ELECTION OVER.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 December 1925, Page 1

ELECTION OVER.

A rSTII A 1,1 A T’AKKS STOCK. tS.MOK F OF RATTLK CLFARS. SVDNKV. Nov. 20. The -niukti of the election battle iI'learittg attay. and altliough it might not have been so -tteejiing a victory lor tht Parties lt"l hy Alt' Bruce ami Dr Page as that of Mr Coates's I'olloners ill New Zealand, a few weeks ago. it was snlliciont !y ileeisive to show that the Australian people were behind the M ini'lci'inli'l s in their iletcriiiiiiaii n t hat law ami order .should not he subverted to Ihe forces of extremism. The eic.-tion date, it non 'eetes :t:s e!;",fr ly ehoseti. Not. only was it fixed for a time when Labour was heavily saddled with the wreckage ol extremism, but il was also (lat"(l for iiist three days alter Armisth e Day I hat tai l ee!ns in have escaped every a 1 or'notice until Armi-ti'e Day arrivi'd. Hut event - oil that day. the reverence will, u hi.-Ii it Has celebrated. the s| ell'." and .-enroll- e lllplia -! s I llg Australia's rrlilviohra nee ol her fiend. and her loyalty In the Umpire, all rnnjrivi'tl to accent tta te the need lor a Government that would not, endanger tlm-... sacred ties. it 'i'rui."l lo Hie more t hoiigld I til amon:; u- that. the dear dead were pniulitig mil »ur path to us. Il .seemed that, trusted a' must of the Labour eamlidaies could lie individually and personally, there -.mu. sinister I'fircc behind them that would endanger the prosperity ciitl salet \ for which Die dead died. MOM KXTOUB ISSUK. It was in no ttnceriaiu voice Dial Australia gave a mandate lo Mr llruee and his colleagues lo maintain eoiistiintiotial Goveriinii'iii. I lie Ltd that while the Conn try Pally. Die lesser of the allied forces, maintained its representation on the same basis. Nationalism gained five, if not, six. seats in the ITmise of Representatives from J,about', ft was a remarkable result for a Party vvliidt had been freely described nt the last elect ions in 1922 as “upon its last legs.” decrepit, out-of-date, and in such-like terms. Tt is true that in 1922 il did seem that Nationalism had outlit ed its days. To-day it lias proved that it possesses as much vigotit as ever it did. that il is still the Party which the majority of Australians desire to see ip power, that it. is the one Party that can he trusted with the reins of Government. Mr Brine has been given a mandate to!' the policy he outlined in his campaign speeches, and Australians generally have confidence that Mr Rrnee. the rejuvenatin' of Xationalisli). is the man to bring (lie policy to fruition. A factor that pleased Nationalists almost as much as its general victory, was the manner in which its candidates in recognised Labour strongholds polled. This is taken as proof that thousands of workers forsook their traditional political beliefs in this momentous election, because Labour had neglected to set its house in order. X LAYUP A PUR COM MKXT.

Ti::n i In' election result s!ioul<l lie i:ikc'ii its ;t lesson hy Labour to ritl itsell' of the oxiroine element and Communistic control is the tenor of most of the newspaper comment upon the result of t!te poll. The Sydney “Kvenino X,.\vs ” wisely described it as » “victorv for ooninion«en«e.” The “Sydney Morning Herald.’' while expressing sntisfaeiinn with the result, emphasises the power of the Labour machine by pointing out that Labour candidates polled over 1.000.000 votes and adds: o Tlle lesson of it nil is that those who stand for good government in State •and Commonwealth must be the more eager and active in driving home to (he majority the principles of justice and fair play. Tl is not enough to do this when election time comes round. 1i Bruce and his colleagues can cheek the activities of the extremists or .lay them by the heels it they persist in the nefarious schemes. Labour will have oxeelelnt cause to bless the 10*2a election.” The Melbourne “Argu,” declares: “There will be political p oill -o for some time, and the public will feel relieved accordingly. - • • The Commonwealth will go along its steady wav ” This paper pays striking tribute to Mr Bruce for his leadership in the campaign. The “ Age” tries to indicate the reasons for Labour’s failures and savs that the Party will come again only when it has cut its organisation free from the forces of direct action. The Sydney “'Daily Telegraph believes that the humanitarian side ot the Nationalists’ policy won the election for them as much as any othei factor. _