LATEST CABLE NEWS BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 December 1923, Page 1

LATEST CABLE NEWS

BRITISH ELECTIONS.

[RE UT K ItS TELEC It A MS. ] .MANCHESTER FREE TRADK. LONDON", Dec. 7. Liberals regarded the day’s results as most satisfactory, destroying Mr Baldwin's chance of getting a tariff mandate. .Manchester again demonstrated its allegiance to free trade though such a landslide was not anticipated. The scenes of enthusiasm were improcdentod. Air dynes retained his seat, hut it was found ten members elected included only one Unionist, instead of seven. Liberals have live members, all gains, and Labour four, an increase of one. The, Liberal gain iu Nottingham Hash is notable owing to the fact that the hire trade strongly agitated for protection. Liverpool provided real surprises, Conservatives expecting Lord Derby’s son Stanley to win back Iv.lgehill seat, which was lost to Labour last March. hut he failed. Crawford Greono (Conservative) won Worcester from the sitting Liberal. Ashmead liartlett. the war correspondent failed in Hammersmith. Spencer (Liberal) retained Bradford. The South “Daily Tlx press ’ comments that whoever wins, the election the Umpire will he beaten. It is rumoured Churchill will he asked to contest AYosi: Derbyshire where the election was postponed, owing to the death of White (Liberal candidate), against the Marquis ot Hartington. STATIC OF PARTIES. LONDON, December 7. The St He of the parties nr. font o'clock in the afternoon, was 222 Conservative-,, 128 I,il orals, INS Labourites. 2 1 mlepemlents. Ilic gains were 11 Conservatives. GO Liberals, 51 Labourite-- and the los-es. Sti Conservatives, 2:t Liberals, 12 Labourites, 1 Independent. VOTING STRENGTH. LONDON, December 7. The voting strength of the parties urn- as follows: - Conservatives 1.982,I'.pili ; Liberals 1.5(10.000; Labour 1.908.OilO. SCENES IN LONDON.

LONDON. Dee. 7. The newspapers do not attempt editorial comment on the results, hut headlines partially indicate their views. The “Daily Telegraph” and •‘.Morning Rost” are obviously disappointed. They admit many liberal gains. Liberal papers describe the results as a liberal wave. The “Daily Herald” stresses Labour is iu front of the Liberals, and says Mr Baldwin's policy has everywhere suffered a set-hack. Labour gained twelve seats in and around

Hu- night scenes iu Loudon were weirdie wonderful. Eog blotted out the blazing electric lights of Piccadilly Circus. Khaftsbury Avenue, Leicester Square and Trafalgar Square, and huge crowds were transformed imo phantom multitudes. Everywhere screens were erected on which to flash the results, hut these were seen only by those close to them who passed on the news to the invisible throngs. Great cheering was heard in I ratalgar Square, bin nothing was seen except stray torches, tire-works ami eolor-

~,| Ijcrhts. Hu" kers trundled barrows, selling hot chestnuts and I mil among Hie crowds. The hawkers also sold rattles, mouth organs and other noisemakers.

Owing to the weather the hotels and clubs were crowded by thousands, who had the greatest difficulty in Home Street. Traffic in many parts was

stopped. To ballot boxes were collected with didicultv. Several from Camberwell wore reported to be lost, but later arrived at the Town Hall. The results were consipienily later than usual. There were lively scenes at Balteisa. outside the Town Hall where enormous crowds repeatedly sang the “Red Flag.” and indulged in tree tights. Mr Saklatvahi appealed from a. balcony for order. The new member managed to leave the Town Hall uninterferrod with, hut the crowd remained noisy and there were several arrests.

Polling generally passed quietly, ■light centenarians voted including Trs Lett, of Birmingham, who is 103. John Bright,'s daughter voted lor roe trade.

(it the Wells division the Labour inrtv organised bauds ot women to t.toitd to the children and invalids Hide the mothers voted.

LABOR JUBILANT.

