States Going Labour Despite State Election Results: Pri Decline of Supporters in Ci ime Minister Still Predicting Change in Imperial Naval Policy Pros Ovx Own Melbourne, July The Commonwealth Parliament, thas made just about as much pro-grosse in business as one might ex-poet, where a powerful Opposition is busy contemplating early victory by an appeal to the country. The logan, to use the modern advert ing term, had gone round. The tide had turned, Western Australia had South Australia had "'example, Victoria was hanging in the balance, and, after'
the fate of the Composite Federal Government was written as plainly aa the words on the wall ut Belshazzar's feast. Quite a number of people believed this, and those who are disposed to explain all netions of humans by psychology might make a note that within the best environment of mental suggestion Victorian Labour succeeded in polling about 130,000 votes against 240,000 of all other parti or independent candidates, regarded as a victory for Labour, and by the juggling of personal me terests and antagonisms it is. pos lat Vietorin may for a time be governed by Labou There ave some other lessons of this rather unusual election, Its effect upon Federal or national pot ties will be most interesting, have recorded the "Puct" made between the Prime Minister, Mr. Bruce, and the Treasurer, who is alo leader of the Country' party regard to the next general elect They agreed that sitting members of either Nationalist or Country ties should continue, if possibi ting members, and that where there was an inverloper second preferences must £0 to him s0,, Jong as he not Labour, Briefly it war what one might calla treaty of armed trality, The Vietwi Union, suitoring badly: from swelled head, was disposed to denounce this arrangement. Tt had not been sulted, and what was more the agreement wats calculated to deprive the farmer of their heritage of the leading: political party in the State put a belly-band round thei natural and legitimate expansion. These Victorian elections guve the Victorian Farmers' Union, which is the strongest and most sigaressive of all the organizations of the primary producers, seme indication that in the eyes of the electors it was not the only' pebble on the beach. It actually scored only 48,000 votes as against $20,000 of all other parties ==those opposing the Country eandidates of course including both Nationalists: and Labour, borals or Nationalists, who refused to pass a Redistribution Bill chiefly on the grounds that it would hand over the well-being of the primary' Producers to the urban electors, who were assumed to vote Labour, had not succeeded, the Tabour party would have been still further set back. A calculation, which is probably not far astray, shows that Liberal and Independent votes in the metropolis of Melbourne numbered some 100,000 as against 37,000 Tatbour, but what is more important is that whereas at the previous election—three years ago—Luhour polled most hi in the against all: comers, this year i been beaten nearly twu to one, Lhe fears of the city worker can be dis: missed. The sume loss of Labou influence in the cities took place in Queensland four years ago, but it only when Labour finds a' formula which will suit both country and city that it can hope for complete victory.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.