAPETOWN, June 18. Severe storms interrupted the telegraph wires, delaying the election iebults’. Hie latest- returns are:— South African Party ... -y Labour {5 Nationalists Independents ...\ There arc 134 members in the Assembly. The position of the after'the 1921 election wasboinn African Party 74; Nationalists 47; Labour Party 12 ; Independent 1. The defeat of General Smuts came as a great surprise. It was undoubtedly a severe blow to the Pai'ty. General regret is expressed that a statesman of his standing should have been rejected by his own constituency. It is unknown at present whether lie will seek another seat. Decision on this point will probably, depend on the final issue of the elections. The landslide to Labour on the Rand is greater than was expected, and has prejudiced the Government’s chances oE securing a majority. On the other, hand, in the urban constituencies ct the Cape and Natal, the South African Party more than held their own, gaining two seats from Labour in the Cape. The Labour Party now stands at 18, an increase of five compared with last Parliament, but cannot gain any, more seats. The issue hangs on the country returns from the Transvaal and Cape, where tho Government lias good hope of gaining some seats, turn as the Pact is now leading,. there appears to be small hope of a Government majority. At the same time, it is unlikely that the Pact will obtain a workable majority.

Two Ministers have been returned—' Mr Duncan. Minister for the Interior, and Mr Reitz, j\{inister and Lands.

GOVERNMENT DEFEATED BY THE PACT. GENERAL SMUTS’S MESSAGE OF CONFIDENCE. By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. Received 9.25'p.m., June 19. CAPETOWN, June 18. The latest returns are:— South African Party.. .., 46' Labour. .. . . 18 Nationalists . 41 • Independent 1 Twenty-nine resuits are incomplete. Two Ministers, Colonel Mentz (De- , fence), and Mr Malan (Mines) were defeated. ■ -t Ex-Administrator Robertson was defeated at Wakkerstroom. , An unexpected Nationalist gain was the late General Botha’s old. stronghold at Losberg. Other Nationalist gains were:Maricd, Riistenberg, Ventersdorp, Heidelburg. Sir James Smartt, Mr Reitz, and MS Watt were re-elected. Twelve members have offered, their seats to General Smuts. In a message,..(‘General Smuts, thanking his committee, says: “Be of good cheer. From wider views which shape the national policy, our failure may yet prove a blessing in disguise. My faith in the future remains as strong as ever. Although the immediate outlook before the country is. gloomy enpugh, in that faith we hold out unflinchingly.”

DEFEAT OF SOUTH AFRICAN PARTY. HANDSOME MAJORITY FOR PACT., By Cable—-Press Association—Copyright. (Received 1.20 a.m., June 20.) CAPETOWN, June 19. The position now is that twenty-one results are awaited, and if these are the same as last election, the Pact will have a majority of twenty-two.