FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1931, Page 5

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

LABOUR DEBACLE. LYONS PARTY LUCKY. (Australian Press Association.) SYDNEY, December 20. The Federal elections took place yesterday. The Scullin Goverrnnait was defeated. Its losses were in Victoria and New South Wales where the Langites gained from the Government seats held in and around .Sydney, yueeupland '• rallied to the Labour Party, which gamed ftiur sets in that State but lost in Tasmania. in the other two-states the results are not yet finalised. The number of seats in the Federal House is To. There were elections also for Senators in each State. All the Party Leaders were elected. Mr Hughes' retained North Sydney. The Ministers, Messrs Theodore and Parker Maloney, ’ were defeated. The Attorney-General, Mr Brennan, is in a precarious position. POSITION OF PARTIES. Federal Labour' ... ... 14 Laaigites ... ... ... ... 10 United Party ... ... ... 31 Country Party ... ... 15 Doubtful 6

N.S.W. RESULTS.

THEODORE DEFEATED,

LANG SUPPORTERS’ WINS.

' SYDNEY, December 20. In New South Wales .the Scullin Labour Government retained - Darling (unless second preferences depart from plan) and Newcastle. The Langites won Barton, where their nominee, Air Eldridge, who had deserted the Martin constituency, defeated the sitting Labour Party candidate, Mr Tully. The Dailey, seat was taken by the Langite candidate, Mr Rosevear, from Mr F. C. Theodore. • The Cook seat was taken by Mr J. S. (Jock) .Garden from the Ministerialist, Mr E. C. Riley, •though the preferences may possibly upset the. position in this electorate. The Lang seat was won by Mr Alulcaihey (Langite) from, the Scullinite /candidatey Mr Long. The Reid seat was won by Mr Gander from the Ministerialist, Mr Coleman., In South Sydney, Mr J. Stewart (Langite) seems to have the Governmen (Supporter, Mr E. Riley, beaten. East Sydney seat is held by the Langite, Mr Ward. . * The, Hume; - seat is-retained by Mr • James, a. Langite. Werriwa seat is retained by Mr Lazzarini (a Langite), f though he is hard pressed. V . West Sydney seat has been, held by Mr Beasley, the leader of the Federal j Lang planners; A' . The United Australia candidates won the Eden-Monafo seat and the Parramatta seat from Labour. .. The United Australia; Party have i retained North Sydney seat, Mr-, W; M. Hughes being returned. The Parkes, Robertson, Warringah and Wentworth seats have been retained by the United Australia Party. In the Wentworth electorate, the sitting member was Mr Marks, who figured in the revolt with Mr W. M. Hughes, which wrecked the Bruce Government. Mf Marks has been beaten two to one by a political newcomer, Mr Harrison, under the same banner as Mr Marks. The Country Party has captured the Calare seat, where Mr Thorby, formerly New South Wales State Minister of Agriculture, ousted Mr Gibbons (Labour), the framer of the Gibbons “financial plan” last year. Gwydir ; seat .haa r been won from the Federal Labour Party by the Opposition. -.'-Mr Cunningham was the sitting member, In this seat the preferences, . however,- must decide who is, to be the incumbent. ! . The Country Party have won, Hume ■'from the Minister, Mr Parker Moloney, and they retain Cowper, wli is the leader, Dr. Earl Page’ seat. Richmond and Riverina, are also retain.- ) ed by the Country Party. The, former New South Wales ProN '--mier, Mr Holman, handsomely recaptured the Martin seat for the United Australian Party, polling 20.847, votes against the Lang Planner, Mr Hankins, who scored 11,233 votes, and the other United candidate, Mr Abbot, who polled 12,351. also Mr Catts, a Scullinite, who polled 5,813.

VICTORIAN VOTING. . SYDNEY, December 20.' In Victoria, the Government retains the Bourke seat, the Melbourne seat, the Melbourne Ports seat, whither Mr Holloway, who was Mr Bruce’s vanquisher in 1929, went for a safer seat. The Yarra seat also was retained by the Federal Labour Party. There Mr Scullin' polldd eighteen thousand against the United Parties’ candidates’ ten thousand. The United- Australian Party has wdn the Batman seat from the Attor-ney-General, Mr Brqnnan; also the Bendigo, Corio, Flinders, tndi, and Wainon seats, all from the GovernT'ment, arid they also retained the Balaclava, Ballarat, Fawkner, Henty and Kooyong seats. In the last-named se Mr Latharii polled forty-six thousand to the Scullinite candidate, Mr Loughnan’s fourteen thousand. ' 'Mr Fenton (Lyons follower) is bard pressed in trie Maribvrnong electorate •with 25,017 votes, as Mr Bec-k'ett, the Federal Labour Party candidate, has 25,025 votes, and Mr Scojtt (Indoperm -Aent) 996. The preferences will decide this election. The Country Party took the Corangamite and Wannon seats from the Government,' and retained Echuca and ■- .Gippsland. \

Mr Bruce scored 30,7(30 votes in

Flinders to the Federal Labour Party candidate’s 11,900.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA.

