FEDERAL ELECTIONS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 November 1925, Page 2

FEDERAL ELECTIONS

[Australia & N.%. Cable Association.]

•ami maiaiMix.vnox

SYDNEY. Oct. 22. The Federal election campaign is proceeding steadily and quietly, with grim determination on both sides. So far. enthusiasm is languid.

Communism and its terrors, to which it. is claimed the Labour policy is leading the country, is the Nationalists Ijest-beaten joss,, while Labour is busily repelling tlie charge as political cant.' A strong argument- is that if the Nationalists succeed in strangling Labour’s legitimate aspirations, a.s allegedly they aim at doing. Labour will lie driven to extreme measures to preserve its existence, and the Communistic bogey raised by the Nationalists will become a reality. Mr Bruce, after stumping Queensland and Northern New South Wales, is now touring the Southern and Western States, with Mr Charlton close at his heels, cminterblasting his utterances. The Compulsory ' oling Bill enacted by the Commonwealth Parliament last year is having a curious effect in the campaign for the Tedern! election which eventuates on November _ 14.. The Chief Electoral Officer for the Commonwealth says that the Act will cause tlie coining election to tie the greatest in Australian history. In the 1919 election 67 per cent of the voters enrolled went to the polls, and in 1922 this percentage dropped to 56. Now. with a fine hanging over the head ot the non-voter, the poll is expected to reach 99 per cent of the enrolment. The election will cost Australia nearly £100.009, and will require the services of 25.000 officers. 9000 polling places, and between 4,000,000 and 5.000,(XX) ballot papers. It is calculated that there will he more than 1.000.000 new votes on account of tlie compulsory voting provision. It is the belief of Labour members that tbs preponderance of erring voters were careless supporters of their party who took the view in past years “would have quite enough without mine.” Labour is also claiming that the hulk of the 200.000 extra votes of those young men and women who have turned 21 since the last election will lie behind Labour.