Manawatu Evening Standard. THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 1929. THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIX, Issue 255, 26 September 1929, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. THURSDAY, SEPT. 26, 1929. THE FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

The Federal election campaign, now in full swing in Australia, presents some particularly interesting features. The appeal -is being made to the constituencies, because Mr W. M. Hughes successfully carried his amendment deferring the operation of the Government measure, abolishing the jurisdiction of the Federal Arbitration Court in all cases other than those connected with shipping and the waterside unions, until such time as it had been approved of by the electors on referendum. The fact that, where the Commonwealth is concerned, the arbitration system had proved a failure because the court awards had been flouted by the unions and its authority set at defiance, does not appear to have been seriously disputed. The State Premiers have all along insisted that their respective Governments should retain control over the industrial relationships between employers and their employees. The Federal Prime Minister, Mr Bruce, after submitting proposals to the electors to increase the powers of the Commonwealth in arbitration matters, which he failed to carry, came to the conclusion that it would be wiser to withdraw and to leave the State Governments to deal with industrial disputes, other than those connected with the unions already referred to; hence the introduction of the measure the second reading of which ho was successful in carrying by a majority of four votes. As parties stood in the House, the Nationalist and Country Party members forming the Coalition commanded 42 out of the 75 votes. Labour held 31 seats and Independents 2. But for the defection of Messrs Hughes and Marks and four other members of the Nationalist Party, the Government . measure would have gone through the House. Their votes turned the scale and Mr Bruce was successful in his appeal to the Governor-General for a dissolution of the House. Four out of the six recalcitrants Messrs Hughes, Marks, Mann and Stewart—are being opposed by other Nationalist candidates, and it is reported have been expelled by the Nationalist Party. Should Labour candidates also be entered against them, there is the possibility that the latter may win the seats on the split vote. The Speaker of the House, Sir Littleton Groom, has failed to secure the Nationalist endorsement for the Darling Downs (Queensland) seat, another Nationalist having

been selected locally, and, as both candidates will stand for election, and a Labour candidate is entering- tlie field, the splitting of the Nationalist vote may favour the latter. Five seats previously held by Nationalists are thus jeopardised. At the general election last year, the Senate poll disclosed a greater number of votes polled by Labour candidates throughout the Commonwealth than were cast for the anti-La-bour forces. No Independents were elected to the Senate, but the Ministerialists secured 12 seats, with 1,238,000 votes cast in their favour, while the Labour vote, aggregating 1,243,000, only succeeded in electing seven candidates. At the 1922 elections Labour obtained 11 seats on a total vote of 788,000, while the Ministerialists with 7731000 votes only obtained eight seats. The 1925 elections, however, showed a big swing over to the Ministerialists, who secured 21 seats in the Sen-' ate with 1,529,000 votes, while Labour, with 1,272,000, failed to obtain any representation at all. We are without the necessary data to enable us to make a comparison between the votes volled for the respective party candidates for the House of Representatives at the three elections, but the • position is sufficiently indicated in the state of the parties following each election. Thus, in 1922, 45 Ministerialists, 29 Labour and 1 Independent were elected to the House. In 1925, the Ministerialists secured 51 seats, Labour 23 and an Independent gained the remaining seat out of the 75. In 1928, the Ministerialists held 43 seats, Labour increased its membership to 31, and one Independent was again elected. The position as between Labour and the Ministerialists is, therefore, a very open open, and the defection of so many Government supporters increases Mr Bruce’s difficulty in retaining his majority. Added to that, the Government has largely lost its popularity. The heavy deficit disclosed by the Federal Budget, coupled with the heavily increased taxation foreshadowed by the Treasurer, Dr Earle Page, has not improved the position and the Government is blamed, unjustly it is true, but nevertheless severely, for the strikes and industrial unrest which it has failed to cope with successfully. In New South Wales and Victoria, more particularly, the tide has been rising high against the Government, and the attempt that is being made by Mr Hughes and his supporters to form a People’s Party is more likely to play into the hands of Labour than, to assist in stabilising the political situation. On the facts stated, it would not be at all surprising to find the elections ending in a decided reverse for Mr Bruce and his colleagues at the ■polls. The one party that appears to be facing the situation with equanimity is that section of Ministerialists —the Country Party members —led by Dr Earle Page. They have loyally stood ,by Mr Bruce and the Nationalists, and it is only through the self-seeking members of tbe latter party that the trouble has arisen necessitating the present appeal to the constituencies.