ST. GEORGE’S BYELECTION.

Timaru Herald, Volume CXXXIV, Issue 18832, 21 March 1931, Page 17 (Supplement)

ST. GEORGE’S BYELECTION.

Wide Interest Aroused. STRAIGHT-OUT CONTEST. United Preae Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, March 19. Widespread interest is being aroused by the by-election for the St. George's Division of Westminster, in which the polling took place to-day. The candidates were:— Mr Duff-Cooper (official Conservative) . Sir Ernest Petter (Independent Conservative) . Sir Ernest Petter, who has made Mr Baldwin’s leadership of the Conservative Party one of the principal issues of the election, has been actively supported throughout the campaign by Lord Beaverbrook and by the newspapers controlled by him, and Lord Rothermere. CONSERVATIVE VICTORY. MAJORITY OP OVER 5000. United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright LONDON, March 19. The St. George's election resulted:— Mr A. Duff-Cooper (Conservative), 17,242. Sir Ernest Petter (Empire Crusader), 11,532 At the last general election the figures were: — Rt. Hon. L. Worthington-Evans (Conservative), 22,448. Mr J. G. Butcher (Labour), 6,294. CONSERVATIVE MANDARINS. STIRRED FROM COMPLACENCY. United Press Association—By Eleetrl® Telegraph—Copyright (Received March 20, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 20. Mr Duff-Cooper says that the election is of national importance in demonstrating to the public that whatever its political faith, it will not be dictated to by a certain section of the Press. Sir Ernest Petter declares that the election has at least stirred the complacent mandarins of the Conservative Party. There was tense excitement at the close, there being a great crowd outside Oxton Hall, Westminster, while voting was in progress, including many society women in evening dress, who came on from restaurants and theatres to hear the declaration. A force of mounted police was in the vicinity in case of disorder, but it was not used. The crowd certainly was the most aristocratic ever associated with a byelection, and cheered loudly when it was announced that Mr Duff-Cooper had won. “A GOOD DAY’S WORK.” VICTORY MOST WELCOME. United Press Association—By Eleetrl® Telegraph—Copyright (“The Times.”) (Received March 20, 7.5 p.m.) LONDON, March 20. “The Westminster election deserves its prominence in current political history,” says “The Times” in a leading article. “Mr Duff-Cooper’s victory is*a discerning tribute to his high political courage and capacity. Also, the verdict will be greeted with wide and unqualified satisfaction for reasons embracing much more than Mr Baldwin’s future or Conservative fortunes. St. George’s has done a good day’s work for democracy and the Press. Hie electorate tested the contemptuous assumption that it could be swayed by crude asservations, some of which were unbelievably puerile, especially the panic at the name of Gandhi. If Gandhi is to become as much the object of timid superstition in England as in India, then he owes his prominence to this discreditable newspaper campaign. The victory is a most welcome assurance that immense Imperial interests and obligations now committed to adult suffrage are not necessarily at the mercy of daily demagogues, even in a constituency exposed at close range to a foaming torrent of misrepresentation.”

SIR ERNEST PETTER’S SUPPORTERS. SILENCE OF THE PRESS. United Press Association —By Xleotrle Telegraph—Copyright (Received, March 20, 9.45 p.m.) LONDON, March 20. The section of the Press which supported Sir Ernest Petter is silent editorially regarding the result of the by-election.