SYDNEY, December 20

The Government held the Grey and Hind marsh seats in 'South Australia. ■ Thy position in Adelaide is very uncertain. United Australia candidates again represent the- An gas, Barber, Boothby and Wakefield districts. ' 'QUEENSLAND. SYDNEY, December 20. In Queensland the Government apPears to have won four seats, namely Brisbane, Herbert, Kennedy and Oxley, all of them from, the United Australia Party. The Government also has retained the seat of the Minister of Customs, Mr Frank Forde , in Caprjcrania. The United Australia l’ary hold ■Lii'iey and Moreton. The Country Party keeps Wide Bay. The former Federal • speaker, Sir Littleton Groom, as an Independent United, recaptured the Darling Downs seat from the United Australia Party. The Alaramoa seat is uncertain, as' several thousand votes ar,e outstanding.

IN TASMANIA. SYDNEY, December 20. In Tasmania the Uniteds carried all five seats, two 'Ministerialists, Messrs Calley and Frost, being ousted. WEST IN DOUBT. SYDNEY, December 20. In West Australia, the Country Party retains the Forrest and Swan seats, but the position of the other three seats, Fremantle, Kalgoorlie and Perth, is yet obscure. . NEWSPAPER FORECASTS. OUTSTANDING RETURNS. SYDNEY, December 20. The elections were favoured , with fine, though dull, weather locally. The polling was heavy in Sydney, but it passed off without incident. The returns from West Australia and some of the New South Wales and Queensland electorates are so scattered that the collection of the figures is most difficult. Of those that aro practically complete, some remain doubtful, because the country votes aind the distribution of the preferences may effect the final placings. In one or two seats, also, though it is plain s which Party will win the seat, the actual candidate to occupy it will not be ci'ear till the preferences have been allotted.’

The position in ’ the Federal House of Representatives, as summarised when the -counting ceased was that the Government had only fourteen definite followers of its ow r n Party, w f hile the “Lang Planners” numbered ten. All of the Lang Planners were returned for seats in Sydney or in its vicinity. The United Australia Party and the United Country Parties between them mustered forty-five seats. There remained six seats that were doubtful. '

The “Sun” newspaper credits the combined' Opposition with forty-eight seats, combined Labour with nineteen seats, with one Independent, and seven seats as doubtful.

The paper considers Air Chiffly (Minister of Defence), Mr McNeil (Minister of Health), and Air Cunningham (Assistant Minister) are also doomed. As a large amount of counting is yet to .be done, ■ the close contests are not easy to forecast upon.

" SENATE VOTING. SYDNEY, December 20. The “Sun” suggests on the present figures, that the Federal Labour Party will gain two seats in the Senate, both in Queensland. COMMUNISTS FARE POORLY. SYDNEY, December 20. The Independents and Communists were very poorly -supported. Sixteen candidates' lost their deposits, of whom seven were Communists, six Independents, and three Labour. LANG AND GARDEN. SYDNEY, December’ 20. Mr MacPberson, the Federal Labour Party Secretary, places the responsibility for the election result on Gardenism and Langism. He says that the ultimate effect will be the raising of a Fascist dictatoiship in Australia. * NEW CABINET. A SUGGESTED SELECTION. SYDNEY, December 20. Cabinet-makers are already busy. One suggested team, to be led by Mr Lyons, ; s: Mr Lyon-s, Prime -Minister and Minister of Internal Affairs; Mr S. Bruce, Treasurer ; Mr Latham Attorney-General; Mr Glasgow, Defence Minister; Mr Guliett, Minister of Trade and Customs; Mr Prowse, Minister of Works and Railways ; Mr W. M. Hughes, Postmaster-Generi.T; Mr Park hi 11, Minister of Home Affairs and .the Territories; Mr Patterson, Minister of Markets and Migration; Senator Pearce, Leader of the Senat-. * MR SCULLIN’S COMMENT. •

