E. G. THEODORE WINS DALLEY BY-ELECTION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18092, 28 February 1927, Page 7

E. G. THEODORE WINS DALLEY BY-ELECTION.

WILL BE AN ORIGINAL MEMBER AT CANBERRA. ROSE FROM MINER TO LABOUR LEADER. By Telegraph.—Press Assn.—Copyright. Aus. and X.Z. Cable Association. (Received Februarv 28, 11 a.m.) SYDNEY, February 28. Mr E. G. Theodore was returned at the Dailey by-election with a majority of 8514 votes. If Edward Granville Theodore, former Premier of Queensland, is elected for Dailey, he will be one of the original members of the House of Representatives at Canberra. He would have liked to win a seat from a Nationalist opponent, but his defeat by Dr Nott, M.H.R., in Herbert (Queensland). has been followed by a bloodless victory. Mr W. G. Mahoney, M.H.R., left his 11.000 majority in Dailey (New South Wales), and Mr Theodore was invited to take the warm seat.

To use one of his own pet phrases, it would be idle to deny that Mr Theodore has a praiseworthy ambition to lead the Labour Party against Mr Bruce and earn the rare prize of the Prime Ministership. There was a time, while he was Premier of Queensland, when he would have gloried in the leadership of the provisional Government of a new State of Northern Australia, but the Federal Government chose the less spectacular policy of appointing a commission to develop

the northern wastes. Without a doubt, this decision added fuel to the flame of Mr Theodore’s desire to meet Mr Bruce in the shock of political battle. There is a physical likeness between these two men, whose political rivalry is apparently destined to make Commonwealth history. Both arc tall and stalwart, serious-minded, plain and vigorous of speech. They arc alike in the possession of personal magnetism, strong will and courage in combating popular opinions. Mr Frank Anstey, M.H.R., is credited with the remark that Mr Bruce is the best Prime Minister he has known. The abilities of Mr Theodore are likewise recognised by’ political opponents. «

But Mr Bruce and Mr Theodore have reached eminence by different roads. The Prime Minister had the easy path of wealth and opportunity ; Mr Theodore had to hew his own track through ironstone.

Mr Mahoney’s political heir is a South Australian, having been born at Port Adelaide forty-three years ago. He has Rumanian blood in his veins, and it has been said that he has the physiognomy of the old Roman conquerors. from whom the Rumanians claim descent. lie was educated at the Le Fcvre’s Peninsula Public School, but found himself faced with the necessity of earning a living. We see him as a sturdy young miner prospecting for gold at Tarcoola, in the barren region through which the Trans-Australian railway now runs from Port Augusta; we see him following the golden lure in West Australia and Broken Hill. Then he went mining in Queensland. It was sugar, however, and not gold, that formed his stepping-stones to higher things. He left the mines to assist in the industrial organisation of the workers on the cane fields. The organiser of to-day is the member of Parliament of to-morrow; and Mr Theodore went through the usual gate to political power. lie may be regarded as a pillar of the Australian Workers’ Union. It did much for him, but he lias for his part done well for it. strengthening and developing its organisation. For Several years he was president of the Queensland branch. It was in 1909 that he was elected t j the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Wootha Kata, and three y’ears latei he stood successfully for the Chillagoe seat, which he held till he resigned it to meet defeat at Herbert. Ilis career in the Queensland legislature was brilliant. lie was soon marked out for office, and was an able lieutenant of the late T. J. Ryan, the Queensland Premier, who came into the Federal* arena through the opened door of the West Sydney electorate. Mr Theodore is but following the footsteps of his old leader, but as Premier of Queensland lie made a deeper impression than T. Ryan. He raised more enemies than his old leader. On the one side the graziers bitterly resented his restriction of their leasehold rights; on the other his firm resistance against the encroachments of Red element in the Labour Party’ n .. r gered the extremists. Official Labour maintains that the cxPremier was defeated in Herbert, not by the Nationalists but by th£ Communists. He was an anti-conscription-ist. At the time when he decided to resign the Premiership he was riding the storm, and his period of comparative peace since the Herbert adventure must have been a very happy’ experience. But, ever a man of action, he is restless for the fray again.

His Queensland official career was fairly rapid. It was in 1913 that lie was appointed deputy’ leader of the Labour Party. The general election of 1915 gave Labour a strong hold on government, and Mr Theodore was given the Treasureship as well as the portfolio of Public Works, lie administered these offices with a broad mind and a firm hand till 1919, when he succeeded T. J. Ryan as Premier. A year later he visited England and America on matters of finance, and caused something of a sensation by securing a loan from the United States on very favourable terms after London had tightened its purse-strings on. account of his treatment of the Queensland leaseholders, which was charged against him ■as repudiation. If he has as much success in his Federal career as in his State he should not be disappointed, and certainly a large section of Labour supporters will be gratified.