FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XII, Issue 1076, 18 December 1903, Page 2

FEDERAL ELECTIONS.

BIG .VICTORY OF, LABOR PARTY.

By Electric Telegraph—Per Press Association—Copyright.

Received 1.15 a.m., Dec. 18. SYDNEY, Dec. 17. The completion of the returns is progressing extremely slowly, and the Postal vote is an'unknown quantity which is upsetting calculations considerably. Counting the completed returns and reasonably safe seats, the following approximate state of the parties now may be given for the House :—Ministerial 21, Opposition 23, Labor 18. For the- Senate : Ministerial 3, Opposition 5, Labor 11. The Senate’s figures, however, may alter materially. In New South Wales, Tor the Senate, the free trade bunch is steadily increasing the lead. For the House, Sir William Lvne lias a strongly increased lead. The Laborcandidate’s return for Gwydir is now beyond doubt. In Victoria, the latest iigures give Sir Malcolm McEachern a very narrow majority. Quick has been elected for Bendigo. ’ Max I-lirseh is among the defeated candidates. For many seats, ‘ the returns are still incomplete. In Queensland polling has reached a stage where an idea can be given of the parties. Labor practically swept the poll. They carried three seats for the Senate, and all for the Representatives with the exception of Oxley, which is held by Edwards, the former Oppositionist. They thus captured Brisbane and Carpentaria for the House, and gained -two Senate seats, those held by Fereusson and Glassey.

Beceived 1,33" a.m., Dec. 18 Sydney, Dec. 17. The latest returns give the Oppositionists a lead in New England, whilst Chanter, a Ministerialist, is only one ahead in Riverine, In South Australia Labor secured both seats, and in West Australia every seat except Sir John Forrest’s, which was not contested. In both these States Labor has also an increasing lead for all seats in the Senate.