STATE ELECTION BATTLE..

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1927, 9 December 1913, Page 7

STATE ELECTION BATTLE..

MUCH UNCERTAINTY IN NEW SOUTH WALES. FOURTEEN SECOND BALLOTS. LIBERAL OUTLOOK IMPROVED. By Telegraph—Press Association-Copyright Sydney, December 8. Corrected figures of the i'irst ballot in the Now South Wales State elections show tiiat '1-1 Liberals are leading or have been elected, <l;i Labour, and 3 Independent. Altogether tb.ero will be fourteen second ballots. The Socialist and Bceby parties have boon completely wiped out. Mr. Booby, accepting the inevitable, declared thathe was convinced there was no place for their party in tho House., Tho "Herald" predicts that the final stato after tho second ballots will be:— Liberals 45 Labour 41 Independents 4 Mr. Ikilman, tho Premier, expressed satisfaction at the result so far. lie anticipates that Labour will finish the light with a good working majority, while 51 r. Wiulo (Leader of tho Opposition) is hopeful of capturing throe seats from Labour, thus securing a majority.

One of tho surprises of the election was tho defeat of Mr. Levien (father of tho Assembly) for Tamworth, which, as an Independent, ho had represented for thirty-titreo years. Ho was even beaten out qf the uccossary second ballot. With absent votes still to count, Jlr. Hall, Minister of Justice, has a roar jority of 73 at Enmore. A second billot. will bo necessary. Mr. M'Garry (Labour) is now sate for Afurrunibidgeo. (Rec. December- 9. 1.10 a.m.) Sydnoy, December 8. . To-day's election returns have not altered the position greatly. If anything, the Liberal position has been somewhat strengthened, and it is now possible to state the position (seats Wan, or practically won) as follows:— Labour : 83 Liberal ..; &2 Independent 1 Doubtful (on first ballot) ... 8 Second ballets 14 Total 80 Of tho twenty-two doubtful seats, Liberals aro leading in fourteen and Labour in eight. Postal votes havo still to be counted in many of tho electorates. 11l several contests, so closo is tho absent vote, though small, that it seems likely to prove a d-ccfding factor. Labour looks lilso losing Ashbtirnham, Bingaro, and Macqiiaric. Jlr. Hal! lias dropped to tho second place, behind the Liberal candidate, for tho Eum.oro electorate, but the small postal vote, as vot uncounted,, is not sufficient to avert a second ballot. The second ballots in t'ho city will bo held on December 13: those for tho country seats on December 23. NO-LICENSE RESULTS. (Rec. • December 9, 1.10 a.m.) Sydney, December 8. The official No-Lieenso figures are not yet available.