The Hutt News THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1929 BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Hutt News, Volume 2, Issue 3, 13 June 1929, Page 7

The Hutt News THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 1929 BRITISH ELECTIONS.

f^ The elections held last week thxoughAout Great Britain possess an interest •not alone for the Mother Country but ■ or the whole Empire. _. ..Seldom has so much interest been taken in a political fight, rarely havjD such vast sums "of money been expended in any campaign: and never 'previously have so large a oody of electors had the right to use the franchise. This •yras the first occasion that to women iiad been given what is practically; equal 'rights with man, -,'■ and the eyes of the Empire were on the women/while : the minds of" the. ' people were filld wjth spoliation as to .'■ what woxildbe .done witlL the sq:called y "flapper" vote. Each o^t&e two main '"parties, the Gonser/vafives .led by Mr.Baldwin and Labour led by Mr. -Ramsay Maedonald} proclaimed its'confidence in-a victory, while the best that the third party, Liberal,' hoped for was a sufficiently strong ffillowing'to .-secure to it the balance of - power so that neither of the other" parties could sue- , cessfully carry on without its co-opera-tion. Tlhe; Conservative- party suffered a very severe set back, the. Labour Party scored an enormous gain, while /the Liberal-Party fell-well below itsown modest forecast. Fortunately for the nation's good,.the Communists received short shrift, many, polling so ; small a vote that they forfeit their deposit.^ Their miserable failing is the clearest indication that such extremists are not tolerated by either the wealthy or working' class nor are they to be., given a chance to wreck society by their impossible ideas. ~ Without doubt the Conservative defeat was brought about by that party's failuTe to take prompt and effective steps to alleviate unemployment. It is noteworthy that in industrjal centres where unemployment with its consequent suffering is < most in evidence,. Labour scored tremendously and it will be interesting,to watch the steps taken by Ramsay MacB[ donald to deal with tftiis social sore. "'How the mighty have fallen," may well be quoted of Lloyd George, the man upon whom all eyes were focussed during the - Great War. There can be no doubt that the wtorld owes much to Mm fjoT the great work he did, while Prime Minister, in the last years of "the war, but these are days of, peace ' at least from the clash of- armed nations, and the great mass 'of. peoplei evidently now think (much ■as they may admit his war'greatness) that he is not the man "for the hour." Recent cables make it-clear that the Labour Party will assume the reigns of government as Mr Baldwin has take*n, the only action a "jbrg" -man could take in" the face of the result of the elections viz., placing his resignation in t&e hands of the King. , Ramsay'Macdonald's position is a somewhat deli- " cate on»B —his legislation, particularly his domestic policy, must be such that it can be endorsed and supported by the Liberals who can keep him in power or oppose him by allaying themselves either with "him or against Mm. None of the parties will wish" for an early dissolution with the consequent turmoil of another election, an election that conceivably might be no more conclusive than that of 'las,t month, so we fully anticipate a desire on the part of all to watch with, intensity the changing outlook but, for a time- at least, to ''carry on."