LONDON. December 7. > | r.lmnr headquarters this morning are übihint at the resuit of the elections i- Wic-li so fur have emphasised the (lisippoarance of tlte Government majority, ami the fact that I.aliour could .till claim, to he the official opposition. Labour successes are attributed, to the intensive work of the Labour party during the last two years, and also the •(insistent and determined attitude in regard to unemployment. It is pointed out that it was very significant that the Conservatives have so far gamed no scats front Labour. The defeat of Arthur Henderson is much regerttod by Labourites. It is pointed out the Liberate and Conser.vatJvus combined against him. the Conservative candidates having withdrawn. OTHER VIEWS. LONDON, December 7. Conservative headquarters are unwilling to make a statement in regard to the election, before the returns are complete The defeats are attributed entirely L> the dear food ery, which in the circumstances of the hurried election gave them no time to effectively con tradiet. lion. \Y. Churchill arrived m London a r noon, mid appeared to be in high spirits. HS declined to discuss the situation. He said he had not heard n rumour that he had been invited to contest W est Darby. \\ t Asquith and Lady Bonham Carter on leaving Glasgow for London to-day. expressed delight at the results. Airs Asquith exclaiming : '‘ls it not wonderfid !’’ OVER 14,000.000 VOTES. LONDON. Dec. 8. A remarkable feature of the election is that the Conservative vote is increased bv 53,000, the Liberals’ vote by 130,000, and the Labour vote by sro’.ooo. , The total voles cast number 14,310,000.

LATEST RETURNS. 002 SEATS ACCOUNTED FOR. LONDON, Dee. 8. The state, of parties at the conclusion of the second day’s results was as follows:—■ Conservatives 259 Liberals ITS Labour L-~ Independent S Total C>o2 Results to come 13 LABOURITES WHO WON. LONDON, Dec. 7. A Labourite, Mr Voting, gained the Particle Division of Glasgow in a triangular contest, defeating Sir Allan Smith, the Conservative Free Trader, and Mr AleCallurn Scott, a Liberal. Another Labourite, Air Ron Smith, gained the Rotherhithe Division of Bermondsey against a Conservative and a Liberal. The Secretary of the Miners’ Federation Mr Frank Hodges, defeated two Li bends. Labourite Colonel Beauchamp Wil limns gained Kensington division of Lambeth in a three-cornered fight. Air Robert Smillie (Labour) was >xelected.

Mr Sidney Webb (the leading Socialist) was re-elected. Labour, in a triangular fight, won West Islington, the Liberal, Mr I. W. Molileu, being at the bottom of the poll.

.Mr Settrr (an Australian Iwrn) Labourite gained the Mile End Div.sio.'t of Stepney. The Labour Leader, Mr Ramsay MacDonald, was re-elected. His muj u ity in A bora von was 3512.

LONDON, Dee. 8. The Labourites elected include Messrs J. Maxton, Noel Buxton, Ben Spoor, Patrick Hastings, Jack Jones, and Will Thorne. Mi- Philip Snowden, the Labourite, was re-elected for Colne Valley. INDIVIDUAL CAN!')]DATES. LONDON December 7. lit. lion. D. Lloyd George had a majority of 517 G votes. .Sir A. L. Stanley (Liberal) was beaten at Knutsford by Brigadier-General Makitts (Conservative) by a majority of 80. Sir Guy Gaunt had a narrow victor.viu Buekrose with a majority of 2M over the Liberal. Aylesbury resulted: Mr I'. Tseers (Liberal) 13.57(1. Sir A. Burgoyue (Conservative) 13.50-1, Mr Watkins (Labour) 1275, a Liberal gain.

Colonel Amerv fa Cabinet- Minister) was retained by an increased majority in Sparbreok division. This made Birmingham solidly pro-Goveriinieiil. but Mr Neville Chamberlain's majority in l.adywood Division was reduced to 1051. The Prime .Minister. Mr Baldwin was le-olectcd. llis majority in Bewdley was ineron set! to (>B(‘>9.

Mr Davidson. Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, defeated Sir 1< reddick finest. Mr J. M. llogge was elected.

The Conservatives held Sir Nett toil M,line's (the ox-Westralian’s) old seat at Islington North. .Mr ('. 11. Fry, the cricketer (Liberal) reduced Major A. -I. Ednnmslon’s Conservative majority in Banbury (Oxford) bv over four thousand votes.

The fiist, count for Tiverton, which Ml F. D. Aclaml gained for the Liberals. in 1922, lias resulted iu a dead

Sir \V. Steel Maitland was re-elected in the Krdington division of Birmingham.

.Mr Fletcher-.Moulton, a Liberal, gain 'll Salisbury, defeating a Conservative Another Liberal. Mr Milehel. simi

Sn Robert Sanders (.Minister ol Agriculture) was beaten. Sir 1.. Worthiug•;;n, Evans, and Major Norton Griffiths were elected. At Paisley, the figures were. At <j.723. Co-operative candidate 7,977. Conservative 7.758, Labourite 3.085. Dr. MaoXamara'.x majority was eighty. iu it three cornered light. Sir Ila mar Greene,ood (former Chief Secretary for Ireland) was defeated in Sundcihmd, where two Conservatives vein re-elected.