SYDNEY, December '2O. The election comments include that of Mr Scullin, who says : “Defeat is the fate of the Government, winch was called upon to govern during a financial crisis. It is i a staggering blow to the Labour Party, but un ‘

doubtedly there will be a strong reaction before many 1110111115.’’ MR LYONS’ OPINION. SYDNEY, December 20. Mr Lyons reads the result of the election as. being an expression of the sound common sense and patriotism of people, who, lie says, have taken a long view. He adds; “Our credit in the eyes of the world has been reestablished.” SYDNEY, December 20. An early reshuffle of portfolios for the new Cabinet is anticipated, giving the leadership of the Government to Air Bruce, 11 High Court seat to Mr Latham (Deputy-Leader at present), and a portfolio to Mr VY. A. Holman (N.S.W.). OTHER OPPOSITION VIEWS. SYDNEY, December 20. Dr Earle Page (Country Party) declares that the inffation and repudiation have received their quietus. Mr Latham regards the result as an indication to the world that Australia is determined to resist plans for politically controlling the hanking system and a depreciated currency. Air Bavin says • An overwhelming majority has made it clear that the pub.ic will not. tolerate political control of banking.

Air W. M. Hughes declared ; “The iMacDonald-Baldwin victory is repeated, and shows definitely the people of Australia prefer a Government based on sound finance rather than fantastic schemes and extremist doctrines.”

BRITISH PREMIER’S INTEREST

LONDON, December 19

(Mr 'MacDonald is closely watching the Australian election, and is asking that the -early reports, indicating the Opposition gains, be transmitted to him at Lossiemouth. “The issue in Australia is sound finance versus inflationary methods,'' says the “Morning Post’s” City Editor. “If Australia, particularly New South 'Wales, votes solidly 1 tin favour of the United Australia Party or the Country Party, it is probable that Australian stocks will show a substantial recovery.

INTERESTING FEATURES. DEFEAT OF MINISTERS. (Received this day at 9.25 a.m) SYDNEY, December 21. Among the most interesting features of the elections is the defeat of five ministers, including Mir 'Theodore (Federal Treasurer) who is more than ten thousand behind the Lang Plan candidate Rosevear, and three thousand behind the anti-Labour opponent, Massey. Rosevear is certain to win Dailey by a substantial majority. What _ Mr Theodore will do in the future is a matter of much speculation. He is regarded as the brains of the Scullin Ministry, yet no other electorate has shown the slightest anxiety to provide him with a safe seat, which would enable him to reorganise the official Federal Labour forces.

The defeat of Parker Maloney, Minister of Markets, ivas not unexpected He played a. prominent part in arranging the Caiiadian-Australian Trade Treaty, but always had a hard fight in Hume. On this occasion he was faced with unusual liea-vy odds from the Country Party ivhich in recent months had conducted- an intense campaign in New South Wales in favour of a new State, against Langism and against Scullin and a- high tariff. For the same reasons, Cunningham, Assistant Minister ,of Transport, suffered defeat' at the hands of the Country Partyite, C, Abbot, who formerly held Gwiydir. The Minister of Defence chiefly in Afacquarrie, will not know, his fate until the preferences are counted. McNeill (Minister of Health) and J. Brennan (Attorney-General) are both definitely defeated in. Victoria, wheie the swing away from Labour was most pronounced. Brennan hitherto was returned by a huge majority. The same influence almost unseated Frank Anstey, a former Minister of Health in the Scullin Ministry. Indeed Anstey is not ye-t out of danger.

The consensus of opinion this evening is that anti-Labour, otherwise United Australia and United Country Parties, will have an absolute majority in the House of Representatives of 28 to 30 There is even a hope of a greater majority.

LAST PARLIAMENT. The state of parties in the last Parliament was: — Federal Labour 35 Beasley Socialist Labour 5 United Australia Party ... 23 United Country Party ... H Independent 1 Election prophets in Tasmania predicted anti-Labour would win all the five seats. The prophecy was entirely fulfilled, Mr Lyons, likely to be Prime Minister, is well abend in W ilmot, although his former Labour colleagues were running a strong candidate against him. Doctor Earle Page, Leader of the Country Party is having a runaway victory ill Oowper electorate. The position in Smith Australia and Western Australia will have no particular bearing on the state of parties, except to slightly increase the antiLabour nurority.; .

The fact that Queensland was the only State where the Government more than held its own, was due to the fear that the anti-Labour forces were out to remove the sugar embargo, which was an active* election cry ..throughout that State; also to the unpopularity of the Moore Government which had to clean up what was described as seven years of labour mess, instituting rigid

economies, including the sacking 0: twelve thousand superfluous railway men, and the insistence of thorough discipline in all Government Departments. ■■ : '-'j

LONDON VIEWS. LONDON, December 2(). The “Sunday Times” emphasises the remarkable similarity of the Australian and British national appeals on financial issues and says the Australian election makes it abundantly plain that the Empire, is resolved that its Governments shall maintain financial stability. It was part of the mandate given Britain in October. and New Zealand has since spoken in the same voice. Now- Australia, lias voted decisively therefore. Specially welcome is Australia’s emphatic repudiation of rash schemes for political control of the banks. ' ■ - The “Observer” says - Australia’s verdict is clear enough. Mr Lyons will be able to Imild a 'Ministry with the solid support of at least three-fifths of the House. The public endorsed Empire trade. Additional returns received to-night show all States slightly strengthens the anti-Labour position.

