BIG MAJORITY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 May 1941, Page 5

BIG MAJORITY

SECURED BY LABOUR IN N.S.W. SEVERAL MINISTERS UNSEATED INCOMING LEADER’S PROMISE. WAR EFFORT TO BE STEPPED UP. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) SYDNEY, May 12. The Premier of New South Wales, Mr Mair, announced that his Government would resign as soon as possible. On the latest figures the probable state of the parties in the new Parliament will be: Official Labour, 50 seats; United Australia Party and United Country Party, 30; Independents, 2. Eight seats are doubtful. Labour has won 11 seats from the United Australia Party, three from the Country Party, and four of the new seats created by a redistribution of the electoral boundaries. Of Mr Mair’s Ministers, Messrs Martin. Primrose, Tonking, and Yeo have been defeated, while the fate of Messrs Reid and Fitzsimons is still doubtful. The "Daily Telegraph" expects that Labour will have 58 seats in the new Parliament. If this is so Labour will have the greatest majority on record. Mr W. M. Correy (Official Labour), who defeated the sitting United Australia Party member in Kogarah, is the first Victoria Cross member of the State Parliament. The “Sydney Morning Herald” says il is generally accepted in State Parliamentary Labour circles that. Mr J. T. Lang will be omitted from the McKell Ministry. The Premier-elect, Mr McKell in his first, public pronouncement, gave

today an. assurance that the new Labour Government will conduct an intensive search for every eligible man for the war effort. He said he intends at the outset to comb the State Public Service to discover how many capable administrators and technicians can apply their energies to the war task. Mr McKell said he feels there are quite a number of persons doing routine work who could render more valuable service in the present crisis, and this will also apply to men outside the Public Service whose activities to some extent are being wasted. Mr McKell promised that the war effort of New South Wales would be stepped up “from Mr Mair’s leisurely 50 per cent to 100 per cent.”