POLITICAL UNREST

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 73, Issue 425, 17 November 1930, Page 3

POLITICAL UNREST

CHANGES IN TWO YEARS FALL OF GOVERNMENTS MANY NOTABLE DEFEATS. THE FORTUNES OF LABOUR. The turnover in the strength of the parties in the United .States Congress this week as a result of the general elections appears to have followed a trend which has become increasingly apparent during the past two years. Mo unsettled has been the political feeling that very few Governments have retained office after an appeal to the electorate. The most notable cases arc the assumption of power by the Labour Government in Great Britain, the rout of the Nationalist-Country Party pact in Australia, the downfall of the Liberals in Canada, and the defeat of the Reform Party in New Zealand after 16 years in office. The big changes in Great Britain date from January, 1924, when Mr Ramsay MacDonald was returned at the head of the first Labour Government. His reign was very short, as toward the end of that year he was defeated by the Conservatives unde/ Mr Stanley Baldwin, following scandals concerning the Government’s dealings with Russia. The Conservatives remained in office until June of last year, when they were decisively defeated, and replaced by the MacDonald Cabinet, which is at present in power chiefly owing to the support of the Liberals, some of wh< are now beginning to revolt against a further continuance of that support. It is interesting to note that in the municipal elections recently held in England there has been a marked swing back to the Conservatives. Defeat of Bruce-Page Pact. The most spectacular reversal in the political field in Australia during the past two years was the overthrow oi the Bruce-Page Federal Government at the election of October .12, 1929. The election followed the decision of the Prime Minister to resign after the onevote defeat of his Coalition Government. It was this election which brought a Labour Government into oifice after 12 years in the wilderness. Mr J. H. Scullin headed the new Cabinet as Prime Minister.

The most recent reverse in Australia took place in New South Wales last month, when the Labour Party returned to office after an absence of three years. In October, 1927, the Lang Ministry was ousted by the NationalistCountry Party pact at the general election. The result of the election of October 27 last forced the resignation of Mr T. R. Bavin, the loader of the Coalition, and the victorious Labour Party with Mr J. T. Lang at its head, again assumed power. Changes in Other States. A vote of no-confidence brought about a change of Government in Victoria in December of last year, when the Nationalist Premier, Sir William McPherson, was compelled to resign. This resulted in Mr E. J. Hogan again forming a Labour Government, which is still in power. Sir William McPherson had been Premier from November, 1928, when the defeat of a Labour Government under Mr Hogan, enabled him to form a Cabinet.

After having been in control of the Government of Queensland for 14 years, the Labour Party of that State was defeated at the general election held in May of last year. The Premier, Mr William McCormack, resigned, and ♦he Leader of the Opposition, Air A. E. Moore, a native of New Zealand, formed a Nationalist-Country Cabinet.

In South Australia, the Butler Government (Nationalist) was defeated nt the general election in April of this year, after being three years in office. The new Labour Government was headed by Mr L. L. Hill, who had been Premier of the State for eight months prior to his defeat at the polls in April, 1927. Conservatives Rule in Canada. The Labour Party was defeated in the general election in Western Australia in April last, when feir James Mitchell, the Nationalist leader, formed a Coalition Cabinet. Mr P. Collier’s Labour Government had been in power for six years. The little State of Tasmania has not been without its political changes. A little over two years ago the Lyons Labour Government was defeated at the general election and was replaced by a Nationalist Cabinet, under the leadership of Air J. C. McPhee. Canada had its first change of Government in a number of years as a result of the general election of June or this year. At that election the Liberal Government, headed by Mr W. L. Mackenzie King, was defeated by the Conservatives, led by Mr R. B. Bennett. At the election of December, J 921. the Liberals secured a majority and Mr King formed a Cabinet. The election of December, 1923, made little difference in the state of parties and the Cabinet remained unchanged. In 1925 Mr King resigned and was defeated at the ensuing election. His party remained in power, however, and subsequently secured rc-electon at a by-election and resumed the Prime Ministership with a doubtful majority, until he resigned again in June, 1926, only to be returned to power at the ensuing elcvtibn. Exception in South Africa. The Union of South Africa is one of the few exceptions among the large States where the ruling party has survived a general election within the past two years. The Nationalists, uude' their leader, General J. B. AL Hortzog, gained an additional 15 seats as a result of the election of June, 1929, thus retaining power. The present Government of Newfoundland is not yet two years old. The Prime Alinister, Sir Richard Squires, assumed office on November 17, 1928, after the defeat of Mr F. Alderdicc at the polls. Sir Richard Squires had enjoyed a term of office prior to the coming of the Alderdicc regime. South America, .a country of frequent political changes, has had four major revolutions this year. The lust for power proved the downfall of President Irigoyen, of Argentina, who gave way to President Uriburu. President Vasquez, of the Dominion Republic. was overthrown after six years of office. A brief revolution in Bolivia displaced President Silos, and President Leguia, of Peru, signed his resgnation under the eyes of disaffected army officers. Brazil is now engaging in the national pastime.