Sir Robert Horne (ex-Al inister) was re-elected in n triangular contest in Mdihead. Mi- Orinsby Gore. Cnder Secretary lor Sic C louies was re-elected in firafiord. LONDON'S H El 1 R KSK XT'A TI ON LONDON. December 7. London is now represented in Parliament by the following: "Conservatives id Labourites -1 Liberals Total f >- 'i'he I/.ndon boroughs of Lewisham. Paddington and Wandsworth voted sob , IK- for Conservatives. I Vijil.tr borough went solidly for Lahour. St. I’aneras Borough now sends two Labourites and one Conservative to theilnu.se. Southwark Borough svmN two J.nhourites. and one Liberal. The borough of Stepney is now solidly for Labour. Liberal and Labour gains, notably ~i the counties, continue. They include tj ,(i Labourite, Mr It Climie, who ousted the Liberal Leader, Sir Donald McLean in a triangular light at Kilmarnock. A Liberal, S. W. Robinson, gained Chelmsford from the Conservative, Mr I’iettymnn. The Liberals have gained Gateshead j,ml Elhuul from the Labourite, while, on the other hand, the Labourites v rested Mile End and Rotherham from the Conservatives, their majority in Hotherhnm being 2118. SIX MINISTERS DEFEATED. LONDON, December 8. So far six Ministers have been defeated. They include the following: The Lord Advocate for Scotland, William Watson, who did not previously hold a. seat in Parliament, and who was beaten by a Labourite in Carlisle. Air Boyd Carpenter, Financial Seere nary to the Admiralty. Air Ford. Junior. Conservative Whip.

The largest majorities were for Labour. These were at Rhondda, 12.992; and in the Scabam Division of Durham. 12,735. The largest Conservative majority, was at Brighton. 12,075: and the largest Liberal majority was in Merthyr Division of Merthyr, Tydvil. Males. The smallest majorities were: Labour at- Alaldon Division of Essex. -19: C'onservate. in the Isle of Thanet, Division of Kent. 48; Liberal, one in Vcwlmrv division of Berkshire. 4, : Labour at Huddersfield, 24; and Liberal (Air Hemel), the Hampstead Division of Hertfordshire. 17. Air Ackland, after a recount, regains the Tiverton Division of Devonshire.

with a majority of only three in. Ms contest with his' cousin, Colonel Aclatul Troyte, in a poll of 24,000. Standing as it- Conservative, Mr H. j Tcnnent, Air Asquith’s brother-in-law, forfeited his deposit at Glasgow Central. LONDON, December 7. Glasgow is now represented T*y the following:—Labour 10, Conservatives 5; Liberals 0. At last election Glasgow returned 10 Labourites, four Conservative* and one 1 literal. The Labourite, Tom Kennedy, has gained the Kirkcaldy seat from a Libera). The Labouarites, -Messrs Adamson, Shin well and Lansbury. were re-elect-ed. Air Newbold, the Communist lost his scat. LLOYD GEORGE’S FACTIONLONDON, Deem her 8. A curious feature of the election is that it practically extinguishes Mr Lloyd George's National Labour Patty. Those who were unsuccessful include his henchmen, Sir A. Aloud, Colonel .McCurdy, Sir Ha mar Greenwood, Mr Churchill. Mr Hilton Young, AlajVv Waring and six or seven others. TRIUMPH OF LABOURLONDON, December 7. Tlte Labourites are pleased wvti. their success at the poll's The Liberal-! are .somewhat chagrined at their losses to Labour, those making them still the smallest party. The hopes of the Liberals that they would succeed as the Official Opposition were .shattered by extraordinarily heavy Labour pulling in the industrial submits of London, and elsewhere. Early today (Friday) the Labour successes became more and more numerous, rapidly increasing the small lead they had over the Liberals at midnight. Oi, the contrary, the Liberals gained heavily from the Conservatives. SO.ME WO ALEX WINNERS. LONDON, Dee. 7. Miss Susan Lawrence won East Ham North, being the first woman Labour member. Seven women candidates were defeated. At Northampton the figures were: Miss .Margaret ISomlfield (Labour), 15,55(1, Air Collier (Conservative), n’s2()’, Colonel C. A. McCurdy (Liberal) 11.311. Mrs Wiiitringham (Liberal) and Airs Phillipson (Conservative) were, both reelected. Lady Astor also was re-elected. Latlv Terrington was elected for Wycombe. The Countess of Warwick (Labour), was defeated. The vtuehess of Athol (Conservative was another successful candidate. The Duchess of Athol gained Kinross seat (Scotland) defeating Air .Molteno Liberal) by a majority of 050. Lady Tol'ringtoil's majority in a triangular contest at Wycombe, was 1082.

