BRITISH ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 October 1931, Page 6

BRITISH ELECTIONS

SIZE OF MAJORITY. . FRIGHTENING SUPPORTERS. f United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. ] (Received this day at 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, October 29. The National Party organisers are still gasping at the size of the Government’s majority, which is beginning to frighten their own supporters.

PRES?, COMMENT

LONDON, October 29

“A strong Government is the need of the times,” says the “Telegraph”, “but experience has shown that the weakening of the opposition beyond a certain point does not make for good Parliamentary Government. A .serious responsibility is thus laid on the Ministerial big battalions.”

The “Morning Post’’ emphasising that the Governments watchword must be unity, hopes it will be inspired to govern in the old sense' of the greatness of British destinies. It emphasises that there can be no question now that the nation agree to accept such tariffs as the Government may find necessary. Other newspapers comment is. generally restrained. The editorials stress the Government’s responsibility to face momentous decisions.

The “Times” says the situation which the Government followers have to face is unprecedented as a majority. They have to save the nation from th e appalling danger of a. collapse of the currency and credit, subordinate everything to that end and build upon its successful achievement a national reconstruction, so solid, as to make a recurrence of the danger impossible.

PRESS COMMENT. DAILY HERALD’S VIEWS. (Received this day at 11.15 a.m.) LONDON, October 29. The “Daily Herald” says—Labour had what Wellington called a “Damned good hiding.” If the party can take a good hiding, it may win in the long run. Labour has got to learn its lesson. The fact is the Tories have beaten us in organisation, propaganda and generalship. Meanwhile grim times are ahead. ANOTHER VIEW. LONDON, October 29. The “Daily Mail” says in spite of dole cuts, thousands of unemployed must hav“e voted for the National Government. The nation has overwhelmingly repudiated a class war.

THE VOTING STRENGTH. LONDON, October 29. The “Times” says the National vote may be estimated at 161 millions against the Opposition vote of seven millions. FORFEITED DEPOSITS. LONDON, October 29. Altogether £IOO,OOO were forfeited by 77 candidates, who failed to poll one-eighth of the votes cast. 14 WOMEN ELECTED. LONDON, October 29. Thirteen Conservative women land also one Independent were elected. Miss Megan Lloyd George is the only Oppositionist. SOCIALIST DEFEAT. LONDON, October 29. No section of the electors it is emphasised, was more crushingly answered that the Socialists. Every Solialist candidate during the campaign directed attention to the recent Invergordon incidents and drew the inference that the Navy was dissatisfied with National Government, yet every Naval port returned a Nationalist candidate.

EUROPEAN SATISFACTION. LONDON, October 29. Satisfaction over the election is felt Europe-wide, tempered with a fear lest the Conservatives miduse their majority to impose prohibitive tariffs, thereby dislocating world trade. MR SCULLIN’S COMMENT. CANBERRA, October 30. The Prime Minister commenting on the British elections, said the National Government had undoubtedly received a mandate to deal with the nations financial difficulties. Nevertheless the Labour Government could have been trusted to do this if it had received the united support of other parties. Mr Scullin regretted the defeat of so many able Labour stalwarts who had given great service to the Labour movement over a long period.

MR HOLLAND’S COMMENT.

WELLINGTON, October 30,

Commenting on the British Election result the ’Leader of the Opposition, Mr Holland, stated that Britain in her hour of gravest danger, had been struck with a decisive victory of the Conservatives and the loss of their parliamentary and constitutional effec-tiveness,-by organised workers. It was true tiffs was the direct result of votes cast by a considerable section of the workers themselves hut that fact did not dismiss the gravity of the situation. "With round about thirty P er cent, of the total voting strength, the workers were left with less than eight per cent, of the representation. The new Government had no definite pro-

gramme of economic rehabilitation and by reason of its eon.stitutent elements could not be expected to produce such a programme or effectively administer it, if by some magic or Conservatism it could be produced. Mr Holland concluded—“My prediction is that in the industrial centres all the by-elections will be won bv Labour during the life of the present Parliament and that the next contest will show' a decisive return from the present reaction to /the Labour ■Party.” FURTHER ELECTION RESULTS. LONDON, October 29. With the announcement of a National Liberal elected in the Western Isles, the most scattered constituency in Britain, the elections are practically ended, only two University results being outstanding. The Government’s total is now 551, Opposition 61. Conservatives number 469, National Liberals 65, Official Labour 51. The total pollings are ■Conservatives 11,872,000, National Labour 338,000, National Libera) 1,973,000, National Independent 85.000, Labour 6,617,000, Liberals 346.000, New Party 55,000, Communist 70,000. Others:— independents 256,000. Eighty-six candidates forfeited thendeposits.

AGGREGATE VOTES. LONDON, October 29. The votes are : Conservatives 11,805,432 National Liberals ... 1,958,819 National Labour 311,475 National Independents 66,022 Labour 6,663,309 Liberals 321,112 New Party 35,0 W Communists 70,844 Independents 91,829 THE DEFEATED PARTIES.

MOSLEY’S ROUGH SPIN

LONDON, Odtober 29

Out of twenty nominated under the “National Labour” colours, thirteen w'ere successful, including Mr MacDonald. Three were defeated and three withdrew after they were nominated.

Out of the twenty-three candidates put up by the New Party, none were elected. Twenty-one forfeited their deposits, aggregating £31.050. Sir Oswald only secured 10,034 votes at Stoke, while “Kid” Lewis at Stenney soured a paltry 154. Each vote, thereford, cost Kid Lewis approximately £l.