LABOUR'S DEFEAT

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 171, 10 October 1927, Page 1

LABOUR'S DEFEAT

New South Wales Election

NA TIONALIST- CO IJNTR Y MAJORITY ON Saturday, the electors of New South Wales took the Government of the State from the Labour Party. Between them, the Nationalist and Country Parties captured 47 seats against Labour’s 37. The Nationalists polled <103,747 votes; Country Party, 92,101; Labour, 458,884. All the party leaders were returned.

By Cable.—Press Association. — Copyright.

Reed. 10.45 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. tpHE! completion of last night’s elecA tion count makes the state of parties as follows: Nationalist-Country Party Pact.. 47 Labour Party 37 Independent Labour 2 Doubtful . 4 The voting shows that the Nationalists polled 403,747; Country Party, 92,101 (one Country Party member was returned unopposed); Labour Party, 458,884. The total of votes polled was 10,066,549, so that about 76 per cent, of those on the roll recorded their votes. The preference votes will be allotted to-day, and these will finalise the doubtful seats.

The result of the polling clearly demonstrated that the electorate is tired of Mr. J. T. Lang’s dominance and determined to return to sane constitutional government. The weather was gloriously fine for the poll and voting was heavy and considerably above the normal. Outstanding features were the victories of Mr. T. D. Mutch and Dr. H. V. Evatt, two of Mr. Lang’s former Ministers who were cast from the fold. They defeated the officially endorsed Labour candidates. The House loses its only woman member. Miss Preston Stanley, who

suffered a bad defeat In Bondi. Both the Leader of the Opposition, ilr. T. R. Bavin, and Mr. Lang had easy victories in their electorates. GREAT EXCITEMEITT There was tremendous esxcitement in the city over the election results. Great crowds gathered in the vicinity of the newspaper offices and at other centres where progress returns were announced by loud-speakers. Feeling waxed intense when it became evident that the Lang Government had received its dismissal. Cheering crowds held the streets until early this morning. The- Nationalists at their headquarters were jubilant, while Labour was at the opposite pole of feeling. Labour leaders are dismayed at the number of seats they regarded as safie which have gone over.

The electors would have nothing to do with the foiur women candidates. All these were heavily defeated. Two of Mr. Lang’s Ministers had hard fights to struggle back. There is a feeling of very general relief at the result of the election.—A. and N.Z. Twenty-fpur members of the late Parliament who fought for reelection flailed to get back. Sixteen were Labour men, seven Nationalists, and one Independent Labour).