Eleven women were defeated yesterday, including 11 Labourite, Aliss Jessie .Stephen, by a Conservative, Ala.jor Cayzer in Portsmouth Sound. A Liberal. Air Comyns Carr, gained Fast Islington in a triangular contest, wherein the Labourite woman candidate, Doctor Ethel Benthnni, was at the bottom of the poll. Lanarkshire, is now lepie.sented bysix Labourites, anil one Consereative, compared with five, Labourites, one Communist, and one Conservative iu last Parliament. A Labourite gained a Lanark seat at the expense of a popular Conservative Minister, Cantain Elliot. LONDON, Dec. 8. The representation of Sheffield remains unchanged, except lor a Conservative gain from a Liberal. la Newcastle, the Liberals captured two Labour seats. The contest in the West Riding ol Yorkshire resulted in tint return ot four Conservatives, four Liberals, and ten Labourites, compared with five Conservatives, three Liberals, and ten Labourites in the last, Parliament. The Scottish Burghs are litMo changed. The East Riding of Yorkshire is solidly Conservative, as the Liberals there lost the lloldorncss seat-. Cornwall is wholly Liberal. In Cheshire, the Conservatives lost (hive scats to the Liberals. Otherwise the country representation is unchanged. Dorsetshire. Glamorganshire, and Carmarthenshire are also unchanged. There is no alteration in Belfast. Gloucester is n-prosontod by one Conservative, two Liberals and one Labourite. compared with throe Conservatives and one Liberal in the late House.

A Liberal. Air L . W. Costello, gained Huntingdonshire from the Conservative.

In the agricultural districts, the Government hoped to win, hut they sustiiinod there it number of reverses. TO!’V WINS. The Minister .Major Tryon, headed the poll at Brighton, defeating Mr Walter Hunciman (Liberal) by a majority of nearly 13,000. .Mr liopner regained the Sedgefield Division <>!' Durham For tile Conservatives by a majority of six, after three recounts. S I’XS A TlO N C’TtE A TED. T,ON DON, Dee. 7. To-day's declarations opened sensationally. A I'jibernl gain in Basingstoke (Hampshire) was shortly followed l, v the annonneement that Miss Bondfield (Labour) had gained Northampton. The capture of Bridgewater from Sir Robert Sanders by Mr A . F. Morse (Liberal 1) with a majority of 1431 brought a climax to a number of Government reverses in the agricultural districts, where the Government’s hopes had been strongest. The most notable were the Liberal gains in Krone, Sudbury and Salisbury. ULSTER FLECTIONS. LONDON, Dec. S. The election for County Fermanagh il!U | County Tyrone (Listen resulted in the re-election of Mr T. .1. S. Harbison (Irish Nationalist)) and Air Calnr Mealy (Sinn Fein) by majorities o, (500(1 over two Conservative opponents. Air ITealy is at present interned in Ulster. AIR BALDWIN’S SILENCE. LONDON, Dee. S. Air Baldwin and Sir Alfred Aloiv J , (who was defeated) arrived at Paddington Station almost simultaneously from the constituencies. The Premier was grave and uncommunicative. He curtly remarked that he had nothing to say in regard to the situation. Political circles are excited at the position. They assume that Air Baldwin will resign, and that the King will ask Lord Derby, as representing thr srtongest party, to form a Government. LONDON, Dec. 8. The “Daily Express” lobby corres-

