BRITISH ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 May 1929, Page 5

BRITISH ELECTIONS

HOW WILL THE WOMEN CO?

(United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.)

LONDON, May I

While the British Gene.a! Election campaign has not. yet fully developed, thei'ei isi khdF.eiiont ovi-dqiiee allow that it will he one of the fiercest and most (con)/tica-tcd and puzzling elections in British political history. All of the Parties are at present manoeuvring for position. The issue is not vet clearly defined, hut both the platform and press campaigns alike are alieady being conducted in the strangest language.

Tlio first official lists of candidates are not expected before next, weekend.

Tile Labour Party has already endorsed five hundred and fifty-live candidates, and, in all probability, will endorse a further twenty candidates This is easily a Labour record. THE CANDIDATES. Following are the figures as to candidates : After last General Election in 19A5. the 'following ;«-as the state of the Parties:— Conservatives 413 Liberals 40. Labour 15L. Constitutionalists 6. Independents 5. Total, 615. The candidates for the next Parliament* are:— Conservatives 684. Liberals 475. Labour 575. Total for 613 seats, Kibu. Nomination day is May 21)Lh. Polling day is May 30th. • WOMEN CANDIDATES. There are at present 04 women candidates, as compared with 41 women at tlm last General Election. These are divided as follows:—Conservatives 8. »«i"?rnU 25, Labour 28, Communists 2, Independent 1. THE WOMEN VOTERS.

Rr-'oi this in-reused total of female candidates is small in view of the fact that the women voters are predominant in the .'electorates, which now includes half, of the nation, as coirtpured with less than a century ago when scarcely one-fiftieth part of the

nation voted. Of theso women voters, there arc many thousands of young women of Britain’s middle class and hotter class homes, who live in an atmo.spheio quite remote from Socialism and there is no fear that they will be inveigled into Labour’s battalions; but an admittedly ,Uug3 '.unknoi.vn fiaicteir lias been thrown into the scales.

>Tlie chief pusßslo "'>ll ho tlu ‘ l K,liti ' c-al leanings of the thousands of womtn and girl-workers living alone in lodgings in the big cities, who are detached'from home influence or from any organisation.

Mil BALDWIN

AN ELECTION .MESSAGE. (Received this dav at. 9. a.m.) LONDON, May 5. “With peace in industry established, this is-not the time to put in office either the Socialist party, a large section of which is definitely pledged to class warfare or the Liberal party, whoso unemployment scheme even the Liberals themselves declare is impracticable,” says Mr Baldwin in a message to the nation, in which, after detailing the Government’s record, claims that trade is more prosperous than any time since the war. PARLIA.M ENT DISSOLVING. LONDON, May 5. Parliament dissolves on Friday. Members will disperse throughout the country. MR. GARVIN’S OPINIONS. LONDON, May 5. J L. Garvin arrives at two negative conclusions. First, that Liberal dreams of becoming the strongest or even the second strongest single party is out ol the question; second, that it is improbable that Labour can double their present parliamentary numbers or gain 1/30 seats necessary - secure even a 1,.,re majority in the Commons. He adds that no one knows the extent to which Labour and Liberals can knock out each other.