LATER STATE OF PARTIES. The state of parties now' appears tr be:— Sculiinites Labour 12 Beasley-Langites Labour, ... 5 United Australia Party ... ... 32 United Country Party 14 Independent .... ... ... 2 Doubtful ... ... 10 Of the doubtful., Beasley-Langites. Labour w'i-J probably secure four at the expense of the Government, all in New South Wales. The remainder will be won by. United Parties, who already have forty-six seats in the House of seventy-five.

RECONCILED TO DEFEAT.

MR THEODORE’S FUTURE PLANS

SYDNEY, December 21

Beasley candidates polled fairly heav ily in the Sydney metropolitan elect--01 ates where the Lang influence was strong, hut in other States they were .lot treated seriously.

Jock Garden, chief exponent of the Lang Plan qiter Mr Beasiey contested the cook seat against the veteran Labourite, E. U. ltdey who is a Scullin supporter and an extremely close struggle ensued, ’ihe result is likely to remain in doubt for some days. Similar contests are going on in Barton, South Sydney, and Werriwa, where a battle royal is raging, between official Federal' Labour and Beasley Labour, and the factions of tile community are looking oil with the greatest of interest!

The Minister of Defence, in Macquarie if beaten, will owe his defeat to- the intrusion of the Lang candidate. There was an interesting outcome in Parramatta electorate, where F. H. Stewart, at the first time of asking, triumphed by a, tremendous majority over three opponents, including two brands of Labour. Air Stewart who is anti-Labour is the “Wizard” Smith’s backer for the laud speed record in New Zealand next month,

Air Theodore is thoroughly reconciled to the crushing edleat in Dailey, and states that he is 'orsaking politics for something more congenial, but he does not state the nature of his future activities.

Among the new members elected are the former Prime Alinister, Mr Stanley Bruce, the former Speaker in the House of Representatives, Sir Littleton Groom, an ex-Alinister of Homo Affairs, Air C. Abbott, an ex-Premier of New South Wales, W. A. Holman, and a former State Alinister of Agriculture, Air H. Thorh.v.

EARLY SESSION EXPECTED. MAY MEET IN FEBRUARY. 'Jib (Received this day at 10.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, December 21. When the Senate count ceased, the grand aggregate of the United Party was 460,772, and of the Federal Beasley Labour groups 425,757. It is anticipated that the United Australia Party candidates will sweep the polls, except in Queensland where new Sensators will take their places in July next. The United Australia Party should have 26 members in a House of tliirtv-six. It is expected that Parliament will meet before the end of February, and, owing to urgent business, may meet as early as February 3. Mr Scullin is likely to interview the Governor-General this week.

Mr Thomas Buckland, , chairman ol directors of the Bank of N.S.W., said: “Under this new Government confidence will be restored and the rehabilitation of the country will be seriously undertaken. This should mean a return eventually to better times. I expect that the stock share market will show an upward tendency immediately.

The “Herald” editorially says: The elections have established, beyond all question, Australia’s refusal to have anything to do with inflation of currency. The Scullin Government revealed itself as the weakest, in face of its responsibilities, that Australia lias ever seen. Inequalities in electoral disinflation magnify the Langito success.

LEADERS’ OPINIONS

HOW THE VOTES WERE CAST

SYDNEY, December 21. When counting ceased last night the total .votes for “each party were : United Australia party, 1.226.504. United Country party, 315,207. 'Federal labour. 770 A 79. Beasley Labour 302,679. Independents, 141,451. Communists, 7,868.

Mr Lyons said: “The result is a severe condemnation of the policy of the ''Government, also of the Lang Plan. The electors, by their verdict, have stopped a financial and economic disaster. There is a difficult task ahead to be tackled with courage and determination. Our aim must he to restore confidence m order that industry may begin again to lemplov those who to-day are out of work.” •' Mr Lang declares that the election results mean that the people have given the private banking system a chance to justify.- “Labour’s long fight is a national one, because nationalisation in banking is just round the corner. Mr Beasley says “Our turn is coming, ■because our policy is the only one that can save the people in this country. We feel that the results, so tar as - ev South Wales is concerned, are very satisfactory. From the state oi . he Labour party it is apparent that achievement. of our policy is near at hand T (United Australia Party wall fail Solve the problems and provide employment in the same manner as the Scull in-Theodore Government and th Conservatives in England have failed.