SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTION.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17124, 20 April 1921, Page 4

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ELECTION.

TRIUMPH FOR LIBERALS. (FHOM OUR OWN CORWSSI?O?:DINT.) : SYDNEY, April 12. • Contrary to general expectations; the genera} elections iu South Austral* have resulted in a - triumph for the Liberals—who arc practically the Conservatives of Australian'politics,' -When the great political split occurred in connexion with Conscription, tiaero was in ,inost of the States a fusion between the' old Liberals and the pioconscriptionists who had broken away from the Labour Party;, and this how combination took the name of Nationalists. This combination and name have endured m most of the States, but in South Australia the union was far from happy. E.ventuaily, when the election;' were approaching, the Party reverted to the name of Liberal, and left, tho old pro-conscriptionist Labourites to face the electors as independents. They kept the name of Nationalists. Australian ; r>ublic opinion is so advanced that none of the Eastern States will go back to the name of Liberal, and it was thought in tlhese States that the South Australian moderates liad signed their own death-warrant. Hut the Liberals there were very well organised, under their vigorous young Premier, Mr Barwell, whilo the Labour Party appeared querulous and stupid. Its programme was not attractively presented, and its leadership was weak. The net result is that tho Liberal Party—which for a' year has been actually in a minority, only holding office by favour of tho. anti-conscription Labourites—comes back from the election with a clear majority of JO at least in a House of 46. Labour went to the • country holding 17 seats, and comes back with only 16. The Liberals have held their own seats and, iv. addition, have captured all except one of tho seats formerly held by the anti-conscrip-tion Labourites. The latter have every reason to claim that thev have been .badly treated. They broke their Labour allegiance on a vital question of principle. They allied with tho Liberals, and then the latter, finding tho alliance uncomfortable, threw theni off In their now .weakened condition thev were not able to make a vigorous nartv nghfc, a? d the Liberals havl stepped "a and captured their seats. .Their defeat is the only feature of the election consoling! rU6 Wue . Labourit « find