Canada at the Polls Canada polls on Tuesday, and it
is fortunate that the electoral campaign is to be no longer protracted, for in view of the international situation it is very much to be desired that a country of the importance of Canada should have in office a Government in • indisputable possession of the country's confidence. • That Mr. Bennett's. administration no longer has that has been plain for at least twelve months, but it is.far from certain that the Liberals, by whom alone a strong alternative government could be formed, will win sufficient seats to give them a safe command of the House. The presence of five parties in the field necessarily makes prediction. precarious. The real issue is between Conservatives and Liberals, for neither Mr. • Stevens' Reconstruction Party nor the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, nor the Social Credit Party now venturing for the first. time into the field of Federal elections, can hope to do anything nuich more effective than detach votes from one or.other_ of the "— Major partiesunless, indeed, Mr. Stevens unexpectedly achieves the success which some prophets accord him. Between Mr. Bennett and Mr. King the decisive factor is likely to be the ordinary swing of the pendulum. It is true that Mr. King goes to the country on a low tariff issue, at any rate a lower tariff than Mr. Bennett's, and that Mr. Bennett has gained some unexpeeted last-minute advantage in the lirestthrough the rise of wheat pkices, thOugh that is, of course, 'due to world-factors alone. it seems safe to predict that the Liberals will come back as the largest party in the House, but by no means safe to assume that they will enjoy a clear majority 'over all rivals.
Previous page
