THE QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 153, 18 March 1918, Page 6

THE QUEENSLAND ELECTIONS

INCREASED MAJORITY FOR THE RYAN

GOVERNMENT

RETURNS NOT COMPLETE

(Rec. March 17, 5.5 p.m.)

Brisbane, March 17. In no caso are the election returns complete, but the progress figures clearly indicate that the Ryan Government will be returned with an increased majority. .In several instances seats have'changed hands. , ■ v. In, the last Parliament the Government strength, was 45, and that of the Opposition 21. On the present figures the Government appears to have won 48 seats ami the Opposition 24. All the Ministers apparently are safe. Mr. J. Tolniie, Leader of the Opposition, who was too ill to participate in the campaign, was defeated for Toowooraba.

A later message states that a feature of the election was that soldier candidates, all of whom were on the Nationalist or Opposition side, wore almost everywhere turned down. The Premier and the Leader of the' Opposition- had a busy day, as they were exercising the franchise on behalf of overseas soldiers. Though a soldier had the right to nominate any elector to act as his proxy, it is understood that comparatively few outside tho party leaders were so nominated.

It will be some days before the returns are complete, as there are many absentee votes to count The floods in. some districts are also causing delay.— Press Assn.