N.S.W. ELECTIONS

Press, Volume LVIII, Issue 17420, 3 April 1922, Page 7

N.S.W. ELECTIONS

POSITION UNCHANGED. SOME MINISTERIAL DEFECTS. (By Cable—Pren Association—Copyright) (Australian and N.Z. Cable Asiociation.) SYDNEY, Anril 1. The allotment of preference votes is proceeding, and in several electorates has been completed. There is no change.in the party positions. Mr Simon Hickey, who briefly occupied the Speaker's chair on the resignation of Mr Levy, was defeated for Botany, where the new Labour candidate, Mr "W. J. Ratcliffe. topped the poll, beating Mr T. .0, Mutch, Minister of Education, and Mr "W. J. M'Kell, Minister of Justice.. Mr M'Kell scraped home without a quota. Mr G. Cann, Minister of Mines, the fifth member elected for St. George, was also without a quota. The Labour Party Executive last night expelled Mr Ratcliffe for refusing to obey the executive's injunction not to seek No. 1 votes, but to act as "dummy" for the other four Labour candidates. Other candidates who similarly refused to play the part of "dummy," were threatened with expulsion

LABOUR EXPLAINS DEFEAT. (Received April 3rd, 12.30 a.m.) SYDNEY, April 2. The situation is unchanged. The Executive of the Labour Party explains that its defeat at the elections is due to the formation of Labour groups in opposition to Official Labour, with the avoft'ed object of securing a better type np candidate irrespective of p.irty.