pondent says:—Alt - Baldwin trill resign both the Premiership and the Leadership of the Unionist Party. He will announce his decision at a Party meeting at the Carlton Chib next week. LONDON, Dee. 8. To-day (Saturday) the Labour Party is holding a conference. The King returns to London from .Sandringham to-day (Saturday). PRAISE FOR LLOYD GEORGE. LONDON, Dec. 8. The “Daily Chronicle” (Liberal) in a special article, suggests that the electors’ emphatic and unniistakeable rejection of protection itt any shape 01 form represents a personal triumph for Air Lloyd George’s whirlwind missionary tour, in which, by means ol amplifiers and wireless, hundreds of thousands of people heard his sixty speeches. It adds: “Never before has there been it titan in British politics who could thus appeal to the common people. There is some flavour about AD Lloyd George's eloquence which enables it to carry conviction from its very plainness and sincerity. TORY TRICK FAILS. LONDON, Dec. 7. Mr Lloyd George to-day commented on the election as follows:—“The results make it clear that the trickery of the ‘honest man' has ignominiouslv failed. The people have soon through both. The most remarkable, and in many ways the most gratifying feature of the election, is the agricultural districts’ rejection of a huge bribe of eleven millions sterling, offered them by the incorruptibles.” IS PREFERENCE DISCREDITED. LONDON. Dee. 8. As the result of inquiries in Dominion circles, the Australian Press Association understands that it is not considered the result of the election should effect- the present position of Imperial preference. It is pointed out that the election was fought mainly on the question of the protection of home markets, rather than preference to Dominion products. Therefore, it is thought unlikely that the promises made bv the Baldwin Cabinet will be rescinded, whatever party eventually carries on the Government.

TORY PRESS COMMENT. LONDON. Dee. 7

The “Daily Express” says: “A distinetivo Conservative Government is ijn impossibility. '1 his: overthrow is due to the crass stupidity and the. ridiculous miscalculation of Air Baldwin and his little ring of advisers. Everv conception of sanity should have urged Air Baldwin, as a new and inexperienced Prime Alinister to walk carefully in the path which Mr Dollar Law had shown, but lie declined the counsel proflered by experienced men, who had served C'onssrvatistn iu posts of responsibility liefore Air Baldwin ever entered the party. AYliile protection has been hopelessly beaten. the policy of Empire lias suffered no defeat at all. H Air Baldwin had succeeded, the cause of Imperial preference would have suffered a setback lasting for a. generation. A rejuvenated Conservative Party can now carefully think out- the whole question of the revival ol our foreign markets, and the creation of an Enin ire almost economically soilcontained.'”

The “Daily Express” adds:—“Labour gains exceed all the prophets’ expectations, hut mostly they have been in three-cornered lights, ami thus on a minority vote. Liberalism boasts that it stands in a middle position—in a word for “tranquility, not tempered |,v Ibds.” If tins is true, the united forces of Liberalism and Toryism could easily defeat the Labour mennee!”

SIGN! FICANT AIOYEAI ENTS. LONDON, Dec. 8. The King’s private secretary. Lord Stamfordhnven was called to Downing Street yesterday. Cabinet will meet 011 1 uosdaj • The “Sunday Times” says the situation may compel the two constitutional parties to combine for the defence of tlte Constitution. 11 expected that Mr Baldwin will resign and will he succeeded in the leadership ol the parly by a Couserva(jvo statesman, less responsible tot the recent gamble with the electorate. LAST YEAR’S ELECTION. HOW THE PARTIES STOOD. \s reconstituted alter the lormathm of the Irish Free State, the House of Commons consists of 010 members, distributed as bilious: ENGLAND: Counties ... Boroughs ... Universities *

AVALF.S: o Counties Boroughs 11 University . ... ••• 1 :tc SCOTLAND: Counties no Boroughs ... Universities ... ... 74 NT )RT 11ER XIBEI -A N 1): Counties 1 Boroughs ■■■ ' University 1 13 Crawl Total bio Last election—held 13 months ago was the first held after the dissolution of the war-time Coalition. It saw the Liberals go to the poll a divided family, the National Liberals looking to AD Lloyd George as their leader and the other branch to Air Asfjuith. Now that breach has been healed. The Conservatives were returned in 192- with an absolute majority of 79. This was the lowest Government majority for 30 years; but the rapid development of the third party in recent times has rendered overwhelming partv majorities most unlikely. Tlie strength of parties after last vear's poll was;— ■ 0 I Conservatives ••• 011 Labour Liberals National Liberals ... 58 Independents 5 Co-operators Xatioinalists Communist '*■ Sinn Fein 1 As compared with the state of affairs at the dissolution in October, 1922. the Conservatives lost 19 seats, the National Liberals lost 16, the Liberals gained 27. and Labour gained 53. _ . For the first time in history, Labour took its seat as the Opposition.