The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1922. THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 November 1922, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1922. THE BRITISH ELECTIONS.

The result of the general election in Britain may be said to have completely justified the Conservative revolt against the continuance of tile Coalition Government. At the 1918 election the Coalitionists secured 478 seats against 229 obtained by all the other parties combined, including Irish members, who no longer count, whereas at the elcet’on which has just taken place the Conservatives obtained between three and four hundred seats, and will certainly have a working majority of over eighty. The split in the Liberal ranks in consequence of the policy of the Wee Frees, led by Mr. Asquith, in cutting themselves from Mr. Lloyd George and his adherents, could not fail to add to the strength of the Conservatives, as well as Labor, although some efforts were put forth to prevent Labor obtaining sufficient members to be able to hold the balance of power. It is noteworthy that, while in 1918 Labor only obtained sixtythree seats, they have now secured one hundred and forty. This is not surprising in view of the unemployment problem, the crushing taxation, and the special circumstances under which the election was held, which were regarded as constituting a particularly favorable opportunity for a forceful Labor campaign. The full significance of Labor’s gains is strikingly apparent from the fact that Labor polled 4,356,000 votes as against the 5,746,000 cast for the Conservatives, and 4,334,000 obtained by both sections of Liberals. The chief factor in bringing about a complete victory for the Conservatives was undoubtedly the general desire that there should be a strong and reliable Government, sufficiently strong to hold Labor in check, and sufficiently stable to resist entanglements and reduce taxation; Mr. Bonar Law’s main indictment against the Coalition Government was that, in. spite of the imperative need for drastic retrenchment, the country was being rushed into another war. Although this charge was very far from the truth, it was a strong card to play, because the people of Britain were suffering heavily from the cost of the Great War, and the mere thought of even a short, sharp and derisive brush with the Turks was quite sufficient to seal the fate of any Government. All the same the Conservative majority was not expected to be so complete as the figures prove. How long the Government will last it is impossible to forecast, but the chief matter of concern is that it gets a good start, and its tenure of office will depend on the use or misrise of the opportunities it seizes for solving the urgent problems facing the country. A point to remember is that the Conservatives are not strong in constructive ability, nor do they possess more than a fey men of outstanding merit, while arrayed against them will be political giants and a strong Labor party. A feature of the elections y/as the unusually large number of political landslides and unaccountable fluctuations. Several minor members of the new Ministry have been defeated, and amongst those who have failed to be elected is Mr. Churchill, but these misfortunes will probably soon be remedied. Labor has good reason to he satisfied with the. solid advance it has made towards political power, and the support accorded by women voters. It has become a party to be reckoned with, and will certainly be of service ' in helping to make up a strong Opposition capable of keeping the Government on the straight path. Naturally that section of the Press which supports the ex-Premier indulges in gloomy predictions as to the probable effect of the reactionaries’ regime, while other journals warn the Conservative's of making com promises. Probably the most striking comment is that made by the London Daily News, which says that “ the election has blown clean air into discredited Parliamentary institutions,”- and welcomes the substitution of a “real House of Commons, with well-de-fined active convictions, for the dictatorship by an inner Cabinet” —the most hopeful and the most significant characteristic of the new House. Party machinations will now have full play, but the responsibilities of the Government are so heavy, and the issues of such vital consequence, that it behoves all parties in the House to unite in the effort to bring peace and prosperity to Britain and to regain normality as early as possible. This can only be done by

placing country before party. Unhappily, affairs in the Near East have an ugly appearance at present, and the future of the Government will depend to a large extent upon the manner in which this grave situation is handled.